I did the boxing day run of a large shopping centre in my home town, and what I found was mostly more of the same stores that I have back home. I did not go into the classy boutique district, though -- my pass by those the other day convinced me that if I did happen to see anything in those classy stores, I wouldn't be able to afford it!
After the disappointment (and large crowds), I bussed over and dropped an xmas present off at a friend's. And what do I see at the corner where I have to wait to go back? Why, it's a Value Village
Anyone who has gone into a Value Village knows that it is always a crap-shot -- you might find row after row of crap, or you might happen to find something nice at an amazingly low price. It's a good way to kill an hour, looking for the golden straw in the chaff.
I must have been borrowing against my karma today, because I found two skirts:
- a brown full-length leather-like PVC skirt, size 15, about $C13
- a black mid-length size 20 Danier leather skirt, about $C25
The full-length PVC is a bit on the tight side at my current girth, but I'll either lose weight or find someone who wants it.
The mid-length true leather skirt is slightly too big -- it tends to slip down past my hips. Nothing that a minor alteration won't fix (or a good belt.)
As anyone above size 10 probably knows, it is quite hard to find even a decent full-length even in PVC: the consignment store owners tell me that very few of the larger PVC or leathers come in, and the few that do sell within a couple of days. And, since I'd been in Danier earlier today, I know that the retail Boxing Day price (about 30% off) for the mid-length true leather I found is $C200 -- so the leather one was only about 1/10 of the original retail price.
Some day I may get the local leathersmith to make me a form-fitting full-length leather skirt, but in the meantime I can enjoy my finds.
NB: the skirts were both misfilled by size, and leather sizing is always a bit odd, so if you Value Village, be sure to search the entire row.