Savvy Entertaining

I was scanning through Pinterest the other day and a dress pin caught my eye.

It reminded me of the dress Mary Poppins wore when she and Bert and the kids spent a day in the country side.

Remember it?

The first time I saw this frothy white confection with the red accents and the fantastic red waist, I wanted it. I longed for it. I dreamed about it. I wanted the entire outfit, minus the parasol. It seemed trifling in comparison to this wonderful amazing dress.

Not long after my obsession for Mary’s dress calmed down, I saw Gone with the Wind for the first time. Oh, how I wanted to have Scarlett’s wardrobe. But more than anything, I wanted one dress in particular.

This beauty. It may have been because of the color. Maybe because her waist looked so tiny and perfect in it and at that time mine was a whopping 19 1/2 inches. Maybe because she was sassy and determined and I wanted to be like her.

Whatever the reason, I wanted this dress with a longing that went beyond description.

There have been many dress obsessions since the days of my teen years when all this longing began. Like the ice-blue Jessica McClintock dress I wanted my junior year. I tried it on multiple times, begged and pleaded with my mother why I needed a $200 dress to wear once and finally resigned myself to the fact that some girl luckier than me would be enjoying the beautiful creation.

My senior year, I fell in love with a mermaid style dress that was quite similar, in fact, to the bombshell design Rosemary Clooney wore in White Christmas.

She looked amazing. I loved every single thing about this dress from the dramatic neckline to fun mermaid skirt.

And who wouldn’t want to be dressed in Rose’s wardrobe from Titanic.

I’ve always wanted a hat that could take somebody out from three-feet away.

Seriously, though, I love the look and style of this era. It probably stems from my fascination with the girl of Charles Dana Gibson’s drawings.

The women looked so feminine, lovely, alluring. Their clothes – they intrigue me so.

Just like leg ‘o mutton sleeves.

I’m so fascinated by them, in fact, I altered my wedding dress pattern to include the poufy design.

I keep thinking I’ll get over my obsession with beautiful clothes. So far, it hasn’t happened.

I still haven’t fully recovered from wanting Rosemary’s dress. Maybe someday, with enough Spanx, it will happen.

She Who Should Have Been Born in a Different Era