other
was a fine seamstress. As a child I was the living showcase for
her talent as she made all of my clothes, even my coats. These were
pretty dresses and coats, and I was happy with them until I started to
school. Then, little ingrate that I was, I began to envy the
store-bought clothes worn by my classmates who had less talented
mothers. I dreamed of the day when I would be big enough to buy my
clothes in a store.
hristmas 1929 was the day my dream came true. Oh, joy! For Christmas I
got a red sweater, a plaid accordian pleated skirt, and a red and blue
felt beret. That outfit was, in the parlance of the day, the cat's
pajamas. I was more thrilled over the clothes than the toys I got that
year. As usual, Mother had made a new dress for each of my old dolls and
had added two new identical dolls which she had dressed as twins---a boy
and a girl.
didn't wear dresses for outdoor play; denim jump suits or overalls
were better suited to my playtime hours. I remember one pair of denim
pants with an elasticized waistband and flare legs with an inverted V of
red material at the bottom of each flared leg. These were high fashion
and, oh, so comfortable. One of my favorite playtime costumes was a pair
of knickers which had belonged to Bob. When Bob got his first new suit
with long pants, it also included a matching pair of knickerbockers.
After graduating to long pants,Bob wouldn't touch those childish
knickers---so they were never worn until I adopted them. I loved those
pants; they were very stylish, I thought.