Now isn’t that a loaded question?

I’ve often questioned my sanity when it comes to collecting Chanel (especially RTW), but I think what I did today surpassed even my own definition of crazy CRAZY.

So back during the spring season of 2013, I was fixated on a few items from the resort collection, aka Karl’s sartorial ode to Marie Antoinette.  As you know, the resort and spring collections often stumble over each other, and if you are a fastidious shopper/collector, you really have to have the whole big picture and list in hand when summer sales break. Or if there are a few items that simply cannot wait for sales either due to inventory or your (and I mean my) own obsession, you’d better be quick about pulling the trigger. Suffice it to say, I blinked. I was quick but not quick enough. Fashion obsessions sometimes mutate into indecision which then leads to missed opportunities which equate to remorse, but then you have to quickly move on to the next collection and the cycle repeats itself. Some regrets linger longer than others (hence, my holy grail list of missed RTW items continues to grow). But as I said, there is no whining allowed when you’re talking about fashion. Besides, some kind of fashion voodoo or magic seems to follow me and eventually I do get a few of those remorseful events rectified. This is one of those occasions.

Behold the ribbon jacket from 13P:

The broad collar and slightly pronounced shoulders are subtly flattering to everyone’s neckline. Regardless of one’s shape and size, I do find the collarbone to be the most universally feminine part of the human form, so any jacket that frames this gets a win in my book.  Moreover, the black with white logo ribbon tweed and ornate buttons make a divine combination. Black and white, what could be more perfect? And yet, I blinked. I had a lot of distractions because of the aforementioned Marie Antoinette pieces.  So all I ended up with at the very tail end of sale season was a size 36 in this jacket. Not terribly too big overall but the shoulder proportions were definitely for someone at least one size up from me.  Alterations, perhaps? I pondered this for some time and decided that I should keep it as is and wear it as an oversized car coat instead of a fitted jacket as intended, had I found my actual size.  You can’t really see the curve in the seams of the shoulders unless you’re holding the jacket up close, but my assessment was that it’s not easily altered, and if not done properly, the jacket would be ruined.

I probably pulled it out of my closet at least once a week for about three months in a row. I’d mull over the gorgeous details and sigh. Then back it went into the closet. Beautiful but when it doesn’t fit right, you just can’t fake it. The whole point of wearing Chanel is that the line fits just so… when it is the correct size.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. While flipping through ebay for a bird’s nest (just don’t ask!) I see this very jacket in a size 34. My eyes bugged out of their sockets and I nervously contacted the seller.  Immediately she replied that she was up for the trade. She was as desperately in search of a larger size as I was for a smaller.  Over a series of texts where we even swapped pictures of ourselves (I know, the Internet is ripe for bad endings) and just out of sheer madness, I offered to fly in to do the swap once we confirmed that both jackets were in the same condition and authentic. Plus I figured if I saw it in person I would be able to authenticate it myself. No, it did not occur to me that it could be some homicidal maniac I was texting and about to meet. OK, maybe I had one second of fear but it was mostly that she would change her mind!

Certainly I can see why there is little trust in total strangers with everything that we hear and see out there, but I am always a big fan of the leap of faith. So after telling my sister about this mad dash for the jacket swap (I don’t know, like in case she could contact the FBI or something if things went badly!), I took an early flight…

met my equally anxious jacket owner at baggage claim, and after a few hugs and funny conversation for five minutes, the deed was done. I highly recommend this kind of “drug run” over the ones that are, well, illegal? Yes, Chanel is my recreational drug.  I confirmed with my sister that no one got shanked in the process and I went back upstairs to catch my flight home… but not before I stopped by here for lunch since it has part of my name:

I ordered the steelhead sliders. And uh yes, I had to ask Siri for a picture of a steelhead before I ordered it; it’s a trout:

So all in all, the cost of the flight and airport parking plus lunch was still less than what it would have cost to get the other jacket altered–with no guarantee of how the jacket would turn out.  And this one in my true size requires no tweaking. Who knew SFO could be so charming! Who knew you could go to San Francisco without ever leaving the airport and still be so happy 😀 ?!

So, would you do this for Chanel?