Get Shorty, Part Two
December 9, 2009This is Part Two in a 4-part series titled “Get Shorty”, in which I describe my quest for Short Winter Skirts (to be referred to from here on out as “SWS”).
Part One revealed the emergency situation in which I discovered I was lacking short winter skirts (I only owned three!).
In Part Two, I’ll describe my adventure to the Goodwill store that is right next to my grocery store. This has proven to be a dangerously convenient location to me. If this store were a potential boyfriend, I’d label it DGD (Dangerously Geographically Desirable), which means it’s a little too close for comfort. The ease of access can lead to unexpected drop-ins just to “check things out”.
As I started my journey to find SWS, there were only two requirements for what I was looking for:
1. The skirt should be made of a winter fabric such as: wool or wool-blend, corduroy, knit, tweed – something heavy and warm.
2. The skirt should be just above, or right at my knees (i.e. short – get it?)
As is typical with my secondhand store shopping (and my shopaholic tendancies), I ended up with alot more than I intended on buying – 7 skirts, not all of them winter fabric, and not all of them short. And remember, there are still two more parts in this Get Shorty series. But wait until you see how much I bought and how little I spent…
I also ended up with some unanswered questions:
1. Is brown the new black? Five of the seven skirts I bought were brown. (I guess since it’s a secondhand store, brown must have been the new black several seasons ago).
2. When is something “vintage” vs. it being just really, really old and “dated”? Two of the skirts I found led me to ask this question.
3. Just because something is only $1.99 – do I have to buy it? Goodwill has this $1.99 colored tag sale – every week, items with a certain colored tag are only $1.99. This trip was Blue Tags week…….and I hit the jackpot!
In these photos (except for the last one), I wore the same brown jacket: Talbots ($4.69 purchased from Goodwill at an earlier time). White T-shirt: Banana Republic ($2.39 – Goodwill).
Skirt 1: Banana Republic $1.99
Skirt #1: Banana Republic (95% Wool, 5% Lycra/Spandex) $1.99 Score!! Length is OK and it’s a wool blend.
Skirt #2: Talbots $1.99
Skirt #2 Talbots (100% Cotton) $1.99 This is an instance where Label trumped Logic – the skirt doesn’t meet either of the SWS requirements and I just bought it because it’s from Talbots and it’s only $1.99. Notice it has the pleated slit in the front – I’ve never been a big fan of that.
Skirt #3: Talbots $3.39
Skirt #3: Talbots (100% Wool)$3.39 OK, so this one meets one of the SWS requirements – it’s made of wool, so it’s a winter skirt. But obviously it’s not short. I like how I belted the jacket, though…..I guess I did learn something from that woman who wore the same dress for 30 days….
Skirt #4: Paul Harris $1.99
Skirt #4: Green Paul Harris (100% Polyester) (Ignore the bad photo lighting, if possible. I played around with the contrast/coloring in Photoshop for this photo so you can see that the skirt is green. Learning how to use lighting, purchasing a lighting kit, etc. are on my list of things to learn to do….)
$1.99
Short skirt – check
Winter fabric – check (well, it’s more winter than summer)
This is where I start asking what the difference between ‘vintage’ and ‘dated’ is. Paul Harris? Really? The last time I purchased something from Paul Harris was in the 80′s when I was in high school. Oh no, it gets worse - I just Googled Paul Harris and it’s a clothing store for older ladies – and by older, I mean they have a “Red Hat Society” tab on their website!!! Once again, I’m feeling regret…
Skirt #5: Bob Mackie $1.99
Skirt #5: Bob Mackie (70% Acryllic, 30% Wool)
$1.99
How many people do you know that own a Bob Mackie? He was Cher’s fashion designer. Once again – can I consider this vintage? This one also fits both requirements – it’s wool blend and just right at the knee…..
Skirt #6: Calvin Klein $3.39
Skirt $6: Calvin Klein $3.39 (100% Wool)
Yes it’s wool, but no, it’s not short. But I wouldn’t categorize it as long, either. I included the inset detail so you can see that’s it’s brown-checkered – and it’s not the same skirt as Skirt #2. It’s a very well-made skirt. And look, I paid full price for it….
Skirt #7: Collette Mordo $1.99
Skirt #7: Collette Mordo (78% Acryllic, 22% Nylon)
$1.99
This is another skirt I just grabbed because it was only $1.99. I had never heard of Collette Mordo, but I just Googled her and learned she’s a pretty high-end fashion designer – I think she’s exclusive to Neiman Marcus, where her items run around $150 – $200 per piece. It’s a heavy dark gray skirt that will be great for winter.
So there you have it – 7 skirts….and oh, did I mentioned I picked up this pair of never-worn Croft and Barrel ankle boots for $6.59? 
So this leads me to that final question I asked in the beginning, and will probably be an unanswered question of the shopaholic – just because the price is right, do I need to buy it???
Check out my invoice for this shopping excursion, and let me know your thoughts….
Skirt #3: Talbots $1.99
Skirt #1: Banana Republic (95% Wool, 5% Lycra/Spandex) $1.99 Score!! Length is OK and it’s a wool blend.
Brenda,
For $16.73 — even if you never wear any of them more than once, it’s a bargain at twice the price! I could waste $16 a day (..) and never have a thing(besides a headache) to show for it!
Heck yes you do… $16.73, really… If we were all on your clothing budget, we would own homes and brand new cars, instead of a closet full of full-price clothing and a 8 year old vehicle!
On the 2 and 6 skirts, pardon my ignorance, but can’t you just turn the skirt so the pleat is wherever you want it?
Nope – they’re made with a front and a back, just like pants and underwear. It just wouldn’t work.
The girl in me wants to say, “Yes, a deal is a deal!” The PF-crazed part of my brain is screaming, “No, no, no, no, no!”
This is pretty much how people get duped into spending more money. You’ll go to a store to buy one pair of tennis shoes. You get in, and oh look! They’re having a sale! Buy one, get one 50% off! You don’t need two pairs of shoes, but how can you pass up 50% in savings? So you buy the shoes and go home feeling good about the money you just saved. Except…
It’s totally not saving money when you spend money that would otherwise be in your pocket. I take good care of my shoes, and usually only buy tennis shoes once every three or four years.
A good deal is great if it’s something you absolutely have to buy. Otherwise, it’s not a deal because it’s costing money you otherwise wouldn’t spend.