Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It's All About the Dress and Unconscious Mutterings

Growing up my mother made most of my sisters and my clothes. Most things I really don't remember, they were just the clothes we wore. I can actually remember 3 outfits very well though, partly because they were special to me or because the legend of them has been kept alive by the retelling.

One was a pink dress with gray polk-a-dots on it trimmed with gray rick-rack. That was the dress I wore in third grade to the UIL story-telling contest (which for those unfamilar with Texas story-telling it should be called story retelling since that is actually what you did; not make up a lie to tell). I felt very special in that dress the day of the contest and even more so when I won first place. Many things about that day are etched in my mind to be treasured always.

Another outfit I remember well was a vest and skirt made from a linen type material in a great apricot color. I was a freshman in high school and I just felt so dressed up when I wore it. There are no other special connection with that outfit, so I'm thinking I just felt good in it and it was probably the start of my obsession with being fashionable.

But the dresses in the picture below are the ones my sisters and I all talk about to this day. They were red and white striped and were made for us to wear to the 4th of July fireworks display held in Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, Texas. This was big doings back in the mid 1950s. Mom said the reasoning behind dressing us all alike was so that if any one of us got separated from the rest she would only have to point to the girls with her to tell what we looked like.

To the best of my knowledge none of us ever got lost wearing those dresses.



I'm the one on the far right with her chin tucked down looking like she is about to hurl!




The I say :: You think meme which comes out on Sunday, but can be done anytime.
  1. Cups :: saucers

  2. Brilliant :: genius

  3. Disobey :: defiant

  4. Abstain :: from

  5. Daily :: grind

  6. You make me :: laugh

  7. Hurl :: puke

  8. Intensify :: increase force

  9. F#$%! :: "Excuse me, that will not be said here."

  10. Race :: run

5 comments:

IdaR said...

I still remember what I always called my 'first real store bought dress'. Probably wasn't, but it was the first one I remember. It was yellow taffeta with a big yellow rose on the waist. It was an Easter dress.
(by the way, I'm the cute little one sitting on Mama's lap)

Hootin Anni said...

I love your memories of fashion. And that excuse for dressing you alike was actually a smart move on your mom's part. At least I think so...and a fantastic family portrait too.

About the Unconcious mutterings for Sunday...I didn't do it at all...I boycotted it because of #9. Inappropriate I thought. LOL

Hope your having a great week.

Ladykli said...

What a fun post! I love the photo. I agree too that it was smart thinking on your mom's part about dressing ya'll alike.

Unknown said...

4 absolutely lovely little girls. And no - I am willing to bet no one got lost in those dresses.

Momisodes said...

You are all so beautiful! I can certainly see why those dresses are so special. They are darling. Your mother is so clever and talented.