mommy and me

So, I am only adding this photo because I adore the fashion sense of#mce_temp_url# and contacted her as to what I should wear for my sister’s wedding.  She chose something extraordinary just as I knew she would, yet I ended up not wearing it because I worried the color would blend in with the ocean too much and imagine how wide I would have really looked.

I wore this plum colored dress instead.  My lovely mom wore black because it is her favorite color to wear, and suddenly it’s acceptable to wear black to weddings.  No, not really.  But she did have a recent surgery and wanted to wear a glamorous color if she couldn’t wear a glamorous dress.  Someone asked if I was a contender on a belly dancer reality show (?????), and someone else confused me with an Egyptian singer (again, ?????)… And all along I thought I looked very classy.  Hmm…

So, Kate, next time I will take your advice!

My mom says than when I was a young girl, my favorite thing to do when going into town, was to point out the shoes and outfits of the women passing by.  When her girlfriends came by and she’d serve them her delectable pastries and coffee, I’d take a seat at the table and study their dress and manner in detail.  After they left, I’d bore her with my observations.

My darling daughter is a chip off the old block.  I often watch her out of the corner of my eye studying my clothing in detail, or if out and about, the attention she gives to the clothing of the other females in the vicinity is astounding.

As evidenced in the photo above, she was barely able to walk, yet she knew what she liked.  I wasn’t home when this photo was taken, but my hubby says that she found the shoes in her closet, had him put them on her tiny feet, and ran into our bathroom to check herself out in the big mirror.  I adore that expression on her face!

In all honesty, she doesn’t take just after me.  In my approach to fashion there’s a hint of wariness.  I’m not the person who sees an image in a magazine and goes in search of identical garb.  I prefer quality over quantity, yet I am not brand crazy.  And I consider any article of clothing with the logo front and center on it, tacky.  There’s something to be said for good taste.  Well aware of my body’s strengths and weaknesses, I aim to dress in what I know looks the best on me.  Trial and error.  Plenty of it.

There’s none of that hesitancy with my daughter.  She is fearless!  Although she may only be three, I cannot get away with buying clothes for her without her being present.  She knows what she likes and she demands to wear it.  And that she takes from her dad. He has a style all his own. Timeless and classic, and just a bit on edge.

Not long ago the two of us stopped in at Target to get some essentials.  While I was searching for parking she asked if we were there to get ‘fashions.’  I explained that we weren’t, we had to get gift wrap and a few other necessities for home.  We were in a hurry and we had to get to a birthday party.  ”But really quick mommy, can we look at fashions?  Please, please, please!”  It didn’t take much prodding and I gave in.  We ended up buying colorful tights, and another ballerina skirt.  As I buckled her in, she thanked me saying, “You’re the best mommy in the whole wide world!  Wasn’t Target fun?”

My love affair with purses started the summer before first grade.  Upon one of our Sunday afternoon outings in the city center, I was struck dumb by one of the most beautiful sights my young eyes had seen thus far: a red patent leather purse.  Round in shape (this was the seventies) and with an outside pocket containing a little doll, I just had to have one exactly like it.  For the following weeks, I was an obsessed child imploring my parents nicely, and sometimes not so nicely, about my need to get one.

Eventually my wish came true, and with my red patent leather purse I also received a pair of red patent leather Mary Janes.  Imagine my joy!  I wanted to wear the shoes and the purse everywhere.  I suppose that was the origination of my showing off, although it’s hard to tell as I’ve been a show off as long as I remember.  Yet my mom wouldn’t allow it.  They were only for church and visits to friends and family, where they could be properly appreciated.  And because we lived in a communist country and things were difficult to come by, her reasoning made sense.

Over the years I’ve accumulated a variety of purses that have been objects of intense love at one time or another, but which have lately been gathering dust on the shelves.  Yet, I can’t bear to part with them.  The memories they hold are many and precious.  Girlhood, womanhood, motherhood.  Specific moments and specific contents within, are ingrained in my mind.

I suppose there’s plenty of psychological explanations for my love and need of a beautiful purse, yet who cares about all that?  I’m too busy enjoying and loving.

A new school year has begun, and with it a new season.  It is time for the changing of the closets.  I live in a large house, with many bedrooms and bathrooms, yet with few capacious clothing closets.  Hubby and I have discussed turning a bedroom into a closet, but who wants to walk all over the house, fresh from a shower in search of underwear?  Not I! So what we’ve resorted to is keeping whatever seasonal clothing we have in the nearest closet within easy access from our bathroom.  The out of season stuff is to be washed and dry-cleaned, and packed away for next year, in one of the many closets downstairs.

So on a lazy, breezy day, with the son at school and the daughter watching a Dora video on the computer, I set to the task.  I both love and dread what I’m about to do.  I equate cleaning out closets with napping in the middle of the day: a waste of precious time I could have spent doing something else, like reading or writing, or dancing around the livingroom with my daughter to the tune of some song.  But I also enjoy dressing up, and finding old clothes I have that I can wear in new ways.  And I’ll admit, I can’t pass a mirror without looking into it, and now I have an excuse to check myself out.

I am amazed at how many clothes I have!  That fuschia sweater… what was I thinking?  So what if it is cashmere.  And that mint green twin set… And those jeans!  So adorable, but really, really small.  Do they still fit?  Nope! Do I really need them all?  Probably not.  I haven’t worn them in years.  Too soon I have a pile of things to donate.  So what am I going to wear all autumn, winter, and early spring long?  There’s just a handful of acceptable clothes.  Time to go shopping!

Except, I have been trying to wean myself off shopping.  I don’t need closets full of clothes.  There are better and more fulfilling things to spend my money on.  And I have been successful at it.  After sitting in contemplation for a few minutes I came up with a list.  The following are absolute musts in the autumn and winter closet:

A pantsuit.  I have a classic, tailored one in black.  I wear it maybe once or twice the entire season, mainly around the holidays.  Had it for a few years, paid good money for it.  Still looks fabulous.  Perhaps I can freshen it up with accessories.  Not that anybody remembers my wearing it last year, but I like to feel like I’m wearing something new.

Two perfect fitting pants.  Got those too!  One black, one charcoal grey!

Pretty silk shirts.  Two or three?  I have a few but they look so tired and droopy.  Oh dear.

Three quality jeans… since I live in them, they need to look good and last.  There they are.  Check.

One long skirt… there it is.  Black, of course.  Still fits very well.  Out of the donate pile and into the closet you go.

One short skirt.  Okay, I am over thirty-five and short skirts are a no-no.  This one isn’t too short though.  Just two inches above the knee, and it goes so well with my boots.

Four wool sweaters.  Got more than that as I practically wear them year round, and I love them all.

Three cashmere sweaters.  I suppose I could wear the fuschia one occasionally, maybe on a really dreary, stormy day, when the world needs some brightening up.

T-shirts.  All colors.  Got plenty of them, and they’re perfect paired with jeans and under my…

Patagonia all weather jacket.

One black wool coat.  Lucky me, I’ve got two!

One raincoat.  There it is.  Maybe a bit too trendy.  Might not hold up to scrutiny if I go to Paris, otherwise it will do.

Blazers.  Something classic.  Got two, a wool one in grey, a navy one in velvet.

One little black dress.  Oh boy, do I ever have the perfect one!  I love it… someday when I die, if it still fits, I want to be buried in it.

Two church dresses.  Need something new here.  The ones in the pile have been worn so many times already, that I do not want to ever see them again.

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes.  Have plenty of those.  But I won’t say no to another pair if I happen to fall in love.

Purses, ditto.

Scarves, costume jewelry, hats.  Drawers full of the stuff.

I suppose I am set.  With the exception of the couple silk shirts I have decided to buy, and the church dresses which are absolutely necessary, I have all I need to go through the season in a seemingly stylish fashion.

So now that I have completed what I set to do, I will go on and take a nap.