The Twiggy Moment

Over Memorial Day weekend I went home to Yakima, Washington to visit my parents.  Now please don't give me that condescendingly sympathetic look, "Oh you're from Yakima? I'm sorry."  Suck it, I like Yakima.  I like that I grew up there and enjoy visiting as an adult.

One of my favorite things to do when I visit is go shopping.  Shopping?  In Yakima?  Yes, yes, Yakima has a few cute places to shop, one of which is Persimmon, a consignment boutique run the YWCA.  

You probably don't know it, but Yakima has a population of well-to-do, well-dressed women, some of whom donate their clothes to Persimmon.  This was my first trip, but mom has made multiple visits and found high-end brands like Burberry, Coach, Ralph Lauren, and St. John's.  Luck was on my side on my inaugural trip, and I found this beautiful, green Doncaster dress.

Doncaster dress and Clark sandals

When we arrived at Persimmon, I made a cursory round through the store before diving into the racks, most of which were a disappointment (boy, there are a lot of ill-fitting blouses out there), until I met my mom by the dresses and spotted it, my dress.  When I saw it hanging at the front of the rack, I knew it was meant for me.  The bright green color and knee length style reminded me of one of my fashion and beauty icons: Twiggy.

Twiggy was a British model, popular in the 1960s for her waif figure and signature pixie cut.  In fact, she was the first model to chop off her hair and make pixie cuts mainstream (thank you, Twiggy).  I've already got the short hair, but when I can, I emulate her style as well.

Twiggy

Photo: Sweet Jane's Blog

Me

Photo: my mom

Don't we look exactly a like?  I think so too!

As well as being Twiggy-cool, this dress is a heavy cotton blend, structured, and fully lined!  If you've ever worn an unlined dress, you know what a big deal this is.  Lining is a barrier between your skin the the fabric and keeps your underwear from making an unwanted appearance.

I loved the structured shift silhouette, but the green material and gold zipper were what sold me.  It screamed Twiggy.  I couldn't wait to get home to Coeur d'Alene before wearing it, so I put it on the next day and had my mom take photos immediately.

Do you want to have your own Twiggy moment?  Do you want to know the secret to successful consignment shopping?  No expectations.  Yes, you read that correctly, no expectations.  You have to go with an open mind and accept the fact that you may not find anything, so when you do, you will be delightfully surprised and feel like Twiggy.