Thirfted Thursday - BCBG Gown

This is one of my most favorite thrifted items. Ever. Not just because it's absolutely gorgeous and well-made, but because it was probably the best deal I will ever come across in my lifetime.

Personally, living in Los Angeles was a bit rough, especially after I was so accustomed to lush and compact Seattle (if you have never been to L.A. let me tell you it is entirely based on car culture because everything is so darned sprawled out!); however, there were a few perks...

...such as the fantastic Fairfax flea market once a month. Somehow I only managed to go once but the memory will stay with me for the rest of my life in the form of this dress:


I had been searching everywhere for the perfect dress to wear to The Boyfriend's company's 2007 holiday party. I thought I had found one (a brown, ruched, satiny cocktail dress), but felt it was just too casual for such a fancy affair (it was, after all, at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Seattle).

One Sunday, a few weeks before I would be flying to Seattle for the party (I'm really not a jet-setting socialite, I swear), some friends and I decided to take the drive into L.A. and go to the flea market. Once we arrived, we spent some time perusing the wares, but nothing really screamed "You need to buy me." It was an entertaining trip, but after a couple of hours we were ready to go.

We were on our way out when I noticed a rack of long coats and dresses and popped over to take a look. I immediately spotted two dresses, one vintage-but-not-too-cute dress, which I passed up, and another, which I new I had to have. To by disbelief, it had never been worn. The original tag was still on it - with the original price: BCBG Max Azria, $496


I nearly gasped. I nonchalantly turned to the shopkeeper and asked him how much he would take for it. He said his wife had just gone on her break, but that she said one of the dresses was $150, and the other was $50. "I'll give it to you for fifty."

I tried to contain my excitement. Sure, the "ugly" one was vintage, but definitely not worth $150. To this day I'm sure he had confused the two. All I had with me was $50, so it must have been meant to be.

*swoon*
Paige

P.S. At the party, I got compliments on my dress all night long! Little did they know it was a steal!