REVISIT Ten For Today: National Thrift Store Day
Sugar Pie DeSanto, The Velvet Underground and Nico, Vivian Dandridge, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, David Dundas, Jerry Reed, Prince & The Revolution, Moonshake, PJ Harvey
I published this post on December 23, 2023, but today is National Thrift Store Day, which seems like a good time to revisit. New post in a day or two. Thanks for reading.
So, I am not really one for New Years resolutions. Having been raised Catholic, I know ALL about sacrifice and giving up things, and Lent is MUCH shorter than a year, so I have traditionally opted for the abbreviated version of denying myself things. However, I did make a resolution for 2023, and with a few days to go, and two justifiable infractions, the resolutions compliance people confirm that I accomplished my goal. I did not purchase one stitch of new clothing, including shoes and accessories, in 2023. Underthings were of course excluded from the ban, and I was allowed to buy pre-owned clothing. My first infraction was a hoodie bearing the logo of my beloved Boston Pride pro women’s hockey team, which folded this year. There was a window closing. The second was a mini-spree for a family of Haitian refugees we met. They had no coats, winter accessories or New England-appropriate shoes. So we got some. (Thanks to my former boss who used to be the mayor and a few very generous friends for the cash.) Like I said – justifiable. Even the compliance experts agree.
Now I bought a LOT of clothing in 2023. Like my poor single mother before me, I became a thrifter. Many a Tuesday afternoon you might find me at Savers (30% off for anyone over 55! 30% is a LOT!). I visited all manner of second-hand stores, and bought a few special occasion-type pieces from Poshmark. If you ever needed proof that fast fashion is killing the planet, visit these places, which have rows and rows and rows of cheaply made Old Navy and H & M stuff, barely worn. (You can tell, because if they were worn, they’d be worn out after a few washes.) But among that stuff, there is well-made brand name and even vintage stuff. I will never, ever pay $60 for a pair of jeans again. I’m lucky, in that my City Hall days are behind me, and I don’t really have to dress up to go to work. (Though even when I DID have to do that, I was mostly renting clothes from Gwynnie Bee, which saved me a lot of money.)
Anyway, in honor of my great achievement, we’re going to explore clothing in music.
Here’s the first of two songs today about the power of a dress. It’s from 1964.
In 1967, The Velvet Underground and Nico asked the important question: “What costume shall the poor girl wear/To all tomorrow's parties/A hand-me-down dress from who knows where” (I know where! Savers!)
It’s my blog, and I can have a metaphorical coat if I want to, especially when it’s such a great recording. This is from 1968, a year after “Tears of a Clown.”
(Note 8/17/24: The video that was here was “A Coat of Laughter” by Vivian Dandridge. It’s no longer on the youtubes that I can find. It was on her 1968 album THE LOOK OF LOVE. If you have it somewhere, please upload it!!! And this is why we need physical media, always.)
Suzanne of course wore “rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters” in this Leonard Cohen jewel released in 1969. Here he is performing it in 1970.
Here’s the living angel known as Dolly Parton in 1979 singing her 1971 song about the coat her mother made for her. My grandmother made clothes for me and my siblings, and they were beautiful clothes. She sometimes even made matching clothes for our dolls with the remnants. But I turned into a ten-year-old jerk, and decided store-bought clothes were better, even though my mother couldn’t really afford that. All the other kids on the street had store-bought clothes. One Easter, I REALLY didn’t want to wear one of the matching dresses Grammy made for my sister and me, so I pretended to polish my shoes (patent leather – didn’t need polishing) and “spilled” some polish on the dress. Like I said, a ten-year-old jerk. They should have sent me to reform school. Not like Dolly. She’s a living angel. Long story short: ALWAYS ask yourself: what would Dolly do? And then do that.
“It's the weekend, and I know that you're free/So pull on your jeans and come on out with me.” This came out in 1977. Also, it’s worth noting that I HAVE seen that jacket at a number of thrift stores, though never in my size.
This one came out in 1979, and it gets beaucoup points for use of the word “dungarees.” It is also an example of the oft-employed we-were-poor-but-we-had-love trope, which is heartwarming bullshit. It is hard and stressful to be poor. I do love that guitar solo outro though.
One can’t make this list without this song. I’ve been looking for a raspberry beret since 1985.
Here’s some classic 1992 shoegaze music about a guy who thinks secondhand clothes are full of ghosts. This is not an indefensible position.
And finally, here’s another about the power of a dress, from 1992.
That’s it for today. See you at Saver’s on Tuesday? Be kind to each other.
Joyce
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