We as a family were bumming around New York as we usually do, going to bookstores and thrift stores, stopping here and there, soaking in all the wonderfulness of Manhattan. I cannot remember the year, but our daughter was probably between six and ten at the time. Not quite up to my shoulder.
We were in SoHo, and happened upon a lovely neighborhood, as they all are in SoHo. We walked up the stairs to a consignment store. Or used clothing store, more aptly.
I picked out a particular shirt to try on. It was only $16.95. As I was in the dressing room, I tried on the simple gray plaid shirt. I honestly did not like the way it looked on me, nor did I have anything to go with it. I decided to put it back. As I was taking it off, regretting that I had to actually reject something to wear, (God forbid) I looked at the price tag. It was $1695.00!!! I silently said, “Yikes!”
I opened the curtain and the entire staff working in the store surrounded me. I merely said, “I didn’t have anything to go with it!”
We descended the stairs, walked down the block and I told my husband and daughter what happened. We wondered about the origins of such a shirt, (a celebrity owned it?Perhaps Madonna?) It looked rather worn. But in any event, (as my mother would say), we were aware that the workers in the store wanted to see who was behind the curtain trying on this plaid shirt!
Copyright Hollis Hildebrand-Mills 2014 All Rights Reserved
Hollis Hildebrand-Mills 
That’s hilarious, Hollis! Imagine if you had decided to purchase it…you would have fainted at the register. Even if I had Madonna’s money, I would NEVER pay that much for any article of clothing. That’s just crazy!
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I agree. Agree. My thought was the same. What if I had gotten to the register and handed them my card. The bill would come and then I’d find out!!!!!! 😦
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Maybe it was a Chanel plaid! Or a Gucci.
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Mareymercy, you know I bet it was a Chanel plaid. I never thought of that. The front closure was on the diagonal with some sort of red trim (slight though) and it was skimpy in the cut. But basically a worn black and white plaid flannel shirt! I was intrigued by the diagonal closure.( which made me try it on )
I looked for the second version of the FP skirt at Macy’s! Nordie’s not convenient at the time…none in my size. Good thing though, really ($) 🙂
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I loved this story, it had family, suspense and style to it! I like the idea of ‘who is behind that curtain?’ This would have made their month’s worth of thrifty sales, if you had decided to purchase this. I am still a big thrift store, consignment store and resale store goer. My Mom and Dad loved looking at the ‘finds’ in the household and knick knack area of such shops… smiles and enjoy your weekend, Hollis!
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Robin I LOVE thrift stores too! This one was apparently very high end!!!!!! Thank you for the compliment. I love your posts too! To you the same: Have a nice weekend!
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I usually have to promise myself that once I go home, I need to take something out of a drawer or off a hanger. Replace it with the ‘new find’ and then make a bag to donate. This works, since I live in a one bedroom apt. and I don’t want my kids to have to haul tons of stuff away, once I get too old to live on my own! ha ha! To a wonderful beginning of the week, and by the way, supposedly in the early morning tomorrow, there will be a ‘blood moon!’
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The blood moon is tomorrow? I hope it is clear so I can see it!
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A shirt vs. a month’s rent. Difficult choice.
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Eric, as obsessed as I am with clothing, the decision, pretty clear!
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And you coud donate it to the Smithsonian when the time comes (many decades from now, of course).
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A real art event, huh? Eric, do you think it was a designer piece, a celebrity worn shirt, or were we just being made fools of? (Don’t answer that. I changed my mind) 🙂
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That is the strangest story ever. WOWSERS.
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I know, Luanne! It truly was bizarre.
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Haha Hollis – you were nearly had! That was a close shave. I sooo wonder who wore that shirt before ….
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Yeah, no, we don’t look like we can afford paying that much for a shirt (worn out), me with my combat boots and puffer, and my husband wearing his olive green open coat. Kid clothes for our daughter. I wonder what the story was. I was trapped. I couldn’t act like I was surprised, Oh no. BTW, Your post today is still making me laugh.
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I can’t believe how much new torn jeans cost today. Wish we had kept ours to resell! Was everything in the store that pricey?
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No. I was completely caught off guard! Funny story, huh? Thanks for commenting, Marjie and I hope you have a nice weekend!
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What a story! I love thrift stores, but I don’t think there are any stores at all in my town that sell anything for that price, even new clothing. The beauty of small town, USA. Makes me wish I had kept my son’s jeans though. I think he invented the ripped jeans look, only his were truly ripped, torn and just worn out. He kept dragging them out of the garbage, the fire once when I tried to burn them, saying they were just getting broken in. Wore the same ones from 7th grade until well into his second marriage when they just fell apart and even he was embarrassed to be seen in them. Love the story. I don’t think I could have pulled that off. They would have been scraping me up off the floor.
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Thank you!!! Great story. Yes, ripped jeans are really “in!” Pay a fortune for them (Well, not quite like the plaid shirt ! 🙂 ) Listen I don’t know how this rebloging thing works, but I think you did me a favor by reposting it (I am fairly new to blogland) Thank you! I would like to read your blog. A little behind I am now, but you are supposed to pop up on my Reader! As I get caught up, I will look for you!
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Hollis for me you are always a star… not surprise they waited to see who you were. I am sure across the street it was only $16.95 but it probably was not worth 0.16c when you have nothing else to match… 🙂 x
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Good point, Doran! And thank you!!!
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🙂 good week my friend 🙂
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Thanks! Same to you!
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LOL. I would have purchased it and found something to go with it. Nothing I love more than finding designer clothing at a bargain and wondering who one earth would pay so much money for a piece of clothing. Plus I just love anything in the vintage clothing realm, especially from the 1940’s. Unfortunately the vintage clothing boutiques are growing outside my budget. But I guess if you didn’t like the way it looked on you, then it wouldn’t matter the original price nor the discounted one. It’s only a bargain if you love it. 🙂 xo
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Thanks, Elizabeth, for your comment! Yes, we love those bargains. I have a sweater I paid $45.00 for in a consignment shop. The man assured me it had never been worn. A designer bought it to copy. And she was going to sell her “copies” for $300. I was taken by this man’s earnestness. (In New York, where else?) that I bought the sweater. It is incredible. Lots of poofs and fringe and heft like shoulder pads at the top. Of course in black. Had to have it. New York is the best place for stories and thrift stores. Thrift stores, because there is so little space for people to live in and people have to clean out and donate more than I do.
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Good thing you didn’t buy it! Dad probably would have thrown a fit!
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We both would have! What a shock if I did not really look at the tag! And got home and got the bill!!!!!
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That’s hilarious. $1695 for a used shirt? Wow.
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I know!
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Reminds me of 1978 when my sister from New Orleans came to visit me in Houston. She wanted to go to the Galleria, which at the time was Houston’s priciest mall. I took her. She saw a pants outfit in the Neiman Marcus (we called it Needless Markup) window but with no price tag. She wanted to go in and try it on. I warned her, but we went in. The outfits in the store had price tags on the: $5,000. She nearly fainted. She said, “Russel, I can get something like that for under $100 at home.” “I warned you!” I said.
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Funny. I know what you mean about that store!
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