Sunday, May 04, 2008

Clothes

I guess it is unanimous. I have no fashion sense, I am a miser and I'm wishy-washy.

A few weeks ago I went with my VERY GOOD FRIEND, Marlene around Tokyo. I emphasize the good friend part because you might get the impression that she is a bit critical of me but in truth she is a very frank as well as being very loving. She has set me straight many times in our 20 years of friendship. Anyway, while in Tokyo Marlene turned to me and said,

"What are you wearing to Leiya's graduation?"

"Wearing? I hadn't thought about it yet. Do I have to wear something special?"

"Tanya, if you think you're going to go in jeans you are nuts. This is a major event. You have to get dressed up for this."

"Well, I've got that pant suit outfit..."

Marlene let out a groan. I think when Leiya was graduating from kindergarten I needed to get dressed up and I consulted Marlene. She in turn rallied around and got her friends to raid their closets and I went to graduation looking pretty good. In someone else's dress. When entrance ceremony came around I went back to Marlene. She was somewhat miffed.

"Would you go out and buy your own clothes instead of depending on other people's closets!"

That made sense so I did. I bought myself the pant suit. Which I like. Which when I modeled for Leiya I remember she said I looked like a bus driver. So I've always thought of it as my bus driver outfit, but I've worn it to loads of kindergarten graduation ceremonies (as a teacher) since then. Even to a couple of weddings! But how many years have I worn the thing? Marlene looked at me exasperatedly.

"Ok. Let's see if we can find you something nice to wear today."

"Today I am not in Tokyo to buy myself clothes. I'll go shopping later back home."

"Tanya, you know you'll just end up wasting time browsing. You'll either buy something at the local department store that is expensive or you'll decide you don't want to spend the money and you won't buy anything. Just look now and you might find something in Tokyo for less."

So we looked, and I found something. Not that I was overjoyed to be buying it because even at nearly half price it was still too expensive in my book. Also because it was TOO nice! I am not an elegant person and this was very elegant (to me. Marlene declared it simple but formal.) I hemmed and hawed about buying it for loads of reasons but Marlene convinced me and the simple, elegant outfit became mine. Yeah! Shopping is done! Now I don't have to think about it until graduation day!

"Tanya, What shoes are you going to wear with this?"

"Shoes?!? Shoes!?! I have black pumps that I wear for every single formal occasion I've been to for the past 15 years."

"You absolutely have no fashion sense. You cannot wear black shoes at the end of May. You have to look springy! You're not going to a funeral you know! Let's go look for some shoes."

I did not want to look at shoes. I do not like shoes. I have bunions and my feet are extremely ugly and it is very hard to find shoes that are comfortable. I pride myself in having only 5 pairs of shoes and that include beach sandals and the black pumps. Still, we hit a few shoe stores but I finally showed Marlene my ugly feet and she agreed that shoe shopping might be more of a challenge than she had bargained for.

"Tanya. You're going to need a bag."

"I have my wonderful WHITE bag and it is very springy." Case closed.

"That is a tote bag. You cannot use that with your elegant outfit. You need something small and just as elegant."

"AAGGHH!! I do not want to spend all this money on myself! I have a lot of stuff I carry around and these little pocket purses are just not going to do it for me! My camera wouldn't fit in some of these things!"

So we did NOT buy any shoes or a bag that day. A couple weeks later I wore my simple, elegant outfit (with black pumps) to the kindergarten entrance ceremony. I felt I needed to get a sense of the me in this outfit that looked like it belonged to someone else. I even put aside my big white tote bag and carried a small patchwork bag that I thought was just perfect. Small, same general color. Tanya, you are getting more fashionable by the minute! A number of my friends were surprised that I could even get that dressed up but when I proudly told them that THIS was the outfit I was planning to wear at Leiya's graduation even my patchwork friends frowned and said,

"Umm. You need to think about a different bag. Patchwork doesn't go with that outfit."

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! My friends are ganging up on me!

Friday I showed my outfit to my neighbor, Mrs. Yano, who laughed at me.

"Nope. You really need something besides the black pumps. You need matching shoes and handbag! Let's go shopping together."

Yesterday we went shopping but I was grumbling the whole time.

"I do not want to spend this money. What a waste. Who is going to look at me anyway? What does it matter what color shoes I wear or bag I carry or what outfit I wear? Why do I need a tiny handbag that nothing will fit into?"

Grumble, grumble, pout, pout. Mrs. Yano just took over.

"Just find some shoes that you can walk in. I'll tell you if they look okay. Then we'll worry about the bag. AND STOP LOOKING AT THE PRICE TAGS ON EVERYTHING!!!"

So I found some shoes that were suitable. And I dilly dallied between a minuscule handbag that would only hold a handkerchief and a semi-large bag that I might find another purpose for someday. I was ready to come home empty handed and do this another day alone but I sensed that I was wearing my friendship pretty thin if I backed out now. The practical bag came home with us.

So NOW I am set but it does seem strange to me that since I'm not the one graduating that I have to get all dressed up. A nice hippy skirt and dangle earrings and that's my idea of fancy...

Thank you Marlene and Mrs. Yano! Tetsu won't recognize who's standing next to him!

14 comments:

anne bebbington said...

I'm with you on this one Tanya - for years pre-children (and thus pre-weight-gain) I had a high-powered job where I had to wear a suit for work each day - I had numerous suits, posh blouses, more sets of matching shoes and handbags in countless corresponding colours but now I just like to be comfortable and it's always a huge challenge to find something that fits both round my body and even more difficult on my horrible big fat feet - there's a lot to be said for jeans, sweatshirt and trainers!

Amanda said...

I was with you every inch of the way here. I've always hated buying clothes/ spending money on clothes/ wearing fancy clothes etc etc. It's even worse now. I have to wear huge clunky orthotics in my shoes and have been told I ought to wear flat lace-ups all the time. What on earth can you wear with them? I dread some fancy occasion turning up - I just hope when it does it'll be in the winter so I can wear boots!

Denise (Nour) said...

Really cute - you are going to look fantastic! We want to see lots of nice pictures!

The Calico Cat said...

My girl loves sweets... Pie dough especially & I make it with vegetable shortening, not butter or lard...

Quilt Pixie said...

I hear you Tanya! clothes shopping is utter misery in I must admit though, that I go and get something (along with the accessories)every few years just so I don't have to do it over and over again!

Hope you feel comfortable in your new ensemble. :-)

artfilstitch said...

Tanya,
You're going to look fantastic! Tetsu will be a proud rooster with his lovely wife by his side... :>)

Liz

The Calico Quilter said...

It's a lovely dress and the shoes are cute, but what really grabbed me is the purse. I LOVE large purses where you can carry everything with you. To find one in an elegant silvery leather color - well, that's just great. I would carry it every day. It'll give you a little spring in your step.

And, I agree with you about getting dressed up -- ugh. I spent the last seven years of my working life in the engineering office at a power plant. Khaki pants and casual shirts and sensible shoes every day - because the engineers went out in the plant to coordinate with the operations and maintenance staff. It was heavenly not to have to dress up every day.

Shelina said...

There are so many times that we keep getting clothes for our kids and forget ourselves. That is a pretty outfit, and nice accessories. You are going to look wonderful.

Jane said...

Daughters of the King can afford to dress elegantly on special occasions. We are not talking Paris catwalks here, but a simple elegant co ordinated outlook or two, you may need another for another season.......vbg....so that you are not only the Kings daughter all beautiful within, but also the wise woman of Prov 31 who is thoughtfully elegantly dressed as is her home.
I like to think that my garden also reflects the beauty of the creator which is partly why I have grieved during the drought, but have also learnt to praise in the desert when I cannot do anything to change it.
You are blessed with wonderful friends and neighbours. Which reminds me that one of my friends is overdue to come and throw out half my wardrobe at least. It is so full of such a range of sizes that I cannot pull together an outfit as easily as I should and that is disfuncional...so I have work to do.

Christine Thresh said...

Pretty dress and very nice shoes and bag. You are going to look wonderful and make your family proud.

Mary said...

I'm glad you found something nice to wear for graduation even if it was difficult!

I have no taste in clothing and dress very casually - mostly in jeans and always get stressed when I have to go somewhere with Keith for a business dinner or event. I'll never be fashionable but I try to avoid embarrassing him.

Nancy said...

A terrible ordeal with a LOVELY ending! And purple is color of royalty, you know . . . .

n, np

Elaine Adair said...

OH my - we are all made of the same cloth - a horrid experience to have to shop for clothes. The last time I looked, it was such a farce -- all those gaudy 60s block prints in amazingly awful colors, paired over tights! Arghhh - tights, in summer? They were cute when I was 14, but not now. I am tempted to go back to making my own clothes if I wasn't making quilts all the time.

I hope we get to see you model this outfit. At least you now have TWO outfits to wear, one lovely, and one Bus Driver, which sounds a lot like the ONE decent outfit I have. (Yes, I wear it on my Blog!)

Elaine Adair said...

OH my - we are all made of the same cloth - a horrid experience to have to shop for clothes. The last time I looked, it was such a farce -- all those gaudy 60s block prints in amazingly awful colors, paired over tights! Arghhh - tights, in summer? They were cute when I was 14, but not now. I am tempted to go back to making my own clothes if I wasn't making quilts all the time.

I hope we get to see you model this outfit. At least you now have TWO outfits to wear, one lovely, and one Bus Driver, which sounds a lot like the ONE decent outfit I have. (Yes, I wear it on my Blog!)