Comments on: What Was I Thinking?

By: marionroach

marionroach — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:47:02 +0000

Hi, Dorita. Welcome to TSP, where we love the way the story is tagged to the dress. Isn't it amazing how the clothes remind us, inspire us--and yes, taunt us? It seems to be as universal an experience for women as is the pleasure of a good bra rant. Thanks for stopping by. We love having you here, and hope you'll come back for lots more.

By: Dorita

Dorita — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:31:47 +0000

The dress I bought for my brother’s wedding in 1991 when I was in the best shape of my life and have only worn twice – black soft wool, long, form-fitted to the knees, then flares out like the bell of a trumpet to the floor. Double-breasted to a deep v-neck with black beading on the lapels and on the buttons. The single most glamorous thing I have ever worn in my life. I can still feel the way the dress swished around my legs, rustling as I walked on very, very high black satin and rhinestone heels. I try it on every time I lose those 20 pounds again and come very close to buttoning it – and I think – another 5 pounds and MAYBE… and then when I don’t, I still can’t part with it, even though it hangs there and taunts me.

By: marionroach

marionroach — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:57:27 +0000

Hello, Hollis: This oh-so-wonderfully-written comment left me breathless. The idea that you knew that this could be the dress “to restart my life in,” just astonished me. Not only does the reader completely understand that such an idea is possible, but we get it perhaps for the first time in our lives, while it also reinforces how it is that big change is actually made of small moments. Really, this is stunning and beautiful, touching and wondrous in its expression. Thank you. A great piece of memoir.

Hello, Vermontpenwoman: And welcome to TSP, where we love the comments we are getting and the new sisters we are meeting via this “What was I thinking” question. It’s lovely to meet you this way. That you had the dress from 1989 until 2002 is marvelous. I, too, hope that it is being well-loved somewhere else. What a great thing to consider. Please come back for more soon.

Hello, Susan: And welcome to TSP. Ooooh: Three! I love this. Thank you for your generosity here. Memoir is found in the closet, isn’t it? I’m so glad you agree. Thanks so much for bringing these here. They make everyone who reads them both picture that Mrs Claus suit (oh my goodness!) as well as remember what we wore when we met the love of our lives. We just love ‘em. And do come back soon.

By: Susan Morse

Susan Morse — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:26:51 +0000

Hi Marion and all who have most enjoyably commented,
Closets – wow, what a fertile topic! Four things stand out as I contemplate my closet:
1) A “Mrs. Santa Claus” outfit I bought decades ago at a Salvation Army thrift store “in case I am ever asked to play Mrs. Claus.” My daughter saw it hanging there and asked, “what on earth is this?” She still thinks my reply is one of the funniest things she’s ever heard – and typical of her flamboyant mother.
2) Clothes I am going to fit into again when I successfully reach my goal weight.
3) A pair of v-e-r-y high heels – black with a rhinestone strap – surprisingly elegant considering the glitz factor. Never worn. Bought them to go with a beautiful, dressy and far-too-expensive black cocktail suit that has a rhinestone collar and cuffs. Another outgrown number that I VOW I will get into again. This year! Yes!
4) The memory of the silk dress I wore when I met the love of my life eons ago. It was a black, copper and ivory print, and I wore it with long crystal earrings and high heels that my now-ever-widening foot could then fit into. When he took my hand to shake it upon introduction, dress, beads, shoes and I melted into one big neon heap. I wish I had saved the dress. Today I would make a pillow cover out of it and have it on my bed.
Susan

By: vermontpenwoman

vermontpenwoman — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:21:34 +0000

I loved this post! Got me to thinking about a vividly royal blue silk dress I bought in 1989. It had a deep v-neck and football-uniform–worthy shoulder pads and I bought a white silk shirt to wear under it (modesty, you know).
The problem was that I don’t like vivid royal blue that much (and the shoulder pads were way too big), but I love silk, and the store owner persuaded me to buy it.
Bottom line: I wore out the shirt, pairing it with all kinds of other outfits. The dress? In 2002, I finally admitted I would never wear it, and I took it, tags still on, to the Salvation Army. Hopefully somebody was able to use the fabric for pillows.

By: Hollis

Hollis — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:40:05 +0000

I was in New York City for a few days by myself, no husband, no children. I was walking my old route from the school I taught in to Bank St., where I got my masters, when I passed a shop window. I saw a dress, the dress. It was calling my name. It was me.

I tried it on. I loved it. It cost $500, more than I’d spent on any article of clothing in my life, including my wedding dress. I had to have it.

I left the city without it, thinking about it. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Where would I wear it? I was about to leave my husband. This could be the dress to restart my life in. I’d wear it everywhere. Needless to say, I finally called the store, bought the dress and hung it in my closet, lovingly, waiting for the right occaision. I wore it once. It wasn’t the right ocassion. The dress now hangs in my attic and I think, “I should sell it, at least I’d get a little money.” Then I look at it and know, it’s me. It’s the right dress.

By: marionroach

marionroach — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:31:19 +0000

Hello, Krista. The four-armed dress is just as wonderful a piece of fashion memoir as I've read. Hilarious, and absolutely understandable, fashion being what it is, though I do think that the sisterly thing to do would be to invite your BFF to wear it with you. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, and do come back soon for more. We'd love to read you here again. Deb: You may please take that as heartfelt encouragement from someone who has been teaching memoir for 13 years, and writing for more than 25. Write on, sister. The memoir prompts that I run are all here for your use. Read them, ask me questions, and let's write on. I'm with you. Hello, Sandy. And welcome back. And that's it, isn't it? It's what the piece does for us that makes it stay in the closet. So many women live in my closet, but that glitter shirt, she's represents one of my favorites. Please come back soon. We always love what you have to say to us.

By: Sandy Daigler

Sandy Daigler — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:53:36 +0000

Last summer I bought a vintage silk lime green dress with a matching short jacket. Think Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie (Oh Rob!). It was a complete impulse and I may never wear it anywhere. But it makes me happy when I see it in my closet because 1) it fits and it never would have fit before I lost weight; and 2) it’s something that NO ONE would ever picture me wearing.

By: deb @talk at the table

deb @talk at the table — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:56:48 +0000

Marion,
You floored me with that comment, you know. I just wrote a very difficult post, with some dancing references, about my father’s suicide.
May I take this as a nudge?

Although I would certainly need an editor, as I noticed some odd sentences in my comment. I’d blame wine, but it was a a little early. Not enough coffee?

By: kristabfragos

kristabfragos — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:41:34 +0000

I own a four-armed dress.

I could probably stop right there but it seems cruel not to elaborate. The dress is by a designer named Martin Margiela whose clothing style.com once described as, “avant-garde fashion pushed to its most extreme limits, and many women will be scared to death by it.” and “for those who value unidentifiable, elegant dressing.”

It’s a black wool sweater dress and I have the option of wearing it two ways (so it was actually a very practical purchase if my husband ever asks). I can put my arms in the top set of sleeves and tie the lower set of uninhabited sleeves around my waist so that I appear to be wearing a v-neck dress with a sweater tied around my waist. Alternately if I am feeling more casual, I can just slip my arms into the lower set of sleeves and tie the upper set casually around my shoulders and wear it with jeans. This offers that preppy/tennis look we have probably all donned at one point or another.

I have always loved clothing and playing dress up. Unfortunately as I have gotten older my style has grown a bit more conservative than I would like. So, although it’s pretty crazy and completely ridiculous I will always cherish my four-armed dress and the fact that I am not afraid to wear it.