Thursday, May 4, 2023

Old Fashioned

 Take my word for it, you can't find a synonym for old fashioned that makes it sound any better. I know, I tried. There's stodgy, musty, passé and worse. The best I could come up with was timeless.

I'm not talking about the cocktail but did find it interesting that the Old Fashioned remains the top selling classic cocktail internationally. No, I'm talking about myself.

Every year during high school Prom season I think about posting this picture of me before my senior prom. This is the year I do it.

 

Taken in 1961 in my parents' living room, here I am in the dress I begged my mother to make after not finding one I loved as much as I had loved the one bought for my junior prom. Prom dress styles were becoming less bouffant but I still wanted an old fashioned one. 

I asked Beth, a talented girlfriend, to draw the one I dreamed of and she nailed it.

 


My 23 inch waist (up an inch since my junior prom) didn't do justice to Beth's design but Mama did her best and combined two Vogue patterns and yards of material. My curly hair didn't do well in a french twist so Mama's hair stylist pulled it to the side in the best Southern Belle style she could. RH had the florist make up a pink rose wrist corsage and one for my hair.

I  adored it and thought Mama was a genius but it has to be said, none of my three younger sisters ever wore it to their proms.

If you need proof that I am even more old fashioned now, here's a picture that proves it.

 

That's right, I collect Vera Bradley purses. Hey, they used to be popular with women other than grandmothers. High school girls even carried them!

I bought the black and purple one on the bottom years ago in Dillard's because my shoulder was hurting and I couldn't take the weight of a leather handbag. And it wasn't cheap!

By the way, that's our dear Otis and Milo there beside the purses, in heaven since 2017.

Last year I found the green and black one, shown on top, at the Goodwill and decided it was just right for spring, and retired the black and purple one for winter's use. And then last summer I found the white and blue one at Goodwill and it became my summer purse. It has a few worn spots but then so do I.

Next came the purse that would complete my seasonal collection, an autumnal olive green and brown Vera Bradley, brand new and found at Goodwill.


Notice the pretty birds in the pattern and the cute tortoiseshell-like toggle?


 Life was complete. I now had a Vera Bradley purse for each season. There was no reason to go by the handbag section at Goodwill. Until they moved it right by the checkout lane.

And there she was, a like new gorgeous purse that surely had to be a Vera.


Oh, it was lined with red cherries and poppies!


But where was the Vera Bradley tag?

 

There it was, my July and August Vera Bradley purse! Just when I thought my search for Vera purses was over, it occurred to me that there could possibly be a MONTHLY collection out there waiting for me.

Yes, I'm old fashioned--stodgy, musty, and passé. But I still go weak-kneed when I look at pretty clothes and confess to following three or four YouTube fashion influencers.

Do you do that? It's not that I watch them for ideas of clothes to buy. I'm too stodgy for that but a girl can always dream.

Here's a dream dress I fell in love with last fall when it was shown in a Garden & Gun November issue (from Lela Rose in Dallas).

 

Who knows why a particular dress wins the heart of a woman just about to leave behind the seventh decade of her life, but this dress won mine.

Notice how the neckline falls just below the collar bone (clavicle)? Once upon a time, for my senior prom, I had a pretty collar bone, one you could see, and a 23 inch waist. 

I may be old fashioned and have misplaced my waist and collar bone but I still love a pretty dress.

Wear one for me, will you?




 

32 comments:

  1. You always make me smile. Your thoughts and writings are so different, so real, so (may I say?) old-fashioned. All bloggers should put up a Prom picture of themselves. Maybe you will be the trend-setter for this! I don't remember Senior or Junior Prom being labeled. It was just "the Prom", it seems to me. Well, maybe that's what I'll do - put up two pictures of me in the last two years of high school. I have two VB bags - one from my mother-in-law and the other I bought, but I haven't used them in a few years. I have this cotton duck (I think it is called) bag from https://www.portcanvas.com/ I like a shoulder bag with many pockets. Anyhow, I just loved this post. I swear we would have been friends when we were girls.
    And I looked up the difference between canvas and duck - https://www.canvasetc.com/canvas-or-duck-which-is-better/

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    1. I can't even seem to navigate my own blog anymore! See below for my reply to Nan!

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  2. Oh I would have loved to be your childhood friend, Nan! Thank you so much and please do post your prom pictures! Now to find out the difference between canvas and duck, surely both lighter in weight than leather.

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    1. One of my favorites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxKLodTqfw&ab_channel=TonyBennett-Topic

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    2. Nan, that's beautiful! And I feel validated!

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  3. Oh, I've always loved fashion, Dewena, so your post spoke to my heart. Your Prom dress is elegant and lovely, and you even wore the white gloves! How wonderful that your mom made it for you. My mom was a great seamstress, and made many of my clothes as well. And I have to say, I was like Beth, who designed a few of my clothes, and my mom skillfully sewed them. Your friend, Beth, could draw well, what a talent she has. You have quite a collection of the fabric purses. I really like the Autumn looking one. This is a lovely photo of you at Prom, Dewena, and I'm glad you finally shared it with us. I also love old-fashioned things. And timeless fashion is always IN. ; ) Such a charming post today, Dewena.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you so much, Sheri! Did you save any of the clothes your mother made for you? I wish so much I had, just to look at and remember. That's wonderful that you helped design some!

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    2. No, I don't have any of the clothes from my youth that she sewed, but can you believe I still have the satin blue ball gown she made for my Barbie doll? haha. I cherish it. This is a good idea for a post, since Prom time is here. I may just have to post a picture of my Prom dress sometime.......maybe. ; ) It was nothing quite like yours.

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    3. What were we thinking, Sheri, not to have saved some of our mothers' sewing? You never think when you're young how much these things would mean to you when your mother is no longer with you.

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  4. I *love* seeing your Vera collection! And I feel confident that you will find yet another one. I'm glad you didn't worry about making your seasonal collection asymmetrical, but you seized the moment and the gift; your most recent bag is just as special as each of the others.

    I think I only attended one prom in high school -- at least, I can only remember one event and dress, a dress I made for myself. I don't have it or a picture any longer, but I can see it very clearly in my mind, a blue and glittery gown that had no bouffant aspect at all. Still, I felt like a princess that night.

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    1. Ah, but Gretchen, you'll be in a much younger crowd so of course your prom dress was not bouffant! Who am I kidding, everybody here will be in a much younger crowd and bouffant-less to boot!

      I would have liked to see that blue and glittery gown though!

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  5. I would have loved a bouffant dress for prom, but alas, I went with what was in style at the time, still elegant, but without that delightful swaying swish-i-ness of a full skirt. My hair was pinned up in an elaborate do. You are inspiring me to dig out an old photograph and post it one day.
    My mother made my dress, too.
    The Vera Bradley bags are gorgeous. Classic, not old-fashioned, perhaps?

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    1. Oh good, a vote for them being classic not old-fashioned! And please do post a picture of you in your prom dress! I hope Nan above is right, all bloggers post a prom picture. I like your swish-i-ness, Lorrie!

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  6. what a fun read. I had to laugh at your last sentence...Haven't we all in that seventh decade, lol. This was fun to see the young beautiful you which you certainly were in that dress and hair style. I love seeing the Goodwill purses and Dillard's sounds familiar to me. I'm wondering if they had one in Las Vegas because I can't think of somewhat else I might have seen one - or maybe Palm Springs. Really enjoyed it all. I have worn jeans and T-shirts since I was younger than 13 and I still do, rarely ever wearing a dress. I actually tried to buy a nice pair of slacks and a nice blouse to wear to a funeral on board a boat but ended up not wearing it..it was too uncomfortable.

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    1. Thank you so much, Sandy! I can certainly understand why jeans are your wardrobe of choice with you living in the beautiful mountain resort area you do. I'm so glad your snows are hopefully over for now and you can be out and about in all that beauty.

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  7. not sure my comment went thru...testing.

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    1. Sandy, I'm so sorry about the delay of publishing comments. I have it set to be sent to my email first so I can weed out any spam. I do try to check it often after I've posted.

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    2. oh no problem. I forgot that some have the comments waiting for review ..i just wanted to make sure you saw my comment about your beautiful post.

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  8. What a gorgeous prom dress...and I can't believe your mom made it! My aunt made my cousins' prom dresses back in the 80s, they were Laura Ashley, Gunny Sack styles, but I haven't heard of anyone doing that since. It's truly a lost art. I'm an old fashioned girl, too, and I still shop and Vera Bradley and use one every day. They're my favorite purses. We truly are kindred spirits, Dewena!!

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    1. Kim, you have no idea how much better I feel about my Vera purses now that I know that stylish you carries them too! I'm glad the younger generation does like them. Happy any time to be your kindred spirit!

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  9. Oh my goodness, your prom dress was gorgeous! Your friend was so talented in sketching out the design, as was your mother for making that dress. You said RH got your flowers...so I'm guessing you two met in high school and started dating then?

    I went to prom in my junior year of high school when I lived in KY. I didn't have a date and neither did my girlfriends, so we went together. And my mom made my dress! Mine was an off-the-shoulder white eyelet floor-length dress with a bright pink ribbon at the waist. Now I'm wanting to go through all my photos and find a picture.

    Who cares if you are old-fashioned, there is nothing wrong with that! I think Vera Bradley purses are pretty; they're just not my style. If that's what you like, then carry them with pride and be happy! We all have different tastes.

    No, I don't watch any fashion influencers at all. I'm afraid I'm not much into fashion. I'd be happy wearing cotton t-shirts and yoga pants 24/7, lol. I do at home, but of course I dress better than that when I go out. I just don't wear dresses anymore.

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    1. We did start dating way back then, Melanie! As a favor to my best friend who had been asked for a date by RH's brother and her parents wouldn't let her single date. They didn't last but we did.
      I'd love to see your white eyelet dress! I think it would still be in style as white eyelet is a classic summer style.

      I know it seems funny that I love fashion influencers but RH even watches them sometime with me! Probably because two of my British ones both have dachshunds. At first he would even watch them put on their makeup, amazed that they spend so much time doing it. I haven't showed him my newest favorite one called B. Jones Style. She takes the viewer to thrift stores where she fills a basket and in the dressing rooms shows what great styles she comes up with and then at home she models the looks she chooses and mixes them with hats and shoes and accessories from her ample closet. Of course she's from California and the thrift stores there are several notches above what I find here. I admit it, I'm hooked on her YouTube channel!

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  10. I just love your prom dress, Dewena. I've always wanted to wear a real ball gown! I didn't go to my high school prom, but I did attend a military ball with my friend's brother. All those men in uniform (swoon!). I made my dress and have a picture somewhere. I have a VB overnight bag that I love!

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    1. I can just picture those men in uniform, Karen! One old movie elusively comes to mind. Was it Patrick Swayze in it or his time period at least? Girls from private schools in their pretty dresses and the young men in uniform. I'm sure it didn't end well, right?

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  11. You looked gorgeous in that pretty pink gown. I would have loved wearing one like this, but in France we don’t have proms. Our schools are just schools, with no sports team or proms, and no high school or college reunions either. I guess I’m old fashioned too because I have about 8 at least of those purses you showed, even the exact white and blue one. I like to use them in summer because they can hold my camera easily and they are not heavy. My daughter said I should give them all away to the Goodwill, but I resist.

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    1. Thank you so much! And how fascinating that your schools in France don't have proms or sports teams. I'm almost afraid to dig deeper into that for fear of learning that it is education that is the important thing there and what that might say about U.S. schools. Better not go there! Do you still live in Nashville? Perhaps someday we'll meet and carry our matching purses!

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    2. Hello again, Vagabonde, I went to your blog and tried to comment but it just said error. And I tried to add you to my blogroll but even though I saved it and it shows in my settings, it's not showing up on my blogroll. It's beyond me but I'll try again and I certainly enjoyed your mountain post as a born and bred mountain girl myself!

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    3. Dewena, I just saw your heartfelt comment on my blog, it did print and I thank you for it. It resonated with me. Mountains are special places, indeed. Yes I still trek between Nashville and Georgia monthly. I wonder when I’ll ever be finished with that house in GA – hopefully this year. Thanks again.

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  12. Dewena, you are simply gorgeous in that pretty, pale pink prom dress your artistic friend designed and your talented Mama sewed! The pink rose, pinned to your (auburn?) curls is the perfect coiffure! I can see it now...a belle and her beau, dancing the night away, having a magical time! You know, you remind me of Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie and the elegant dresses she used to wear in the Dick Van Dyke Show!

    I think having a Vera Bradley handbag for every month is a fantastic idea! They are all lovely; my favourite is the poppies and cherries purse - no surprise there! But seriously, I find that handle and colour scheme the most appealing. You have a beautiful collection and I'm so glad you shared it with us.

    For as long as I can remember, I was always attracted to classic styles in clothes, home decor and furniture and felt confident and comfortable in my choices. Now, if that's considered old-fashioned, so be it!

    I loved this post! Please do more like this, featuring pics of you during the different stages of your wonderful life!

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    1. You are just too sweet, Poppy dear! And you know I thought of my dear friend when I saw the red poppies in the purse. I think I messaged you about it that night. It's so nice of you to request more pictures from my past, I do worry about doing that too often. One thing is for sure, I have enough past for there to be plenty of pictures and I recently found a box of family pictures hidden away in the back of a closet that's been there since we moved here over 6 years ago. I've only gotten through half of it so maybe there are some possibilities there.

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  13. Hello Friend, I just loved your post. It made me smile. I love purses. My husband steers me away from them in the store. Hee Hee!
    And your prom memories made me smile. I love your dress. My mother made my prom dress too. I should do a post about it.
    Happy May!
    Carla

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    1. Thank you, Carla! I hope you do a prom dress post; Sheri just did one talking about her mother's sewing that was so sweet. It's good to remember these things. Happy May to you!

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