Speaking of the sea & treasures,
before I start my speech about the greatness of the Salvation Army
I must say that I am just so done
with the continuous return of the
nautical trend for every single spring season
I can remember
stripes are fine
but I could really do without the racks and racks of kitschy, tacky
clothes and accessories adorned with rhinestoned anchors and such,
it all really just grinds my gears
anyway, on the same day I went to Strand I got a bit distracted from my venture to buy cheap books for Spring Semester when the Salvation Army caught my eye
with only 20 extra dollars to spend and a dream I ambled in to the store
and was immediately welcomed by the musty smell of old, unwanted clothes that hold decades of history
and shelves of dusty romance novels and pregnancy books hiding the occasional classic or
contemporary treasure
I've scored numerous amazingly lucky deals at the Salvation Army
vintage YSL belts, lacy lingerie tops to pair with some great boots
cute vintage lunchbox style purses, waist belts with classically vintage gold belt buckles
among other treasures hidden on racks beneath the clouds
of stained, slightly smelly mystery clothes
anyway, on this particular occasion I was on a mission for...blazers
I'm just obsessed studs, mismatched buttons, ruffles, velvet, cropped, any type: I love em all
preferably with shoulder pads, the define shoulders in a blazer are a classic
and cannot be found in new clothes, Forever 21 & Urban just don't get it
the shoulder pads are essential
go big or go home and wear a cardigan instead
so after scoring a cropped bolero style Ann Taylor, complete with killer shoulders,
a gorgeous gray number with vintage gold buttons and crop sleeves,
and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri [who I just adore] I was set
thank you Salvation Army for bringing us treasures hidden under piles of junk
I'm always tempted to rummage through the lingerie bins for lacy finds...
but upon touching someone else's old white lace bra
(there are more white lace bras than anything) and full coverage lacy panties I can't really go on
I mean, I don't know if it is ok to have my hands relive dozens of womens' dirty memories and
sex extravaganzas to find a good deal
anyhoo, my love for blazers, shoulder pads, and vintage wonder
is what connects to the Cosby Show
on top of the fact that Bill Cosby is just a comedic genius
and the show is just so laugh out loud funny and genuine and just great
I must say, I love the way the girls dress
maybe all those costumes ended up in a Salvation Army
but Claire's (the mom's) gold brooches, Technicolor jumpsuits & grandma earrings just
tickle my fancy & send me into fits of admiration, inspiration & envy
and let me tell you, that woman knows how to rock shoulder pads,
red lipstick & sass better than anyone else I've seen
I'm forever going to be stuck in the past, the days of cooler boots, gold-er accessories,
awesome sitcoms, and even more awesome books
TV Land, here I come.
