Shopping Challenge: The Yellow Skirt Hunt
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
And this one:
And I was sold.
Unfortunately, such a thing is not easy to come by. I am in love with this little Anthropologie number, as modelled so elegantly by Lauren of I'm Better in Real Life, but not only is it quite pricey, the UK site no longer has it in my size and the Edinburgh store is yet to open. Sigh. I am also quite enamoured with this one (which is, in fact, The Actual Skirt from the third picture above), but it's $158 plus international postage - I'm not that enamoured with it. Then there was this one - alas, too pale. This one seemed perfect, but then when I went into the shop it was actually orange. ORANGE? Pfft. Who wants an orange skirt? Not me.
I always do this. For normal people, shopping consists of three simple steps.
1. Go into shop.
2. Find something you like.
3. Buy it.
Easy, yes? No. For me it's more like the five stages of (shopping) grief.
1. Denial. I see a picture of an item of clothing (or just make it up entirely in my head) and become utterly convinced that it is sitting in a shop or a warehouse somewhere, just waiting for me to find it. It must be out there, I can't be the only one who is looking for a yellow skirt/navy-and-white-striped bandeau swimsuit/coral and purple 50s prom dress/insert random item of clothing here. All I have to do is look, and I will find it. It. Is. Out. There.
2. Anger. This is the stage where I am most likely to find myself standing in the middle of a shop clutching an orange skirt and wailing to noone in particular, "but WHY is it orange?!". I can also be found storming through shops with a laser-like focus, swooping on every scrap of yellow that catches my eye, moving on in disgust when I realise it's a yellow dress or a yellow top. I mean, is it so HARD to make a yellow skirt? Is it so WRONG that, after a working week spent stuffing myself into uncomfortable tailoring and endless shades of grey, all I want is a little piece of swirly twirly sunshine? Is it TOO MUCH TO ASK?!?
3. Bargaining. Maybe if I just wait until they've had their next delivery. Maybe if I buy a white skirt and dye it yellow. Maybe if I say nice things about her blog, Lauren will give me hers. Maybe I could make one? (*snort*) Maybe I could justify the $158-plus-international-postage if I don't buy any other clothes ever! Maybe maybe maybe...
4. Depression. What's the point in even looking for a yellow skirt any more? We're probably not even going to get a summer in Scotland and everyone in California just wears shorts anyway. I'm too pale and blonde to pull off yellow, I probably wouldn't even fit into a yellow skirt, oh this whole thing has just been a big pointless waste of time I am the worst shopper ever I'm never buying another piece of clothing ever again.
5. Acceptance. I think I'll just buy that white skirt instead.
13 boats moored
You could get a white one that you like and then dye it yellow?? Crazy suggestion...??..Probably.
ReplyDeleteOh my god, are you my long lost twin (non-identical, of course!)? This is exactly my approach to shopping, I always make up non-existant items then try to find them, and I also just wrote about clothes shopping on my blog. Spooky!!
ReplyDeleteRe the yellow skirt, Primark (sssh, say it quiet)has a lot of block colour right now so might be worth a look. Also I'm loving H&M right now and they've got some great summer stuff in. Good luck
I have the same approach as you exactly but end up buying all my clothes in primark (or surf shops). And quite often, they have (or have the closest to) what I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteWhat about pleated? http://www.johnlewis.com/241819/Product.aspx?source=46387
http://www.look.co.uk/pictures/just-arrived-54-hot-high-street-steals/topshop-pleated-yellow-skirt-%C2%A335-in-store-only
Thinking outside of the shopping box:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Starlite-Yellow-Circular-Skirt-Medium/dp/B003G1RZA8/ref=sr_1_4?s=clothing&ie=UTF8&qid=1305629989&sr=1-4
Completely with you on your love for a yellow skirt - seeing as I can't get away with wearing yellow near my face it's my only option for embracing such a lovely colour! I bought a great yellow skirt from Gap a couple of years ago (though I've yet to find the right top to go with it, but that's another story) that I absolutely love - it's all swishy and definitely the colour of sunshine. In fact, must go home and put it into the wash. Anyway, I found the same skirt on ebay just now, though obviously I have no idea what size you are, but just in case, here it is: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/220781149130
ReplyDeletexx
I should really read your blog posts before commenting on twitter. Lesson learned!
ReplyDeleteCould you have one made? Sometimes it is surprisingly affordable to have something simple (like a skirt) made for you.
I have the same shopping issues, just not with skirts (not that I would feel guilty if I did. With skirts, that is).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, far be it from me to offer fashion advice but I will note that as someone with a similarly pasty complexion, it's not so much avoiding bright colors as the tone - for example I tend toward darker pinks for shirts and so on. And the one you liked from the US seems like it would be an okay tone.
I will however be an enabler: $158 is still under £100, which isn't that bad for something that's exactly what you want, and you're going to the US soon so you don't actually have to pay international postage, you could just have it shipped to the in-laws.
And as Zan pointed out, you could have it made. Hereabouts the best bet is usually a Korean tailor although any immigrant-heavy neighborhood would have someone similar; surely Sacramento is big enough to have similar shops.
*sigh* I love that Anthro skirt, too, but it looks terrible on me. I'll join Colin in being an enabler, though. Ship it to your in-laws! If it's okay with them, of course. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you're totally not alone in your shopping methods. I'm the same way. And, oddly, I'm also really good at completely talking myself out of buying nearly anything. Go figure.
I loved lauren in that yellow skirt. I am also in the enabling camp. And also wishing that maternity wear came in pretty yellow pleated skirts. Then again, there is probably a reason for the utter lack of pleats.
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled across your blog and you are making me laugh! I am equally obsessed with yellow at the moment and have just bought some yellow material to make a maxi skirt. I am hoping that the image online of the fabric also matches my internal image of what it will look like on me.
ReplyDeleteNow I must have a yellow skirt too. MUST.
ReplyDeleteJust saw this and thought of your blog http://pinterest.com/pin/30601757/ (asos skirt £35)
ReplyDeleteI know it might be a little late for the Yellow Skirt, but if you have a habit of shopping like this (which I am totally guilty of too!) you might like this website!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shopstyle.co.uk
you just type in what you want ie Yellow Skirt, and it comes up with all the ones available atm. I think it is pretty cool.
Thanks! I discovered shopstyle a little while ago and it is a GODSEND, since this is exactly how I shop. Of course, it can also be a bit dangerous too...
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