The Great American Apparel Diet was a no-brainer for me – I’m unemployed. And I live in a three-bedroom house with every closet packed to the ceiling with shoes, purses and clothes. I have rolling racks and an armoire to hold the leftovers. I still have my new wave/punk-rock girl clothes from college. Fiorucci was my co-pilot.
It would be easy to say I have an addiction to clothes, but after talking with Stephanie the other night at Sally’s fab gathering of fellow dieters, I found myself peeling away some psychological layers behind my fashion obsession.
My family lives in Phoenix, home of Last Chance – Nordstrom’s final-final clearance center where Kate Spade bags go for $79.97 and there are scores to be had on every rounder. I wrote about my adventures for The Seattle Times when I was a copy editor there. I would think nothing of going out to the car several times to pack away another $500 haul, only to go back into Last Chance again for more undiscovered treats. My high? Getting compliments on a new coat and blurting out, “Thanks! It was only $19.97!” As my friend Yoko once said, “Just take the compliment and shut up, Francine.”
But telling this story the other night, I had a “Dr. Phil”esque breakthrough: Instead of a gracious “thank you,” I realized I was trying to prove that I wasn’t stupid – how could anyone who made such a great deal be an idiot? Talk about covering up some insecurity! Well, I covered it up in a purple leopard coat, that’s for sure.
So during this economic crunch, the Great American Apparel Diet makes sense for me. I’m going back to my fashion-craved youth when I read “Vogue” and “Bazaar,” dreaming of outfits I’d never be able to afford, but could draw inspiration from. I’m donating some of my excess clothes and re-purposing others. Last week at Sally’s get-together, I wore a pair of black pants that I had bought in 2001, but had sat in my closet the last two years. Stephanie said, “Oh, those are cute!” And I blurted out, “Half price! Kenneth Cole!” Groan…
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No matter what Francine, those pants were fabulous!
I’m with Stephanie–you look (almost always) like a million bux, give or take $19.97. I think the whole Diet group should take a field trip en masse next September to Last Chance, what do you think?