My Fall Fashion Fetish

I think it started last winter. Not my usual outdoor scarves, in flannel, fleece, or wool, knitted or crocheted, but light fashion ones for daily use.  Pink and peach stripes, with white (right there, just right of center.)  My first scarf.  Yes, I'd woven one, but I never wore it--too precious for all my efforts.  But my store-bought one, I could wear.  And I did, along with a pink, yellow, and orange loosely-woven one (on the right end.)  In fact, both scarves are visible in practically every picture of me in England.  While there, I picked up a lovely silver scarf brooch with Celtic knots at St. Martin's in the Field.  I also picked up a lovely floral pink one at "Downton Abbey" (near the center.)

But now they are multiplying!  I hang them on the back of our bedroom door and love to look at the colors and patterns.  Yes, I tend to florals and pastels, like pinks and lavenders.  But there are some bold black and white ones or blacks with rainbows--and more orange that I would have expected because I don't like that color.  

I know I'm Jamie-Come-Lately, that women have been fancying scarves for a long time.  Every week I see a new how-to-tie-a-scarf-twenty-ways on Pinterest, though I tend more to drape or tie in a simple knot.  I also have a few of those infinity scarves that need no tying.  

I like how they dress up an outfit, making a simple turtleneck and sweater more festive. And I can choose them to reflect my mood--and my kids like to help sometimes (Sis also likes to choose my earrings.)  They also hide stains well!    

Best yet, as far as I can tell, they aren't going out of fashion anytime soon.  Who knew I'd be stylish?!

My New Frock

For those of you who know me IRL, as they say, and not just virtually (though, I can guess you've guessed), I'm not much for clothes.

Except costumes.

I have two for going to Renaissance fairs, one mid-19th-century one that's a bit too small because I don't have a tight corset, and now my colonial-era costume.  They're my favorite clothes!  Of course, this preference goes way back, as my mom would tell you--she used to joke I would become a nun, because of the organization and the robes!

At the beginning of the month, the historical costumer Jas. Townsend & Sons published their new catalog of 18th- and 19th-century garb and I got so excited about the new bodices and flounced skirts and new prints.  Right off, I ordered a lovely floral-print skirt for spring and summer, while I consider what long-sleeved bodice to order for fall tours.

And it arrived yesterday.  Just in time for my tour today!  I fussed with it all evening, trying to decide if the new print would go over or under my other maroon skirt.  I'm even excited about getting dressed up this morning and playing with the new pieces, including a new neckerchief and pin.

Regular clothes are just never this exciting.

A Tight Spot

Sis has new tights and long knee-highs, all in pink, to counterbalance the bland dress code of blues and browns at her school.

And Bud is green (and blue and purple and yellow) with envy because he just has regular, dull, short socks. He wants fancy socks. And he wants them long so he can still wear his shorts to school in the cool weather (which is what Sis can do now, wear her shorts and skirts).

But you know, I couldn't find boys' argyle socks at the store, even muted boring ones that he'd barely approve. Nor even plain solid-color knee-highs, like British public school boys always seem to be wearing in pictures. I gave in and bought navy girls' knee-highs and hope they'll work. Because I just can't put him in pink argyle tights. Internalized homophobia? Rigid gender-identity stereotypes? Fear for his happiness and safety? Maybe I should've gotten him a fun pair for home.

I'm hoping for snow and freezing temperatures, so they'll just both be happy in pants.

Pretty in Pink

We were reviewing our activities for today at lunch yesterday and Sis described how she saw it all, "we'll wake up, play a little, then put on our pretty party clothes, and go to the party."

Okay, her timeline was off a bit--the party is this afternoon, meaning she skipped lunch and rest--but I was more fixated on the "pretty party clothes." She doesn't have pretty party clothes. After buying her a special Christmas outfit for the last 4 year running, outfits that she wore for the hour it took to go to Vespers at church, I decided not to bother this year. She never particularly liked them or wanted to wear them. And now this.

So, late last night, when I remembered to tell Mama the quandry, we strategized about how to acquire said clothes. We didn't want to deprive her of the dress-up factor, realizing that she is severely at a fashion disadvantage with a butch Mama and a granola Mommy, neither of whom give much of a second, or sometimes even a first, thought to clothes usually. I loved dressing up as a girl and envied the fluffy, frilly party dresses a classmate had (Mama had to wear those and apparently hated them). I didn't want Sis to do without, if possible (within reason, which is no doubt why Gommie didn't buy those crazy frilly dresses; I did of course have lovely dresses--just not the ones with layers of petticoats!). I could've run to Target before it closed at 11 pm. Or Mama could have gone during lunch today and had the clothes ready when we got there for Sis to change into.

But then, this morning, I asked Sis about it. What did she want to wear today? Turns out, "pretty party clothes" are pink. And nothing more. Not fancy, not new, not even a dress. She selected from her pile of clothes a plain pink shirt and pink pants. Perfect, she said. It pays to ask, you see. And not to pile on my own issues and fears.

Time to go get dressed . . . . but I don't have anything to wear!

(Oh, and Gommie, because I know you're going to ask. She wears a 5T!)