Last week Cousin Laura wrote to me to let me know that the Eddie Bauer Salvage Store in Columbus, OH announced they would be closing this location. I posted my memories of visiting the store during our regular trips to Ohio.
A few days later the news reported that all Eddie Bauer locations are closing. Or most. Or some. Or some have already. They might switch to all online. They might keep a few locations. On a cold winter day when we were already heading to Ocean Grove and Asbury Park to see snow on the beach and boardwalk, we took a detour to the Eddie Bauer store located in the Jersey Shore outlets in Tinton Falls, NJ.
At the store I asked the clerks when they learned about the closing, they said the same way we did: via the news outlets. Ouch! Makes me like Eddie Bauer a little less.
A man at the register said he was there because he had been eyeing up some pants. His wife told him about the closing and told him it was now or never. He bought two pairs.
Customers called -- yes, the phone rang -- to make sure they were open.
I spent about an hour grabbing items in my size, hugging them close to my chest as I decided which to keep and which to leave for someone else. I grabbed three pairs of jeans, deciding to keep only one -- the Goldilocks one of the three. I bought a pair of denim capris and denim shorts -- items that have been missing from my wardrobe since I wore out my last ones. I also picked up two long-sleeved cotton shirts in colors I did not already own. I wear that style about three-quarters of the year. I also found a grey cotton sweater, which I hope will replace the brown cotton sweater I have worn out over the past decade. Likely, though, my worn out Eddie Bauer clothes will go the way of my worn out college wear--hung onto out of nostalgia because they are not so easy to replace. I left behind a dress I would likely never wear, and a sports bra that was tangled even on the hanger.
The purchases will help me postpone the inevitable: a wardrobe makeover.
I have been making small steps towards reinventing how I dress. In October, I went to a Wool& popup sale in Pennsylvania. I had purchased a couple of dresses from their online store, but this gave me the opportunity to try on items and decide what I wanted. I didn't appreciate just how much of a discount they were providing, and only left with one sleeveless dress. By being the 137th person through the door that day, I scored a $100 gift card to be used online. I waited for their Black Friday sale, but even then everything was over the $100. They were running a sale if you spent $150, you could toss in a bonus item. The dress I wanted was $148. I could not justify spending more for a free item and the sale passed. I did finally buy the blue dress and love it. REI, where Don works, sells a lot of wool base layers. I see more wool items in my future, and less blue jeans.
Some people need a kick like their favorite national chain closing their doors in order to move on.
On the other hand, I heard their non-North American locations are staying open. I had to ask ... where else are they located? The answer: Japan. Maybe it is time to go back?
PS: a few days later we went to the Bridgewater Commons location. Not only had that store closed already the name had been taken off the entrance, the carpet had been ripped up, and there was not even a speck of dust left in the store, just a vacant hull.
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