February 5, 1965

"It's you, it's you". Or not #memoir

February 5, 1965

I finished my yellow wool dress and wore it today - I'm wild about it! It turned out great! I got lots of compliments. It gets me embarrassed, though. I don't know what to say after I've said "thank you". In gym we played basketball - or started, at least. I sat for Ks tonight - $1.50 more.

February 5, 2023

I have a vivid memory of that yellow wool dress. The fabric was a herringbone tweed, and it featured a flared skirt, a dropped waist and a double-breasted bodice. Pretty sophisticated for high school, and also a complex choice for a beginning seamstress. It really did turn out very well.

So tell me, teenage Jo, why there are no photos of this awesome creation? It wasn’t just the compliments that made me embarrassed. It was the dress itself. The skirt was lined and made a swishing sound when I walked. The neckline was low enough that I wore it with a turtleneck dickey. It required stockings and dressy shoes, and I usually preferred knee socks and flat casuals. I doubt I wore it to school after that February day. It was very nice, but it wasn’t me.

The dress:

Me: