The Dress Post

On a recent day off, I wasted spent the day watching the first season of "Downton Abbey."  It was a very enjoyable way to spend the day.  Call me a nerd, but one of the things I loved most about it was the costumes - especially the women's dresses.

Seriously, how can you not love these??

I've always LOVED period dresses.  I think if I had ball gowns to wear when I was little, I would've worn them every day - instead I had to settle for a Rainbow Brite skirt and a Dottie Dog skirt / sweatshirt combo.  My mom always brings up how she couldn't get me to wear a pair of pants when I was little - it was skirts and dresses all the time.  I guess that's why my ADOS ("Attention Deficit Oooh Shiny") kicks into high gear whenever I watch something with beautiful costumes.

Love this.

While watching "D.A." I couldn't help but be reminded of "Titanic" - shocker, I know, as they're from the same period.  I love the style of this era.  In fact, I loved it so much, I based my junior prom dress on Rose's dress from the scene in "Titanic" when she's hanging off the back of the ship.  Not to sound conceited, but my dress was the best one there.  (And in the words of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, I'm not being conceited, I'm just being honest. ;))

This was the pattern my mom and I used for my prom dress.

I think if I had to do it again, I'd have this dress for my prom. 

 I know that the clothing from periods past had their down sides, but part of me would love to wear them rather than the 80s and 70s inspired crud that keeps popping up.  I'd definitely feel more like a lady wearing something like this:

"Pride & Prejudice" (A&E version)

Or this:

"The Young Victoria"

Oh, well.  Who knows?  Maybe gorgeous dresses will make their way back into popularity someday.  I don't mind waiting.

Some things never change

When I was four years old, my favorite movie was "The Wizard of Oz."  I absolutely LOVED it - and desperately wanted to be Dorothy Gale.  Specifically, Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.  I felt I could relate to her - she had brown hair and brown eyes (liked me), loved dogs, liked to sing, wore pretty dresses, liked to have adventures, and wore cool shoes.

Seriously, how could you not love her?  And don't get me started on the dog.









I always wanted to dress up just like Dorothy, and so when Halloween came around, I finally got my chance.

(The Karate Kid behind me is my big brother, Joe.)  My parents were always the best at helping us put together the greatest  costumes, and as luck would have it, that year we found a little dress and blouse that would work perfectly for Dorothy.  Since I was only four, it was difficult to find some authentic-looking ruby slippers, PLUS this was before Target moved into town where you can buy glittery shoes all-year-round.  Add in the fact that I didn't want to be slowed down by uncomfortable shoes - especially since that was the year that we were going trick-or-treating in my cousins' neighborhood (which was so busy, people didn't wait for kids to ring their doorbell, they'd just take off their screen and sit by the front door doling out candy by the fistfuls to all the kids).  So, I decided on some very practical moccasins.  Okay, they were pink, but honestly I could care less.
With my Pound Puppy as Toto (in my pink plastic basket from a previous Easter), I made sure to have Mom braid my hair like Dorothy's, and I was all set.  Sure, the real Dorothy had longer hair, and RED shoes, and her socks weren't yellow.....but to me, that was one of my favorite Halloweens.  Everyone recognized me as  I went trick-or-treating, and I can still remember the feel of the pavement under my feet as I pounded the neighborhood in those moccasins. 

Now fast-forward twenty-four years (you do the math).  It's autumn, and my Dad said that he had received an invitation to the All Hallows' Ball, a big annual shindig in Tampa.  The whole party is invitation only, and so he tells me that he'd like ME to go along as his guest!  (I felt like Charlie Brown in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" when Lucy tells him they want him to be their model:  "ME?!  You want me?!")

Dad deliberated over what we should go as, but thanks to the wonders of on-line shopping, he found me a costume that brought out my inner four-year-old.

This time my shoes were not only red, but totally blinging.  My basket was straw (and not pink), and my hair was a little longer.  But I felt just as special as Dorothy this time around as I did twenty-four years ago.  People still recognized who I was (it didn't matter that this time it was guys in thongs as opposed to neighborhood homeowners), and I had a ball.

I'm living proof that the fun doesn't end when you grow up.  It only gets more sparkly. :)

Me with Daddy as my Lollipop Guild Munchkin (nicknamed "Snappy")