Time to write about the 18 wedding dresses I recently purchased. It was definitely an impulse buy on a grand style. Completely unexpected as I left the house that day visiting my former neighbourhood. A few blocks from my previous apartment, there is a well-run charity clothing store, “My Sister’s Closet (MSC)”, which raises money for women (primarily) and children in shelters within the city. I used to pass by it almost everyday when living near Commercial Drive, and stopped by to browse the $5 rack frequently. Over the course of about a month I had noticed that they received a sizeable donation of wedding dresses. A store volunteer advised they were from a bridal boutique which had gone out-of-business in New Westminster, a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District.
Some of them were quite outdated, throwbacks from the 1980s with their voluminous proportions, fluffy sleeves, and epic lace; yet, most were contemporary stunners with well-known labels. At one point I researched one of the designer labels I recognized (Jessica McClintock) and the same dress would be nearly $2,500 AM. The prices in the shop ranged from $49.99 to $299 CAN, raising money for a very noble cause. I noticed on my frequent trips that none seemed to be selling. This was probably due to many-many factors and, soon-to-be-brides, not considering such a location for their special attire.
During my last visit, I noticed that 18 of them had been moved to the infamous $5 rack. What could I do with a wedding dress or dresses? As I was thinking about this question, I overhead a man talking on his cell-phone, to a business associate or buddy, asking if he should buy them so they could resell at a high margin and make quite a profit. I don’t know what happened for me in that moment other then I didn’t want him to have them. Suddenly I found myself at the checkout stating quite emphatically, “I would like to buy ALL 18 wedding dresses.” He heard me loud-and-clear, looked annoyed, quickly left the shop, and I presented my credit card for the expense.
The real dilemma turned out to be what to do with them. I soon discovered it was very-very hard to re-donate somewhere in their entirety, and they took up A LOT of space. My long-suffering & wonderful partner, Mike, helped me pick them up from MSC and eventually we donated anonymously throughout the city to various thrift and charity shops one Saturday afternoon as they were packed into separate garment bags, and places were happy to receive one, possibly two, at the most. I am thinking about them today because yesterday, while in a tony Vancouver neighbourhood (Kerrisdale) at Salvation Army Thrift Store, I recognized one as it was quite distinct. There was a $99.99 CAN price-tag on it which made me smile. I hope that someone feels extra beautiful wearing it knowing they found a really gorgeous find at an economical price.
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