Skirt with Bad Connotations

This was my second skirt. I thought a black A-line skirt would be such a perfect wardrobe staple. It would go with everything. I could wear it all the time. I carefully selected a washable deep black fabric that would not collect dog hair or wrinkle. Knowing that the pattern fit, I breezed right though this project. Once I tried it on I knew what it reminded me of – high school band & choir concert skirts. I mentioned this to a friend and she said, “It’s nun fabric.” Even worse.

I also made the ugly shirt that accompanies it. When I was selecting the fabric some lady came up to me and asked me if I had ever sewn before. This is never a good question. I informed her that I had, but she couldn’t resist offering her advice anyway. She said I should stay away from patterned fabric because it will make me look bigger (this was followed by the gesture indicating fatness – arms slightly rounded and out in front like you’re holding a garbage bag of packing peanuts). I assured her I was fully aware of the optical effect of enlarging & flattening that patterns cause. My theory is that you wear patterns on your small parts and dark solids on your big parts. It works sometimes, but obviously not in this case.

I wonder how often someone has referred to me as “some lady.” Now there’s a depressing thought.