As Seen On Screen

Have you ever seen an item on TV, a movie, (or lets be honest – a celebrity in US Weekly) – and just had to have it? Become obsessed? Felt nothing for the item on the hanger, but when worn on someone familiar, in action – were hit by fashion lust?

I remember the first time I really liked something I saw on a celebrity – it was a little Juicy dress that was worn by Jessica Simpson on MTV Newlyweds (I know, I’m really dating myself here). I don’t even remember what it looked like (I think it was bright green?) but I do remember that it was by Juicy Couture, and that I later found it on eBay, only to see the price at something like $400. I guess a bunch of other people had seen the same episode! And my Juicy dream ended right then and there.

I first saw this Chanel jacket in the boutique as a new arrival in mid 2014. It was part of the Paris Dallas collection, and it was my favorite item out of everything I saw. I put it as #1 on my wishlist, but was quickly talked down by the sales associate, who said that it wasn’t a “classic” jacket. There was no tweed, and it wasn’t the classic silhouette, she said.

Here’s some blurry proof I found on my phone the other day of that shopping trip – complete with one very bored husband in the background.

I really loved the jacket – the sturdy wool fabric (more easily worn that delicate tweed), the velvet cuffs and collar, and the silver thread running through the lining.  I’m always a sucker for anything military inspired.

Not to mention the buttons! Is there anything better than some beautifully detailed Chanel buttons?

All of that being said, the salesperson was pretty intimidating (yes, I’m an American who can be pushed to do almost anything given the right European accent) and I was tired that day. Plus, Mr. Feather had begun to feel very sorry for himself in his dressing room prison. So, I put the jacket out of my mind.

A little while later, I happened to see this Chanel video, directed by Karl Lagerfeld and starring the goddess Amanda Harlech (if you want to learn more about why Harlech is so cool, you can read the very good Gods and Kings, by Dana Thomas).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-nB_Cov2g

And she was wearing the jacket! I knew it was true love since you can’t really even see the jacket in the video…but my eyes went straight to it regardless. So many beautiful items being shown on screen, and I could only try and squint for more views of the jacket on Harlech. I played back that little scene where she’s unbuttoning it at least four or five times. Sad and desperate behavior? Yes, probably. But seeing is believing…and once I saw this video, I was 100% a believer in this jacket!

Boots are my favorite Fryes

And…you know how the story ends, right? I ended up buying the jacket…and by the time I got back to the boutique, pre-sale season had started, so I even got it at a discount. Yeah! And it’s turned out to be one of my favorite jackets…its more casual, and the material is a lot easier to manage than those beautiful, but very delicate tweeds. Its almost perfect…although seeing it now in photographs, I realize I probably need to take it to get the sleeves shortened a bit.

Have you ever been “convinced” of an item, only after seeing it on screen/on someone else? Please share!