Night of the Green Velvet Dress

St. Valentine's Day Sweetheart Banquet, 1960

Mama made me many pretty dresses when I was a girl. 

My favorite, because it made me feel beautiful wearing it, was a bottle green velvet dress for the Sweetheart Banquet at church when I was 17. 

It was a fitted dress with long sleeves. Down the back were tiny buttons that Mama self-covered with the velvet.

Did you ever read The Enchanted April? In it the author wrote, "You didn't take your clothes to parties; they took you."

This was one party dress in my life that I didn't feel that way about. I wore that dress, it did not wear me. I owned that dress and had males from 14 to 49 tell me they loved it, including R.H.

I had my hair done in a French twist at Chester's and R.H. bought me gardenias for my corsage, my favorite.

We may all look glum there--it was a conservative church and there were as many chaperones as there were young people--but no two ways about it, I looked good that night. Of course, I still had poreless skin then and a 23" waist.

I forgot that I was shy and sparkled with wit the whole evening. R.H. looked at me with new eyes that night, I remember, and he had never looked more handsome, himself.

I'm telling you, there was magic in that green velvet dress.

Have you spotted us yet?

P.S. When my sweet friend Poppy saw this post she emailed me to see if I minded letting her fool around with trying to improve this old photo. Did I mind? I was thrilled to let her try. Here is the result she came up with. 

Thank you, Poppy, for this much improved editing!