A saga of sequins, a black Sharpie, champagne with strawberries, and Heath Leger.

voltee ♦ August 29, 2010 ♦ 6 Comments

Item: Tank Top  Color:  Black, with sequins  Designer:  Guess?    Where Purchased:  My gut is saying Marshall’s   Years owned:  Probably pushing 10  Condition:  Not bad, considering its age, but missing a few sequins

Today was yet another day of extraordinary cleaning. I truly had every intention of going about this randomly, choosing an item type out of a hat, and then closing my eyes, spinning around like Julie Andrews, and selecting a garment totally by chance.  Maybe in the posts to come it will get easier to do that.  But how can I resist when such a great piece was discovered while cleaning under my bed?

I may have only worn this top once.  I vaguely remember buying it, after reading somewhere that sequins were due to be “in” again.  I thought there was just enough to add a bit of sparkle, yet not look like I belonged on Dynasty.  Yet I remained unable to break it out in daily life.  I think I had just moved to NY, and was still lacking in self-confidence.

But I did feel like it was an event piece.  And what an event I chose!  U2 at Madison Square Garden.  October 7, 2005.  Yes, this is the top I was wearing when I shook Bono’s hand for the first time and he gave me a black sharpie.  That was just the start of a truly magical evening.  In fact, it was a magical weekend.    It was the first time we stayed overnight in the city.  There was breakfast in Central Park.  And making many friends, who I cannot remember, while waiting in line for the show.  The concert itself was amazing.  There was as much to watch in the seats as on the stage.  We were on the floor, and the VIP section was just to to our right.  My very first legit celebrity sightings.  Fun times indeed!  We saw Liam Neeson (very tall) and Natasha Richardson (very beautiful), and we got to watch girls hit on Heath Leger all night.  I found him much more handsome in person.  When the lights came back on before the encore, he was gone.  As were the lovely ladies.  Very peculiar…  Other random note of interest; the bouncers wore tuxedos, and offered glasses of champagne with strawberries floating in it for a mere $7.  And so I fell even more in love with the splendor and excess that is New York City.

The problem was that the shirt was not built for my patented brand of frenetic dancing.  Combine that with the fact that I had decided not to wear a bra because I felt like I would be less fashionable if parts of it showed, and you get one giant wardrobe malfunction.  I’m not quite sure how bad it actually was.  I was smashed up against the rail for most of the concert.  I have a feeling, though, that there might have been inappropriate ammounts of side-boob.  Well, at least it seemed to work in my favor since one of the techies gave me a shiny guitar pick.

I don’t believe I have worn it since.  I can’t say if I ever will again. But I am quite in love with the draping in the back.  And can I bear to part with such a charmed article of clothing? That is the question.

**This one was sold on Ebay- I hope whoever bought it is loving it!!