Friday, May 13, 2011

Senior Style - what was I thinking?



I'm no fashionista. My favorite thing to wear? Jeans and a t-shirt. Usually the t-shirt is a hand-me-down from my boys. Happy day for me when they all outgrew the mediums.

But since I can't wear jeans and t-shirts everywhere I go, I am occasionally forced to shop for real clothes. I would sooner shove bamboo shoots underneath my fingernails than shop for clothes, but sometimes we just don't get to choose. And then I go shopping.

I try to find clothing that is age-appropriate but somewhat stylish. Fortunately for me, Costco carries great stuff for middle-aged women. And it's cheap and convenient. If I find something I like and it comes in different colors, I buy a few. It's kind of like having a uniform. Thanks to Costco, rarely do I have to torture myself by entering a regular clothing store. And if I do, I've learned to take my daughter along.

Carolyn became fashion conscious about the time she entered junior high. We'd be in a store. I'd hold up a shirt.

"How about this?" I'd ask. "Is this cute?"

"Yeah," she'd answer. "For you," implying that she wouldn't be caught dead in it.

"Well, I would not want to look like a teenager," I'd inform her.

Oh, don't worry - I'd read her mind - you won't.

Once in a while she pays me a real compliment.

"I'd wear that," she'll say in response to a new top I might be wearing.

Makes me feel so stylish!

Recently my Aunt Becky passed away. A bunch of us were visiting as extended family the day before the funeral.

I was wearing a new shirt.

My Aunt Peachy said to me, "I like that shirt. I'd wear that."

Hmm... I thought.

A few minutes later my Aunt Norma told me, "Nice shirt. I'd wear that."

My Aunt Marie said, "I have that same shirt in white."

Well, guess what. I have it in white, too. Naturally, I had bought it in more than one color. But I was too disturbed to own up to this.

I was dressed like my senior citizen aunts!

I mean, don't get me wrong; they all wear cute clothes.

For them.

I should have taken Carolyn shopping with me. What was I thinking?

A little later on a bunch of us were sitting around the dining room table. As it often does in family conversations, the talk turned to who looks like whom. My cousin Greg, one of Aunt Becky's sons, said, "I don't know what it is, but something about Melinda reminds me of my mom today."

"I think it's because I've grown my hair long," I quickly remarked.

But we know that wasn't it.

We know what it was.

It was the shirt.

5 comments:

  1. Now you are making we wonder if we still have the same clothes in the closet like we did when we were kids! Because. . . . Carolyn and Katherine sound like the same child!

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  2. I love the comment, "it's cute ,,,,,,,,for YOU" I get that from my girls too. Live and learn, we try to be cool just not too cool to be "uncool" by wearing something too young. It's a hard spot to be in, I guess someday it will be easier when we are the old senior citizens and when we dress, we will be "cute" and all of our clothes will be accepted. When I get too many compliments on a piece of clothing from the over 60 crowd, I DI it, thank you, 'nough said!

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  3. I'd love to have an aunt named Aunt Peachy! So cute. Well, I do have twin aunts named Aunt Twinkie and Aunt Pinkie (I call them Twink and Pink for short), so I guess I'm pretty lucky...but really Aunt Peachy...adorable!

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  4. Melinda, you've got to check out my recent blog post: http://thetylerfamilyrocks.blogspot.com/2011/05/blast-from-past.html
    I think it was your husband who struck the telling blow?

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