Dress You Up

Dress You Up
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What: Vintage dress. (Well, 2 actually.)
Origin: Left behind. See confession.
Usage: I tried it on from time to time, but it was not flattering.
How long kept: 25 years.
Why kept: Guilt. See confession. Also, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and Storage Boxes are Evil. Finally, It Might be Useful.
Destination: "S," along with a cute sundress.

Confession: Back in the summer of 1984, I took a job at the the University of Chicago, and sublet an awesome apartment in Hyde Park from an extremely spoiled law school student. At the end of the summer, she decided not to return to school -- there was drama -- and she had a friend come move her stuff out of the apartment. I stayed. He left this dress and a few other items (one of which will appear on these pages later). At some point during the move, she showed up, too. There were tears. I never heard from her again.

This dress is beautifully made, I think by a real dressmaker sometime in the 60s. The fabric is a very sturdy silk (maybe rayon, but I don't think so) and the finish inside the dress is so beautiful that you could practically wear it inside out.

I have always felt a little bit guilty about having this. Though is it my fault? Who sublets an apartment and leaves clothes in the closet? Who delegates an apartment move to a friend? (Boy, that was a good friend.)

At any rate, I thought it would be gorgeous on "S." (And there was another dress from the Evil Storage Box for "S", too...more of a daytime dress, a thrift store or tag sale treasure.)

Thanks, "S," for lightening my load.