This week’s Fashion Friday is going to be a little different than I usually do. I want to tell you about an event I attended and how it got me really thinking about clothes and the impact they have in my life. I know – I sound like a wannabe/trite fashionista but let me explain.
Last week, I headed up to New York City with Julie for a Bounce event to attend the show Love, Loss and What I Wore. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we headed to this off-Broadway show. How much could a bunch of actresses (stellar list of actresses, by the way) really talk about clothing, and keep it entertaining in the form of an entire play? The reality surprised me. The “stories,” based on a series of stories by Nora Eprhon and Delia Eprhon were completely compelling – sometimes funny, sometimes sad and pretty much all relate-able for any modern day woman.
The premise is basically talking about what these women wore during significant moments in their life. Dawn Wells (aka Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island) read stories about the life of a woman named Ginger (the irony of her name Ginger being kind of funny, right?) talking about dresses she wore as a little girl to the dress she wore when she left her husband of five kids.
Wedding dresses, first date dresses, funeral dresses… the entire performance really did get me thinking about the significance of the clothing in our life. I love fashion and I love nice clothes and really, if you think about it, there are items of clothing that DO matter in your life. The prom dress that made me feel like an early ’90s rock star. The frumpy maternity pants I wore for four months after the birth of my first son. The Ocean City Maryland sweatshirt that my Mom wore for like 20 years. The pink coat with the gold buttons that my grandmother Dore used to wear.
And of course the staple little black dress which works with anything and is always with the modern day woman and always a reliable staple in my closet for all kinds of moments in my life. (I wore a little black dress to the event as that was the theme of the evening sponsored by Bounce.)
Many thanks to Bounce for paying to get me to this event, hosting me for the evening and for making a great product that helps to take care of my clothes and make these memorable moments by keeping my clothes nice and clean!
With Zuzanna
Lastly, total side note – I was so thrilled to get to meet Zuzanna Szadkowski after the show was over! One of the cast members, she also plays Dorota on the CW’s Gossip Girl, which has become my latest addiction on Netflix. She was really nice & down to earth!
Tell me. What significant piece of clothing comes to mind that was around for some special or important moment in your life?
Oh MY- i could fill a book( a small print, many page book) with expounding thoughts on this topic of ‘special impact’ clothing.
Article of clothing(or articles) that immediately come to mind- ones of significance are really only a few: a ratty old sweater(originally a very nice sweater) that belonged to my Dad-his favorite light blue cardigan-that he always wore- I have it and cherish it. Another piece of Dad’s clothing that I have is one of his old Dental smocks that I later used as an artist’s smock when I dabbled in oils. love those two pieces simply because they were Dad’s.
Whit and Ab’s communion dress that was made from an antique , very lovely, trapunto(?) embroidered top (originallly part of a dress owned by an ancestor). Certainly can never let go of that. Very, very old Christening dress. .another great example. . .
Others dresses, etc that were nice of course include children’s lily dresses, wedding dress, etc. Oh , just thought of another. . . Nellie , our wheatie, who left us at age 15 several years ago had a lovely forest green raincoat with beige piping trim(that I purchased at the Devon horse show a bajillion years ago). . I kept it and glad I did since our cat , Ralph, now loves to sit/sleep/play on it. . . . am sure I can think of more but filled up enough space. . . .(BTW,ocean city sweatshirt is just lovely still. . .)
I can’t believe you still have that light blue cardigan Mom – I think I remember it! Does it just hang in your closet or what? You should wear it!
How about my wedding dress that later was your coming out gown and wasn’t it your wedding dress??? Not bad for a $125.00 investment!!!
I always feel silly when I hold on to clothing for sentimental reasons. Along with my wedding dress and things of that sort I have held onto a flannel shirt I gave my grandfather just before he died, sweaters that belonged to grandmothers (just because), and I have a hard time getting rid of anything that my children have ever worn or used. It’s getting out of hand now…
Jen, it’s so hard! I have a lot saved too for the same reason. I actually made a quilt with my oldest out of his old shirts so that was at least one nice way of keeping the items without having them collect dust in my closet!
I totally hang on to clothes for sentimental reasons… I still have some maternity clothes!
so bummed i missed this event – but you guys look like you had a great time!!!