I tore my skirt yesterday. I was just walking up the stairs and I stepped on the hem and RIP! It’s unrepairable. The tear wasn’t on a seam. It was the splitting of worn fabric. It was such a colorful skirt that it wasn’t really noticeable (I like to think) that I had a hole in the back of it already. I got it caught in my bike chain last Spring. Again, it couldn’t be mended because of the frayed fabric. I thought the skirt made me look a bohemian but it’s probably more accurate to say I resembled a girl hobo.
I know this guy. He’s always had money; comes from and makes plenty. Before he was married, he lived a shabbier existence. He’d go into a nice shoe store and be ignored. When a salesperson finally noticed him, he’d purchase six pairs of shoes. His drycleaner used to chop off his shirts to short sleeve when the cuffs got too frayed. That was his signal to purchase new shirts. So, he’d buy a dozen. HIs purchases were always quality AND quantity. Then, he’d be good for awhile.
I’ve never been a big shopper. Part of it stems from the limited options available for a good size gal. Certainly, there are more ‘speciality stores‘ and wider (no pun intended) selections in departments for the curvy than in my youth. I just don’t always like what’s available. A lot of it seems frumpy to me. I’d describe some of it as nursing home chic. Colors are drab. The styling is functional. Typically, the clothing is not sassy or sexy. I often walk right through a store without seeing anything to try on. My time is better spent combing the internet for specific looks. Of course, there is the risk in not trying it on. Once it’s in my home, I’m more likely to keep it than put it back on the rack.
I’m paying off my rehab in March. (For clarity: house rehab). With the ‘freed up money,’ I’m boosting up my 403 (
retirement plan. I’m adding to my philanthropic plan. And I’m going to shop more. I’m 50 now. I’d like to dress like it. I don’t mean a “Golden Girls” wardrobe. I mean like I have more money than I had in my twenties. Instead of cobbling together a look, I want to develop a style. The era of the girl hobo is closing.