The other night my husband and I went out to dinner with some friends. It was kind of an unexpected outing involving sitting by a warm fire, sadly watching UNC lose to Duke and transitioning to dinner inside the restaurant. We were aware of the other tables of people around us (I remember wondering why one man in particular looked familiar), but we spent our evening listening and laughing about poor golf games, the interest in learning Mahjong and pickle ball, and pondering the proper positioning of a cone on a dog. Does it flip up around their face or fold back around their torso? Needless to say, we were not solving the world’s problems but rather enjoying a few moments of not thinking about them.
After dinner concluded, I and the other ladies at the table adjourned to the restroom (yes, we still go to the bathroom together). As we returned to our table for dessert, I spied one of my oldest and dearest friends who I have not seen since before Covid. Funny how we all define our lives as before or after Covid as a point of reference. She sees me and life is good again. We embrace, we smile, we laugh at how we sat less than 3 feet apart and neither heard the other’s voice — and let me tell you … her voice can carry! Regardless, I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing her until that moment. It was as if all our memories together as kids, teens, adults and parents flooded my brain. We reminisced about our slumber parties, our trips to the beach and her award-winning poem for an English contest that began with the opening line, “Goobers, goobers everywhere, goobers goobers in my hair.” That was good stuff back then. We recalled the time we got kicked out of a party by the “older girls” who didn’t like my friend dating a boy in their grade, the Chick-fil-A meals in front of the huge TV in the middle of SouthPark mall and our various trips to Asheville with our other BFF’s, laughing until our stomach muscles ached.
So how does this chance encounter relate to fashion? Well, there is a real trend now for thrifting, renting and repurposing fashion from our past. I have never been one to hold onto anything, waiting for it to come back in style or regularly hitting the consignment shops, but now I’m intrigued! It makes total sense to sell a dress online if you only wore it once and you know you won’t wear it again! It makes sense to hold onto that designer bag if not only for your daughters but to resell or consign or repurpose it into something else. I have two cuff bracelets that have old Louis Vuitton leather designs. Someone repurposed an old bag and made something new for people like me to enjoy! Additionally, there are some great local spots to consider like JT Posh, who have a regular supply of luxury clothing, shoes and accessories.
If you are anything like me though, you may feel overwhelmed by the idea of digging through the racks at a consignment store. Perhaps start by looking online at websites like Real Real. Ebay is still a viable option but Real Real has a lot more to offer. Poshmark is a website my girls have bought and sold many cute dresses on. One daughter made more money on a formal dress than what she paid for it because it was still in style and trending at the time! Young women have gotten very savvy when it comes to finding the dress they want. I have watched my daughter zero in on a new dress she wants online but can’t find her size. She then will scour all the secondhand sites, only to find it for less than the retail price in her size. Brilliant! Rent the Runway offers us a way to “rent” trendy clothes or even have a regular delivery of them for a fee. I know lots of people who love it for special occasion dresses but also some fashion-forward young women who are just starting out in the business world and want to dress well without having to shell out full price.
Furniture and textiles (pillows, rugs, drapes) are also having a revival. I love to go to stores like South End Exchange, Classic Attic or Slate Interiors here in Charlotte when I’m looking for a headboard, side table or even a rug. I am impressed by the custom drape options at South End Exchange and am on the hunt for just the right curtain length for my daughter’s house at college. I haven’t found them yet, but somebody is out there, sick of their drapes and will consign them soon! Facebook Marketplace has become a regular in my feed and I have several friends who have bought a number of items there. There’s a whole lingo system you’ll need to figure out before you shop (PF – pet free, FCFS – first come first serve, NWOT – new without tags, etc.). Other online furniture sites include One Kings Lane, Refinery29, 1st Dibs, Amazon and of course Etsy.
I guess the message in this blog is this: We can make new friends, buy new clothes and order new things but nothing beats an old classic. Someone/something that has a shared history with you. Someone/something that gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling when you see them again. Let’s be honest, that friend of mine and me … we aren’t the same people we used to be. We’ve been reimagined by our experiences, and we’re being used in new ways in this world. But we still have good bones, good structure and good in our souls. We just needed to be reminded that it’s time to start making new memories with an old friend because after all, when you create beautiful poetry together as children, imagine what you can create as adults!
Oh by the way, below are a few links of some items I’m considering from some online consignment shops.
Geoff
For the record – I was not talking about pickle ball, how to position a cone on a dogs head or Mahjong. I was talking about golf 🙂 regardless, I loved this blog and seeing Kristen too!