Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Recession and the BCBG connection

I'm just so sick of hearing the bad news everywhere. Giant corporations going bust, the downfall of wall-street, stock markets seeing the lowest lows in years, the likes of Madoff stealing people's live savings, death threats to AIG employees who won't return their bonuses, families losing homes for lack of income, layoffs, layoffs and more layoffs. After much resistance, I finally had to include the words 'occasional depression' in my dictionary.

Then came a bright Friday in my life where I stumbled upon a BCBG rack at Macys that had an 80% sign. Now BCBG and 80% are two things so not meant for each other. I mean someone can get fired just for accidentally putting that sign on that rack. Before I go any further, I must confess. I am a die hard Max Azria fan. The man has immense talent and incredible imagination. I've caught myself spending hours in his stores carefully studying patterns, designs, fabrics and the magic he weaves. I never try his dresses on. They're too beautiful to wear. And I've never owned one because it goes dead against my principle of not spending a dime over $30 for clothes. There's no point. I get bored of them and I haven't worn half of what I own more than once.

Back to Friday's story. So with slight shiver in my hands, I reach out for one of the four bottle green dresses in various sizes. It was stunning, complicated and sexy. I reach for the tag and after 1 reduction and the 80% tag, it was for $27.50. A $138 dress for less than $30? Is god teasing me? That'd be so cruel. I ran for the price check machine and it was indeed that. So I took a u-turn to look for the nearest fitting room when the deafning annoucement of 'we are now closed' hit me. Another u-turn and I bought it in a heartbeat hoping it'd fit me somehow. I could relate to all those lovely ladies who were trying on Cinderella's glass slipper in hopes that the glass slipper would fit and the prince would pick them for the royal ball. I came back home, threw stuff on the floor and voila... wait, no it's so complicated. Where do all the straps go? Ten minutes later, it fit like a dream. I was speechless.

At some level, I felt guilty for taking advantage of what Macys was doing to Mr Azria. But that's for another day.

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