New York Woman Receives a Thrifted Scarf from a Friend. It Had a Furry Surprise at the Center: ‘It’s Simon and All of His Foster Friends’

People usually post about their thrift store finds because they scored on their value. But Isabel Klee (@simonsits) from New York wasn’t amazed by the scarf her friend gifted to her because of its designer label. The thrifted scarf had something special in the middle, which seemed like a beautiful coincidence.

“About a week ago, my best friend was vintage shopping, and she found this 100% vintage Bob Mackie scarf,” Klee explained. With natural fibers on trend for most shoppers, finding a scarf with purely organic material is a steal in itself. But Klee said that she’s not necessarily big into fashion, so she was confused as to why her friend sent her a photo of the scarf.

“Obviously, it’s beautiful,” she said. There were dogs on the borders of the red silk scarf. Klee even stated that it reminded her of the opening scene from 101 Dalmatians. What made the scarf interesting was that no two dog breeds were the same. There was a Dalmatian there, but also a poodle, a Belgian Malinois, a pug, and more.

The dog in the middle looked like someone special

“In the center of this scarf—you couldn’t even prepare yourself for what this is,” Klee said, revealing a dog that looked similar to her rescue.

“That’s my dog—that is Simon,” she said, and the resemblance was uncanny. It was an unusual find, considering that all the dogs in the scarf had a distinct breed. The dog at the center, however, resembled her mixed-breed dog.

“You know what’s so crazy is that for most of the other dogs in the scarf, they seemed to be breeds—like, purebred dogs that you can easily identify. And I suppose this could be a Pomeranian,” Klee considered. She couldn’t believe that her rescue dog, whom she picked up from the side of the road, looked just like a dog on a vintage designer scarf.

“You know what’s also crazy for me is the fact that there are all these dogs, and then there’s one in the center being framed, and it’s the Simon dog,” she said. The designer could have chosen any other dog in the scarf to be at the front and center.

A sign from the universe

Notably, many of the dogs shown on the fabric are notable show dogs. There are dedicated competitions for poodles and German Shepherds, breeds that are both depicted on the scarf. But interestingly, “Simon,” whose breed is relatively uncertain, sat in the spotlight.

Since there’s no archival description for the piece, it’s uncertain if the dog at the center is also mixed-breed. Although it could be a pomeranian, Simon’s signature smile looked nearly identical to the dog on the scarf.

“My friend sent this to me. She said it was Simon and all of his foster friends, which I thought was so sweet,” Klee said. Simon was Klee’s foster dog at first. But after having spent a significant amount of time together, he found his forever home with her.

Klee confirmed that her friend gave her the scarf, and she now had to think about whether to wear or frame it. Social media commenters suggested Klee frame the scarf. After all, it seems to be the best way to showcase “Simon” at the center of it all. But others believe that the scarf was a sign from the universe.

One commenter wrote, “Simon will forever be central to your heart and soul. It’s a sign from the universe.”

(featured images: Isabel Klee)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]