The Chanel Earrings That Got Away

Katy Perry may have written The One That Got Away about a lost romance, but for me, that fling will always be about the 1980s Chanel thermometer earrings that I found in a resale boutique in SoHo. I’ve regretted leaving them behind so much that I’ve actually lost sleep over my decision. Beauty rest. REM cycles. How could I have been so foolish?

Whenever I feel a little restless, I like to do a little mindless shopping/strolling/people watching. On one particular grey day, I popped into a small resale boutique on the corner of Prince St and West Broadway just for giggles. In the jewelry case were the most perfect Chanel earrings that I had ever seen. Forget the cliche interlocking double C’s. These thermometers from the 80s are where it’s at. Fashion with a sense of humor! Where have they been all my life?

I snuggled them. I turned them over. The price tag was $350. I could buy them, but I couldn’t afford them. I spent 30 minutes trying to talk myself into just throwing down the plastic and caution to the wind. My inner voice was strong that day, and I walked away, but I’ve dreamed of them ever since. Responsibility is a real bitch sometimes.

Since they are from the 80s, there isn’t a lot of information about them online. They never pop up on eBay, and I’d all but written off any chance of ever finding them again. Why would anyone ever sell them?

I randomly flipped to my Tweetdeck and falling through my Timeline was an image of THE earrings attached to a tweet from Decades. I clicked through immediately and made my friend hold my hand. Could I actually afford them this time?

In a cruel twist of fate, Decades has priced their pair of earrings at $1,450. If I couldn’t justify spending $350 less than four years ago, I certainly can’t get away with spending more than month’s rent now. Someone from the Real Housewives franchise or a street style darling will scoop them up, but they’ll never love them like I could.

They’ll come back to me someday. Until then….it’s back to Chanel thermometer dreams and self-loathing.