So it's
safe to say we outdressed most of the festival attendees, with the exception
of my former boss at the newspaper where I worked for a few years, who
was there manning a booth for the paper.
The Gryphon,
my sister's husband and my dad hung out at Dad's place while we women
went shopping. We drove to the local mall with high hopes.
We started
our journey at JCPenney's, but we soon discovered that their clothes fit
smaller than we expected, and my mom had to go up several sizes. Even
so, many of the clothes were made out of stretchy materials, which aren't
flattering on full-figured women, and most of the items were business
clothes, not evening wear. The only thing we managed to find her was an
undergarment.
We moved
on to Avenue Plus, and this store definitely represented the nadir of
our experience. First of all, we had a nosey salesperson who kept asking
if we needed help but then, when I asked for help, she had no suggestions
to offer!
Another
problem was that the garments were unstructured, which wasn't helpful.
They basically made her look like a shapeless rectangle, which wasn't
what we'd hoped to achieve.
My sister
and I got into a heated discussion over whether a certain pair of pants
fit Mom properly, until Mom tried on a a pair my sister suggested and
I was willing to concede she'd been right. The pants were great. We encouraged
her to buy them, because even if she didn't wear them to the reunion,
she could always use a pair of black pants.
By this
point, my mom was growing disheartened. She wasn't happy with how the
clothes were looking on her, and she was blaming herself. My sister and
I, though, tried keep her positive, explaining to her that the garments
didn't work because they weren't cut right for her body type and that,
if she stayed with it, we'd find her something that would work.
As Mom and
I took a bathroom break, my sister went ahead to scout out a better store.
She called me from her cell phone to tell me to meet her at Fashion Bug,
which had some great options. When we arrived, she met us with a couple
shirts she thought might work with the outfit. A salesperson, hearing
about our project, came to assist us. Even though they didn't offer petite
items, she was able to help us find a shorter skirt that would fall the
right length on Mom.
Sure enough,
when Mom tried on the skirt, which was a black skirt with a handkerchief
hem, we all loved it. She began to feel optimistic.
The top
was more of a challenge, because a lot of shirts had deep V's, which were
far too revealing on my mother. I did, however, find a great jacket for
her. It's a fine corduroy which looks very velvety, and it's a deep red
brick color that was great for her complexion.
We told
her that all she needed to complete the look was a black top, but we didn't
have any luck at that store, so we agreed we'd give JCPenney one more
shot on the way out. If not, Mom would have to pick up a black shirt sometime
before the reunion. We did manage to find her a black shirt with asymmetrical
neckline that worked independently but not with the outfit. She also found
a cream jacket that fit her nicely. She can wear them to work.
While they
were paying, and while my sister thanked the salesperson for being so
helpful, I went ahead to JCPenney and found three possible tops that didn't
have as deep of a neckline. The one I liked best was a light sweater with
a square beaded neckline, very sophisticated. As I'd predicted, it looked
super on her. The others, not so much.
By the time
we were done, she had a great outfit that looks sophisticated and is appropriate
for the occasion. The last thing I suggested was that she get herself
some satin flats with a little bit of color in them. (She can't wear high
heels because of knee problems.)
So although
it was a hard day, we came away successful, and Mom was feeling much more
positive about making an appearance at her reunion.
Here's an
approximation of her outfit, showing the exact items she purchased at
Fashion Bug. I had to do the colors in PhotoShop, since the web site only
showed the jacket in tan and the skirt in brown. Also, you can't get the
full effect with the black shirt, because the jacket is buttoned.
The jacket
is a perfect fit for her, since it comes in slightly at the waist and
also has a seam across the midsection which creates more of a waistline.
The small lapels and the fact that the jacket buttons over her bustline
helps deemphasize her ample chest.
The skirt,
which has a sheer, ragged hemline over an opaque lining, shows a little
more leg than Mom normally does, which lengthens her legs and makes her
appear taller.
The black
and the deep brick red are perfect for both her complexion and the occasion,
and the unseen black top with beaded neckline adds some extra flare and
completes the look. Because she is pairing a black top with a black skirt,
it lengthens her line and makes her appear leaner, especially when paired
with the jacket.
However,
I told her that just wearing black doesn't make people look leaner. You
have to make certain to get garments that fit properly and work well for
your body type.
If she adds
a chunky silver or gold necklace and some satin flats, preferably with
hints of a contrasting color like green or blue, or even better, with
metallic accents, she'll look stunning.
As a last
touch, I gave her some tips I'd printed out about how to dress for her
body type, which should help her the next time she goes shopping.
For dinner,
the men drove up and joined us, and we ate at Ruby Tuesday's. My sister
had suggested it because she wanted to have a salad for dinner, and they
have a great salad bar. Unfortunately, their entrees left something to
be desired. All the items were prepared in an unhealthy way, either fried
or with fatty sauces. So I decided to order the salad bar and a bowl of
chili.
My sister
and her husband gave me their birthday present, and Mom also got a belated
birthday present from my sister. At the close of the meal, the waitress
surprised us by singing happy birthday and bringing us two three-scoop
sundaes to share between the seven of us.
Then my
mom hugged us and headed home, while I shared some wedding ideas with
my sister. After she and her husband drove back to Bellefonte, The Gryphon
and I went over our wedding budget with my father. He had said that he
would help out, but we weren't sure what he'd offer to contribute.
After looking
at the budget, he generously offered to pay for at least half of the wedding,
even though he already paid for my first wedding, 10 years ago. It's going
to make the difference between being nearly able to afford what we want
and being able to throw caution to the wind. I was very, very grateful.
What a great way to celebrate my birthday!
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