Closet Diva

I have a THING for velvet and glitter.  Sounds kind of funny coming from a former hippie, I know.  When it comes to the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am ALL about glitter nail polish, rhinestones, red and black velvet, and lame.  I discovered a shop that's an absolute hoot.  It's a ridiculous little place in Old Town--a tumble-down twenties storefront with an inside to match.  Every square inch is heaped with dresses, scarves, jewelry, throws, beaded headdresses, sequined masks.  Anything outrageous or over-the-top.  Jilly, the proprietress, has connections to several garment importers; she gets these samples and sells them off.  Everything is one of a kind, most things come in sizes small or extra large and nothing in between (and small is SMALL...probably sized to fit some tiny Asian woman.)  You have to look at everything on a rack to find something you love in the right size.  But you always do, at least if you're me. 

I got this bee in my bonnet that I wanted to add some things to my holiday wardrobe.  Not that I don't already have a half-dozen velvet dresses hanging in my closet...  So I went to Jilly's yesterday.  God, she had some beautiful dresses.  I must have tried on about a dozen.  She kept bringing me things.  Brought me one that was SO pretty, all silver glitter on a purple ground with rhinestone buckles on the straps and drapey...things round the neck.  It was a small, but I thought, what the heck.  Took me five minutes to squeeze into it, and of course I looked like an overstuffed bratwurst in drag.  And then...I could NOT get it off.  Felt like I was trying to extract my entire body from a Chinese handcuff.  Finally managed to squirm out of it..did you know, glitter has teeth?  Chewed the hell out of my arms and neck, AND even embedded in my face.

I chose a more understated red velvet number with sequined straps.  AND a red sequin halter top.  AND a black beaded top.  AND a brown velvet jacket.  Spent $104...and felt like a million when I jumped into my van with my free red foil gift bag (for customers that spend over $50) full of treasure.