Recession… blah, blah, blah….we all know it’s really here. Gas prices, while declining are still high. We are eating out less. We are all looking for ways to cut corners whether it’s using the new grocery store’s amazing coupons ($20 off $50 or more!!! OH MY!) or cutting back on our latte runs, most of us are feeling the pinch. We do what we can with what we have and make do without, right?
And I’m going to speak for most of us, we all L-O-V-E a bargain. I am a bargain shopper myself. Nothing excites me more than delving into real sales racks and finding that golden ticket of a find. That time I scored a full Ralph Lauren bed set for $69.99 at the actual outlet? Back when outlets were still the real deal? Spectacular! I still have the comforter over 10 years later locked in a closet somewhere. Finding a BR shirt for less than $2? Done it! Just two weeks ago I spent three hours (1.5 of them standing in line) at my local fair ground as I scoured rack after rack of children’s clothes at a Classy Kids Consignment gathering. Three hours, $100 and a trash bag full of like-new 3T sized clothes and I was out the door. Did I mention I found toys too? Yup. TD is set for fall and winter now. It was a banner bargain day! Truly, a great way to buy kids clothes.
However, in the history of bargains and fabulous finds, one still stands out to me among all the rest. My winter coat. It’s been with me since the fall/winter of ’99 and I have no plans to give it up any time soon. It looks great in the city prowling the streets, cuts a fantabulous figure with it’s tuxedo styling and I got it for the bargain price of $300.
Did you just hear the sound of a record going off track? Are you thinking, “How on earth is $300 a bargain, you crazy, lying ass non-frugal lady!” Um..yeah, you probably are, but hear me out. It’s not just designer, but vintage. A classic. By one of my all-time favorite designers. This coat holds some serious fashion sentimental value for me.
There I was at my local bargain dive in the city looking for some cheap duds. I needed a new winter coat. The ol’ college pea coat wasn’t cutting it anymore now that I was out in the work force. I needed a ‘big girl’ coat. As I sliced through the racks my eyes landed on this fine piece of art and my heart began to race. My eyes teared up as I touched the fine soft wool fabric and thick black satin lining that felt inches deep. Dare I try it on? I thumbed the price tag of $300 and saw that it was marked down from the price you would typically pay as a down payment to lease or buy a car. I gulped audibly. Could this coat be mine? I scurried away to a dressing room and held my breath as I slipped it on. Ahhhh….perfect. It fit divine, hugging in all the right places. It clipped in at my waist, broadened my shoulders just a bit and had a gorgeous front to back slit that was to die for. I knew in that moment we were destined for each other. Then, I realized something. Wait. This coat had to be from the designers last line. He was no longer going to be making clothes. He was done. The doors to his fashion house had officially closed just that year. Was I holding history? That sealed it.
After scurrying up to the register to make my cast-off from Barney’s purchase I left the store feeling like I had found a bag of gold. I wore the heck out of that coat all that winter long. And the next winter and the next. Now, nine years later the coat still looks fantastic and as good as new. I makes its debut each year when the weather turns cold and makes me feel like I’m strutting down a runway each time I wear it. Sure, other coats have tried to sway me but the beauty and design of this piece, it’s not just a coat, is a force to be reckoned with. It’s like wearing art. Thank you, Isaac. I love it. I really do.
It was worth every penny.
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