November 1 - short black boots

What: size 8.5 short black boots with 1.5 inch heel, zipper up back
From: Etienne Aigner, bought at thrift store
Purchased: October 30, 2010
Cost: $17

#19 for the year. I'll get to 18 in a day or two, but these I could not pass up. I've wanted, for a number of years, a pair of low heel, more casual short black boots. There is a small clothing thrift store one block from my house that carries great brands. It started as more of a cast off clothing place at rock bottom prices, but over time, has morphed into a definite savvy thrift store business. I believe they are clearly buying lots (not lots as in number, but lots as in a pre-sorted box at auction kind of thing) of clothes from some sort of consolidator. It's just become too specialized in specific brands, quality, styles, and sizes. For example, the consolidator sorts through a bunch of donations, and sorts clothes by designer, size, and condition of clothes. This thrift store is buying sets of high quality Ann Taylor, LOFT, Banana, Gap, and J Crew as their bread and butter, with the sprinkle of Talbots, Lily Pulizter BCBG, Tahari, etc. I never once go in there without seeing something I own, or recognize from a line I know well. Most items are priced $7-$19. And then sometimes there's an occasional super high end brand, but it is priced accordingly (a Nannette Lepore dress for $75 last week, for example). They also frequently run specials (to clear out inventory, I presume - $7 item for $4, or $9 items for $7, etc).

A friend told me she had scored a pair of great boots here that looked like they had never been worn. So on a whim Halloween weekend I stopped in and saw they were still running their shoe special ($24 now $17), and had extended that to boots, and they had a lot of boots. And then I saw these and grabbed them. They look like they've never been worn. I wasn't 100% confident of the fit, but wasn't wearing great socks, so could not pass up Etienne Aigner low black boots for $17. But then I thought, you know, these aren't going to fit perfectly, which means I will keep looking for comfy low heel low black boots and will end up with two pairs.

So it was with some trepidation that I broke them out for first wearing on November 1. And guess what? They fit like a glove. Love. Perfect. Niche complete.

And then the next day I popped in a discount store (Syms) and guess what else? They had a ton of these exact boots for $40. Just further proof that my little neighborhood thrift store is anything but.