Hi, it’s Cici Wilde again. Ever since people have been reading about my adventures in Gunfight at Grace Gulch, they keep asking, “What made you interested in vintage clothing?”Well, didn’t any of you ladies play dress up when you were little girls? You know, when you tried on your mother’s dresses and high heels and experimented with cosmetics? I did that for years, first with my older sister Jenna and then my baby sister Dina.
Besides Mom’s clothes, our attic contained things like the nurse cadet uniform my grandmother wore during the Second World War, and the Edwardian dresses that belonged to great-grandfather Wilde’s late-in-life bride. We had a century of clothing to choose from, every passing fashion from the time of the 1891 land run. I read their words—they all kept journals—and imagined living in their times.
I studied fashion in college, and when it came time to open my store, I already had my initial stock to sell. Now I’m pleased that people around the county seek out my store when they want something special. Town leaders lend me unique jewelry from time to time, such as Magda Grace Mallory’s pearls—I’ll tell you more about that in A String of Murders—and the Grace Garland that once belonged to Mary Grace. I may share that story with you some day as well.
So tell me. Did you play dress up as a child? Who did you pretend to be?
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7 comments:
I was always an Indian. Tomboys didn't wear dresses! I'm looking forward to reading your book.
I loved playing dress-up! I had such an active imagination as a kid and I loved to read. I used to dress up as whatever character happened to be in the latest book I was reading.
Dear Darlene,
I used to pull a tee=shirt over my head, then pull it back over my ears and pretend I had super long hair that was whatever color the tee shirt was, of course.
Sometimes, I'd be a queen with a crown cut from a brown paper grocery bag or a jungle tour guide, a pioneer woman, a teacher (glasses halfway down the bridge of my nose). I always had fun. When you have an imagination, you'll never be bored!
I had a dress up basket, a couple of mums old dresses cut down. I had a nurses uniform and the cowgirl chaps etc (i had an older brother) I had a wig too at one stage. It was fun. I had an active imagination (still do).
use to play at being a shop keeper.
My whole childhood is a blur of seven brothers and sisters. And neighbors across the road with seven kids.
I think we mostly just ran around in the woods. My mother's main discipline technique was "Go Outside"
No clothes out there.
My fcllow up post must have disappeared into cyber-space. :)
Linda, your description of using your T-shirt as a super-long wig sounds like something my character Dina might have done (she of the pink, Christmas red, or green hair, depending on the day, of course.)
My own adventures were fairly mild. I looked for a jersey that would make me into a Star Trek officer; and of course I searched for "the ring" (all you Tolkien fans). Good thing I never found it. I might have turned into another Gollum!
darlene I tried to get into Narnia from my wardrobe many times.
I also wanted to climb the magic faraway tree. funny none of the pinetrees at the farm went anywhere.
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