Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Wardrobe Wednesdays


I woke up this morning knowing it was a day for my armor. I'm sure everyone has their favorite clothes to wear when they have a challenge to face. Mine is just a little unusual for a number of reasons.

First off, Joey shares wardrobe of choice pictures on Wednesdays. I thoroughly enjoy his stories and especially like it when he lays out his days outfit to show us. His style is awesome, amazing and one of a kind. Bling should be his middle name.

But for me, wandering around in a t-shirt and jeans is the norm. I have lots of business attire but I would bet you none of it really fits me anymore - since I haven't had an office job in 20 months (as of today. Happy anniversary!!) I've lost a little weight with all the moving around I do. I do yard work, wash clothes and clean counters as I write and design and crack the whip over my part time minions. There's also a wee bit of (figurative) cat herding involved. And yes, Riot Kitty, I do PR. Corporate PR. Scum of the earth, that's me.

Knowing I had a very difficult and challenging day ahead AND that I am not feeling 100%, it was time to break out the armor.

I have always been drawn to men's clothing. Comfortable, large enough to hide behind (and I do like to hide) and usually quite stylish. My favorite items are all resale finds, most of them bowling shirts or items of that ilk.

As a kid, I used to wear my beloved great-grandfathers hand-me-down suit jackets with my jeans. They smelled like his cologne and made me feel like I had the slightest bit of protection as I went out into the world. There was always a sixpence in my pocket. I felt like I had a shield around me and the fact that I was completely unstylish (neon colors and poofy hair were the rage, I wore black, white makeup, black eye liner.... wait. That sounds familiar...) So my days were made brighter by grampa's jackets.

He was first generation American and came over from Britain in the early 1900s as a young man. There's even a little Titanic lore in the fact that his mum and older sister had Titanic tickets but missed the boat because my Great Aunt Dorothy was ill. This story would have such a different ending if that hadn't been the case. My grandfather, my mother's father, would never have been born if Great-Great-Grandmother Babb hadn't survived the iceberg. Thanks for getting sick, Auntie D!

The suits made it into the waste bin when I was an adult, I don't quite remember when, but they were moth eaten and had tons of holes. So, I went for years without my armor and honestly rarely felt I needed it.



Then, my mom's father passed away in April of 2005. He had been ailing and was miserable and just waiting to die so I wasn't surprised. But I was a little surprised by the impact on me. We'd never been close. But when my mom offered me up his old flannel shirt (for camping, she assumed) I jumped at it.

This morning, on went the flannel. Along with a monkey hanging on my belt loop. The difficult meetings and doctors appointments and other items on my agenda will be well served by me in this soft-from-wear, warm and comfortable blanket of love that surrounds me. Boys? Beware of your closet contents when I'm around.

11 comments:

  1. Hey! Someone has their claws out!!

    I love the monkeys, though.

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  2. If you think I'm gonna make a crack about your monkey and your beautiful cupcakes...You are absolutely CORRECT!!!

    Fashion is subjective....:-)

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  3. That is the cutest picture ever.

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  4. Cute pic of you with the monos! :)

    Nice flannel, too! God bless your great aunt Dorothy up in Heaven! :)

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  5. Imagine still having it after all these years, that's so cool ;)

    Yep, love the monkeys too :D

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  6. Awwww thanks buddy, what a cool thing to say. Yeah bling should be my second name! :D I do slob out in t-shirts and trackie bottoms at home sometimes.

    I LOVE women in mens clothing. In fact I'm afraid to say this too loud, but I don't like women in feminine clothes at all. Well apart from Kylie. :D

    I loved the fact that you joined in Wardrobe Wednesday too!

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  7. so you were going to write about clothes and instead decided to monkey around? :-)

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  8. Your photos are lovely...... Thanks for sharing......

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  9. Oh, I loved this post. I can feel the positive energy radiating from the flannel shirt!

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  10. I have one of my Papa's flannel shirts. It's my armor, too!

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