On my last day in New York City for the Blogher Conference last month, Nadine Silverthorne gave me this dress. I like it.
But I’m not posting this here so you can run out and buy the same dress. (Although it would be fine if you did. I’m not that kind of girl. We can have the same things!) I don’t even know where it’s from. Somewhere in NYC, I guess. My point is that she bought a dress for herself and then decided it didn’t fit quite right. Returning it was a hassle, so she offered it around. When it fit me, she gave it to me.
How often have you gotten home only to discover that you had actually been temporarily insane when you bought that latest shirt/pair of pants/giant owl-shaped brooch/string bikini. It seemed like a good idea at the time. A giant bird head on your lapel would be jaunty! Isn’t it time you embraced your curves? Alas, you were out of your mother-effing mind.
So you fold it up and put it on a shelf in your closet to return. And there it sits forever more. Let’s stop kidding ourselves. We’re never going to get around to returning that wishful thinking-sized dress. Why not give it to someone who might actually use it?
Inspired by Nadine’s generous grasp on the reality of life (as well as her actual generosity), I went home and scooped up the two XL-sized breastfeeding shirts that had been sitting on top of my dresser in their original packaging for TEN MONTHS. Thus is the peril of online shopping meets guess-tamating your shirt size four weeks postpartum. Who cares if the store might still accept the returns? My chances had expired. I gave them to a very pregnant friend who will likely fit them better and felt immediate relief.
So try it. What’s in your “to be returned” pile? Who might be able to use it? Wouldn’t that be easier than trying to sort out the return postage? And won’t it feel so much better? Let’s keep this going.
10 replies on “Stuff I’m Digging: This Dress”
I do not order clothes online for this very reason, but I have made some dubious choices in the desperate clothes shopping department. I usually take the hit and pass them on to somebody that would like them more. I also offer friends anything I’m cleaning out of my drawers and give all of the girls outgrown stuff to an acquaintance with a daughter one year younger than C.
ps. the dress looks awesome on you!
Thanks!
It just makes sense to give to and accept thing from our friends. It’s better for the environment, our pocket books and our souls. But I wonder if there’s still a bit of a stigma attached to accepting “used” things in some cirles?
I have 3 friends with whom I regularly share my son’s outgrown clothes and they share with me their daughter’s clothes. It is awesome and saves me a lot of money from having to buy new clothes each season.
I also have a box of clothes of mine that I’ve “outgrown” but sadly none of my friends want them, but it’s no problem finding someone on kijiji that does…last month I posted box of woman’s clothing and a box of diapers available for free and the # of ppl that responded was huge, the first woman that came to my door was almost in tears…it was a good feeling giving her something.
I love that idea!
Sometimes I will wear something that I bought but didn’t bother to return. I mean, I’ll wear it multiple times. I will be ugly because I was too lazy to return something.
Having these things around, though, is a great opportunity for a clothes swap!
I know. I’ve done the same thing. Or you tell yourself,”It’s fine that it’s a little loose/tight/camel toe-y. Not worth the bother.” Sheesh.
I have a pair of pants in my closet that are mocking me right now. I bought them thinking “yeah, they’ll stretch a bit” but they did not. And this is after I tried them on in the store. I should have left them, but a big sale and a gift card tempted me to the dark side.
I’d love to get a bunch of women together and have a clothing swap, but unless everyone’s mostly similar-sized, someone is going to get hurt feelings and I wouldn’t want to do that to someone (or myself).
Yes, there’s the feelings part and the fact that I’m not at all organized enough for a full-blown swap. But I like it in theory!
As Melissa stated, I too have done a clothing swap with friends. Our first one was last month. I think it’s a great way to trade different pieces around.
I used to never try things on, but am working really hard at trying everything on in the store. That way if it doesn’t fit/look right I don’t even buy it to start.
Of course, after saying all that, I did buy a tank top one size too big last night because they didn’t have my size. I’m hoping to shrink it down. We shall see.
Yes, I used to be the same and rarely try things on. I’ve since learned that change rooms are your friend.