Never Can Say Good-Buy

Filene’s Basement is closing.  For good.  This week.  Where’s my black armband and veil?

Today I wore a black leather Kenneth Cole car coat that I bought from Filene’s Basement in 1996.  The coat is a classic double-breasted style with roomy pockets.  It’s heavy with a silk Sunback lining.  The leather is a bit distressed on the seams and around the buttonholes, and all the buttons have been replaced.  The coat was relined was in 2006.  It always gets compliments and is widely coveted by friends and strangers.  I’m thinking about handcuffing it to myself whenever I wear it.  Anyone who tries to steal it gets me as part of the deal. 

Filene’s Basement was my playground.  I always found the hottest labels (BCBG, Earl Jeans, Nicole Miller, Theory, Prada, Donna Karan) at prices that didn’t send me swooning to the ladies lounge.  Filene’s Basement in Center City Philadelphia also featured a fur department--a little something for the wealthy who appreciate a bargain. 

During a long-ago morning commute a big rusty smudge attached itself to my freshly dry-cleaned beige slacks.  I had an important meeting that day, so it was Filene’s to the rescue.  I dashed to the store that was three blocks from my office and bought a pair of dependable black pants.  Filene’s motto should have been, “here I come to save the day,” but my buddy Mighty Mouse had a lock on it.

The end of an era came much too soon.  I loved the stores in Washington DC, where I scored great stuff like silver star-studded Converse, a Vivienne Tam Mod-inspired black knit tunic, and a cute color block dress that screams for 60s-style go-go boots.  I’ll always cherish the retail therapy sessions that Filene’s offered.  A moment of silence, please.

Aw-w-w Chucks!

My mom wouldn't let me wear Chuck Taylors when I was growing up--she thought they were ugly. She preferred Keds, so that's what I wore. They were cute, ladylike, and came in every color in the rainbow. Through the years I had pairs in navy, red, aqua, white and spring green, but my heart belonged to Chucks. It was like dating Steady Freddy but lusting after Randy Ricky.

Chucks are perenially cool--the shoes of basketball stars and rebels. On the street they were called "gang wars." I bought my first pair as an adult in the 1980s, and have kept at least one pair in my shoe collection at all times over the past 25 years. I have eight pair in rotation right now, including chocolate leather high tops and licorice black leather low tops for winter cool. Last summer, while shopping at Filene's Basement in DC, I found "superstar" Chucks--white canvas sprinkled with dozens of tiny silver stars--and added them to my collection.

I bought another pair last weekend. They are black canvas with tiny multi-colored loops scattered all over. Got them at Kohl's. I'm not a Kohl's shopper, but I was chasing a skirt that I saw in Vogue. Didn't find the skirt, but I found a pair of funky red high top Chucks in the men's shoe department.

So, why Chucks? I prefer a little sass with my casual wear. They look great with jeans and add a rocker's edge. I rarely wear gym shoes if I'm not at the gym. Why so many pairs? They're like Lays potato chips--I can't have just one!

When I was in Rome last year I was surprised to see that Chucks were everywhere--worn with very skinny jeans on young men and women. I'm sure that I'll see them on the streets of Paris when I'm there this summer. If you want to see them in action, check out old NBA footage or the film version of West Side Story.