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Late Thursday I got paid.
This is important.
Because even though I had bills due, and had to buy groceries, being paid meant I had enough to stop by the Salvation Army in Hadley on the way home to start looking for a new winter coat. My old one was originally owned by the mother of a friend of mine, and even though it's very nice, it's too long and not really the right size for me. And since new winter coats are expensive, I figured I'd check out the offerings at Sally's to see if I could find something decent.
There were a couple of "close but not quites" on the rack, so I moved on to the jackets. And I found The Jacket.
It's dark brown distressed leather, and despite clearly having been used, it still is in great shape. The lining is intact, the leather is clearly high quality, and despite it being a bit long in the arms, it's roomy enough that I can wear a sweater or a sweatshirt underneath. It's marked "GaB Firenze," so I had a nice little chuckle about it being from Florence, my favorite European city, and how cool it was that I'd found it here at the local thrift store.
Best of all, it was $25, marked down from $50. I grinned all the way home, despite it being a filthy hot summer evening. I had a nice new jacket that I'd gotten for a song, and I started checking out possibly matching boots on the Macy's web site. I was psyched.
Tonight I decided, on a whim, to look up "GaB Firenze." That was when I learned that my gorgeous new $25 jacket was made by these worthy folks in an atelier on the Borgo dei Greci, near the Palazzo Vecchio, where I could have bought it new.
If I'd had the $600 they charge for similar pieces.
I *am* the Queen of the Shoppers, oh yes oh yes....
This is important.
Because even though I had bills due, and had to buy groceries, being paid meant I had enough to stop by the Salvation Army in Hadley on the way home to start looking for a new winter coat. My old one was originally owned by the mother of a friend of mine, and even though it's very nice, it's too long and not really the right size for me. And since new winter coats are expensive, I figured I'd check out the offerings at Sally's to see if I could find something decent.
There were a couple of "close but not quites" on the rack, so I moved on to the jackets. And I found The Jacket.
It's dark brown distressed leather, and despite clearly having been used, it still is in great shape. The lining is intact, the leather is clearly high quality, and despite it being a bit long in the arms, it's roomy enough that I can wear a sweater or a sweatshirt underneath. It's marked "GaB Firenze," so I had a nice little chuckle about it being from Florence, my favorite European city, and how cool it was that I'd found it here at the local thrift store.
Best of all, it was $25, marked down from $50. I grinned all the way home, despite it being a filthy hot summer evening. I had a nice new jacket that I'd gotten for a song, and I started checking out possibly matching boots on the Macy's web site. I was psyched.
Tonight I decided, on a whim, to look up "GaB Firenze." That was when I learned that my gorgeous new $25 jacket was made by these worthy folks in an atelier on the Borgo dei Greci, near the Palazzo Vecchio, where I could have bought it new.
If I'd had the $600 they charge for similar pieces.
I *am* the Queen of the Shoppers, oh yes oh yes....
