...with my beautiful balloons. Hey! Get yer mind out of the gutter.
I'm 99% certain I owned this novelty sweater in the late 70's. I don't remember if I bought it, or my sister but I'm pretty sure one of us had it. I think it was in a blue colourway. As 70's novelty sweaters go, it was much better than the one that read, "Hug Me." Mum bought that one. I was always tempted to add, "At your own risk" with some fabric paint. Anyway, I was happy to see it hanging at Hand-Me-Ups looking for someone to take it home.
Outfit Particulars:
Coil Age Man (great name) 70's sweater-Hand-Me-Ups
1970's Picket-N-Post blazer (part of a suit)-Goodwill
1970's suede shoulder bag-Goodwill
Lady Devon 1970's polyester pleated skirt-Goodwill
Boots-K Mart
Tights-Walgreens
Earrings-Can't remember, had 'em at least 30 years
Enamel duck brooch-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-Je Reviens
I've been revisiting the clothes I wore in the 80's as well. I didn't own this particular dress, but I had so many like it, I'll consider it the same. I'd been watching this Leslie Fay paisley number for a few months knowing it wouldn't sell at $5.99. It finally ended up in the .99 cent room, and I flug it into the basket as fast as I could. I don't mind spending $5.99 on a dress, but not something I wore 30 years ago to work. Leslie Fay made nice clothes-I have a few earlier pieces that I treasure, but by the 80's they just weren't all that interesting. I ripped the gigantic shoulder pads out, and I am going to shorten the hem by a good four inches, but otherwise this is still a wearable dress. The colours are great, and the material is in good condition (no pilling or snags) so it was well worth the wait, and .99 cents.
Yeah, that's a men's belt. Originally this dress would have had a matching belt, and when I hem it I might salvage enough fabric to make one.
Outfit Particulars:
1980's Leslie Fay dress-Hand-Me-Ups
Jacket-Goodwill
Necklaces-both Hand-Me-Ups
1970's bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups
Earrings-K Mart
Boots-K Mart
Tights-Walgreen's
Green ring-Hobby Lobby
Gold vintage Napier ring-Garage sale
Fragrance-Halston
I must admit, it is strange seeing my older self in clothes I wore when young. I think I wear them more creatively now as I'm not saddled with the hair and makeup of the time. That page-boy haircut I sported from about 1976-1979 wasn't doing my round face any favours, and it detracted from anything interesting I might have been wearing. My 80's hair wasn't much better, but it did defy gravity!
In a way, it feels like going back in time to warn my younger self about the perils of robin's egg blue eye shadow, and Tigress cologne. I get a chance to do it over, and wear the clothes in a better way. I wouldn't want to re-live my life (I'm really hoping the Catholics are wrong, and Purgatory isn't real) but I do think there's something to be gained from revisiting the styles of decades past with a critical eye.
I laugh a bit at the advice not to wear anything you wore the first time around. Live long enough, and you'll run out of things to wear! They styles keep being recycled anyway, so if you fancy wearing culottes, do it. And screw anyone that tells you otherwise.
4 comments:
I had a paisley dress like that too. It came with a navy blue cardigan with huge shoulder pads. I bought it at Macy's, it must have been Leslie Fay or some other boring brand. I wore it for my university interviews with a pair of navy Ferragamo flats (that had those grosgrain ribbon bows that were so popular & gold buckles stamped with Salvatore Ferragamo's logo) & a 18" string of pearls. I thought I looked so 'professional' & Ralph Lauren with my then chestnut brown pageboy. Jeez, like everything had some sort of brand stamped someplace conspicuous in the 80's, didn't it?
I can't handle words or images across my bosom. Much less balloons.
Wouldn't want to re-live my life again either. ONWARD!
How's Halston these days, anyway?
I've still got some of the stuff I wore the first time round... and owing to my habit of buying certain things to be as baggy as possible, some of it still fits. Not sure random gothwear is as nice as your paisley dress, though. That's an excellent pattern - and 99 cents? BARGAIN.
There was never enough of me height-wise -- and perhaps too much, width-wise?-- to wear the 80s floral bags with big shoulders. Leslie Fay did not hang in my closet; Halston's pret-a-porter solids did. The paisley dress would be welcome to hang in my dark-prints-wearable-year-round section. And for 99 cents? Brava!
The icy Canadian sky blues with woodsy browns is a flattering color combo for you, Goody. And I do like a bit of wit in accessories: the balloons flying high with the duck is a neat quip, indeed.
You and Bibi raise some interesting topics in reviewing "what we wore" and "why we wore it", back in the day, and of course, "what can be salvaged?" My oldest garment is a buttoned-in-lining khaki storm coat I purchased more than 30 years ago. Reserved for record-setting cold, I've worn it over a Merchant Marine sweater my father wore serving in the North Atlantic in 1943. (Friend of mine wears a WWI, yes I!, officer's trench coat. That ancient wool is truly indestructible.)
@Bibi
Halston is about the same as it always was, but somehow over the years it got less exciting. It was innovative at the time, but these days I only wear it in the dead of winter, and sprayed very lightly. It does eem to be one of the less messed-with reformulations out there.
@Mim
I confess to stalking the sale page at Goodgoth.com looking at the clothes, boots, and stockings.
@Beth
Military issue stuff is well-made. I had a Navy dress raincoat for years (zip out lining and a million pockets)that I only got rid of recently. I kept the coat longer than I kept the Sailor/ex-husband ;)
When are we going to get you blogging your clothes? I'll bet you have a closet full of fascinating items with great histories.
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