Friday, February 13, 2015

The Vest Harry Houdini Would Love



This little story will prove— yet again— that life is a great and wonderful mystery.

Back around November, when things were cooling off enough down here to look at winter clothes without breaking into a sweat, I spied a burgundy faux fur vest at my neighborhood branch of that bastion of all things discounted, Marshall's.

While not a fan of faux fur (try saying that five times fast) or without much vested interest in vests (but I do like burgundy), I picked it off the rack. It was size L. I fall into XS or S territory. Nevertheless, I tried it on while standing there in the aisle. It was a very small large because it did fit. A tunic, not a weskit, but it fit.

It was $19.99, less than lunch at Neiman Marcus, and I put it back. Because... read second paragraph again.

Nevertheless that vest haunted me. I went back to Marshall's the next day, but it was gone. I scoured the racks and wandered around to see if it had been dropped off (or hidden) in another area. No luck. Stubbornly I kept checking back for that vest over the next few weeks, but it was still gone. Finally I let it go, muttering "may that be a lesson to you".

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, a possible three months later. This time I am in TJ Maxx (which happens to be a few doors down from Marshall's), eyeing the new summer clothes. On the "Small" rack of t-shirts and tank tops what do I find but that same faux fur burgundy vest, still $19.99, only this time it is in TJ Maxx. Of course I buy it, assuming it must be a size small, and arrive home basking in Successful Shopper's Afterglow.

I gently ease that vest out of its non-biodegradable plastic housing (okay I rip it out of the bag) and see that, yes indeed, what I have bought is the burgundy faux fur vest in size Large.

Is the vest suddenly in a different store? And, yes, I do know that TJ Maxx and Marshall's have the same parents. Why was it on the Small rack? And why now, when winter clothes have been shunted off to the sale corner? Why me? Why? Why? Why?

Y is a crooked letter and life is very strange indeed.

The investment

3 comments:

  1. And I thought I was the only one haunted by clothing... nice find!

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  2. and i would have bought it FOR you if i had seen it!

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  3. Well, the vest was obviously destined for you--and some sales clerk realized that it actually was a mislabeled size small. The clothing force was with you.

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