Oh loyal fans, I must offer up my dearest apologies! After this Saturday’s Goodwill Glitter Sale I was unexpectedly put into what the medical community has called “a severe glamor coma” – a debilitating condition which left me slack-jawed and muttering to myself for the last several days. It is only now that I have achieved a form of spiritual clarity, surrounded here by the pile of sequin jackets and brightly colored vests purchased this weekend, that I can offer a sufficient look back on this most holy of holy days.
It goes without saying that I take my Glitter Sale seriously. But I am not one of those most righteous of devotees – the kind that wake up at 4am to camp outside the Dearborn Goodwill and wait their turn to enter that palace of enchanting apparel before the sun has yet to rise.
But I did wake up pretty early by my own standards and when my team arrived at 11am we were bestowed with sanctimonious lanyards & told that with our entrance numbers we were estimated to be let in around 4pm.
All of us felt the blood rush from our face. 4pm! 4PM !! We went back to our car and drove to the Szechuan Noodle Bowl in the International District a little dejected, hoping that we wouldn’t lose heart and that the test of our commitment to the calling of all that is glitter and gold would persist throughout the day. We ate green onion pancakes and bok choy and tried to keep the faith.
Thankfully, instead of long lines, this year Goodwill decided to use the virtuousness of text messaging to let folks know when they would be permitted into the gates. Around 3pm we got the signal that we would soon be able to enter, and we rushed back to the thrift store seething with excitement.
Words cannot describe what is to be experienced behind those fanciful curtains lifted only but once a year. As I entered into the exclusive sale I felt all sound collapse around me; my vision narrowed into a tunnel and I felt myself as if moving underwater.
My wife took my hand and snapped her fingers in front of my eyes a few times ( this close from having to break out the smelling salts) and as emerged from the daze, I entered a fight or flight mode, racing clumsily through the aisles.
As best a description as I can give: racks and racks and racks and racks with the most impeccably tailored blouses, vests, and jackets – almost exclusively beaded and sequined apparel, constantly replenished by staff and equally devoured by a host of hungry customers.
It took me a minute to find my bearings, but I before long I found the aisles I was looking for:
GLITTER JACKETS.
Just try to imagine that for a moment. A WHOLE SECTION FOR GLITTER JACKETS.
I spent a good 40 minutes in this part of the sale, carefully sifting through the many varieties and trying things on right then and there. At first I was so excited that I actually broke a few hangers trying to pull things off too quickly. At one point someone picked up the hat I had in my stash but that I had forgot to keep nearby, and I felt my voice crack as I snapped “NO WAIT. THAT’S MINE GIMME GIMME GIMME”.
Once I had the item back in my possession I was a little embarrassed about my behavior, and had a chance to reflect on it. Humbled, I decided to stop treating the experience like a competition and tried to just enjoy the moment. I looked around at all the smiling faces, the happiness and joy being had by all the folks around me and was deeply moved. Everyone was having so much fun!
It was such a peaceful experience, a singular moment in time that I can always refer back to as my ‘happy place’. And no one can take that away from me!
And now, for the fashion!
This was a great blouse thing we convinced Meghan she HAD TO GET. It has an elastic waist and ripples and ripples of shine. If it would have fit over my beer belly (and believe me, I tried) I would have snagged it from her. One of my favorites pieces from the sale, hands down.
This was my main competition, a stranger I met named Derrick, who had a criminal amount of sequined loot he was dragging around with him. We talked shop for a while, and he told me that he has a little project going where he’s taking men’s jackets and attaching sequin fabrics to them to spruce them up. I hope to feature this work on a future edition of Sequins In Seattle.
Complex patterned jacket that Amber took a liking to.
A pretty special vest with bead work and butterflies. <3 <3 <3 <3
Me, in a frantic moment.
No comment needed.
Totally snagged this one!
Fabulous sequin hat with music notes!
These are SEQUIN UGGS that a customer (Diane) was wearing. She got them on the
home shopping network. MUST FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE.
And my personal favorite from the weekend, this sequin robe formal wear.
I can totally see myself wearing this on a night on the town and stopping all the muted-tone fleece-wearing fools in their tracks. Seattle is about to get so very real.
THANKS #GLITTERSALE
