Little Orphan Annie Dress

One of the craziest, most surreal experiences of my life happened at the casting call for the movie, Annie. I was already far too old for a child's role, but I went down to the Fine Arts Building in Chicago thinking I might get cast for a minor adult part. I brought a resume, a head-shot, and all the crap you were expected to have, but really wasn't taking it too seriously.

I wasn't taking drugs, but I might as well have been as I watched the parade of strange little red-headed girls in red dresses being coached along by their mothers as we stood in line. Eventually, the lines were divided by age, but for a good twenty minutes I was surrounded by moppets belting out, Tomorrow at the top of their lungs through clenched smiles. I felt sick.

I got through my five second audition, and thankfully was never called back. It was also the last audition I ever did. I never worked again, and until last month when I forced myself for Danny's sake to sit through a Christmas play, it was the first time I had attended a play in over 30 years. I was nearing the end of my tolerance for theatre by that point anyway, but the Annie audition just cemented it. My parents weren't pleased with my decision, but I'd been hauling myself through performances, lessons, coaching, and dance (god, that was a disaster) since I was six, and simply didn't care to any longer. To be fair, I never wanted to in the first place.

Consciously or not, I've kept a distance from red dresses with white collars as well. This dress I am wearing today is far too large, and will probably get handed off to someone that appreciates a good 1970's pleated dress. Even if it fit, I don't think I could wear it without hearing earnest little girls singing, Tomorrow. It has to go.  It would be perfect for Valentines, or an Annie fan.

Yeah, the sleeve shouldn't hit at the waist.

Outfit Particulars:

Red 1970's pleated dress .98 cents- Thrift World, Millard
Blue Tights: Shop-Ko
Red patent slingbacks-Thrifted
Red Patent belt-Goodwill
Vintage Echo scarf-thrifted
Red Gloves-Nobbies
Vintage mohair sweater-thrifted
Egyptian Revival pin- Mum's
Earrings-Dior