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Goodbye Loehmann’s

Jun 27, 2014
by Caroline Miller
Audrey Ferber, Loehmann's, shopping, Shopping for Memories
2 Comments

Moving from a home to a retirement center requires planning, not the least of which is getting rid of items that once seemed necessary.  Though I haven’t been in the public eye for years, I still own evening clothes, not because I think I’ll  ever need them  but because they’re beautiful.  One embroidery encrusted outfit I’ve kept more as a work of art than as a garment.  The same is true for a jeweled evening jacket.  But, the time has come for me to part with them, just as I have already parted with my alarm clock and mascara brush, both  relics of the past.

 As I fingered the  rhinestone jacket, I recall the day I’d bought it.  I was with a friend at Loehmann’s in San Francisco — that  fashion discounter like no other, known for its rows of crystal chandeliers and which, sadly, has recently has closed its doors after 93 years.   I was  young at the time and my friend was an inveterate shopper.  Or, I should  say she was hunter, for she had an instinct for bargains as a finely honed as the beam of a  heat seeking missile.    On that particular day, I followed In her wake, my eyes feasting upon rows and rows of designer garments, all at discounted  prices and  jammed on to racks, higgly-piggledy, like uniforms left behind on a battlefield.   In fact,  one skirmish did take place while we were there.  Two women had latched upon a chiffon dress  and refused to let go until the manager was called.   Neither my friend nor I was surprised by this behavior.  As Audrey Ferber recounts in her memoir,  a day at Loehmann’s  wasn’t about shopping.  It was “more like a treasure hunt.” (“Shopping for Memories,” by Audrey Ferber, More, June 2014, pg. 47.)

 For most women,  a tour of Loehmann’s usually begins with the innocent intent of “just looking.”  But soon the thrill of the hunt takes over and “looking” results in a bag full of clothing and much triumphant laughter.  The experience  was no different for  my friend and I.  We ended our tour at  Blum’s where we celebrated  our conquest over whipped cream laced  hot fudge sundaes.

 I admit, I’ve seldom worn my glamorous prize.   The glittering evening jacket has hung in my closet for many years, displayed primarily for the pleasure of its memory, the way a hunter might display an elks’ head. 

 In fairness, I know my treasure deserves to be worn and I think I’ve found the perfect person — a tall,  blonde and beautiful young woman who will  dazzle in it.  I don’t mind the letting go.  I  have my memory of a joyous day filled with shopping and laughter and  the company of a good friend.  So now it’s time to say, “goodbye jacket  and goodbye Loehmann’s.  Thank you  for the memory.”    

 Loehmann's shopper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of www.facebook.com/Loehman’s)

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2 Comments
  1. Louise Labby Carroll June 30, 2014 at 5:51 pm Reply
    Hi there, When we moved out of our house into a condo, we did an enormous amount of "purging". We both found it cathartic to be rid of things that, though they held memories, needed to move on. Enjoy the memories and the process of lightening the load. :)
    • Caroline Miller June 30, 2014 at 7:56 pm Reply
      Thanks for your encouragement. For me the process is a bit scary. I feel as if I'm trying to decide which of my memories are important and which aren't and I'm not clear about the standard. Is the standard how hard an object pulls at the heart strings? I would prefer that to, "Will the IRS want this document 4 years from now."

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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