Take an event in your life that happened at least ten years ago, a date of significance, but one that was not immortalized in a photograph or video.
Now tell me what you wore.
First day at a new job? First day of school? First date? Graduation (not the cap and gown, but the outfit to the party afterward.)
The thing is — I cannot do this, not without the cheat of a photograph. There’s practically a genre of books devoted to what women wore on certain occasions. (And maybe men, too, but I haven’t seen any of those.)
I know I wore red shoes my first day of work at the San Antonio Light, but that’s all I remember, and I’m certain I wore something else along with the red shoes. Wait — I remember what I wore to my job interview at the San Antonio Light, but that’s because there’s a narrative attached. I hadn’t been planning to attend a job interview, it had happened at the last-minute, so I had to assemble an interviewing costume, if you will, from my weekend wardrobe of thrift-shop finds. I got the job. Lord knows how.
I remember what I was wearing the day I took my final in American History, sophomore year of college, because my t.a. commented on it. (It was exceptionally feminine, not my style, and I said, “I’m trying it out, for the hell of it.” And she said: “Isn’t it nice to have that option?” I liked that t.a. I wish I had gotten to know her better.) But, again, there’s a story or sorts.
I remember the green, flower-print Laura Ashley dress, purchased at Loehmann’s, that my colleague burned a hole in, back when people were still allowed to smoke in newsrooms. Another story. It was a small hole, easily concealed. She didn’t mean to do it.
Oh, there was a divine dress, black with white polka dots — okay, maybe it was tacky as hell — and I wore it the night I met the oyster-shucking frat boy, who seemed cheerful and confident and interesting, until he ended the evening by bursting into tears in the parking lot of a bar, while trying to tell me his life story, which didn’t seem all that bad.
And I remember a long skirt and lilac sweater and white Oxfords worn to an assignment of absolutely no importance. But how I loved those white Oxfords. I wish I still had them.
I can remember clothes, but not dates, dates but not clothes. The trick is to remember them together, which fails me more often than not.
Anyway, try it, see what happens.
Okay, this I cannot remember the date on, but I remember to the interview of my first job (which I did not get; they gave it to a man who shortly became a heroin addict and had to leave), I wore a Laura Ashley blue patterned dress I got at an outlet in Iowa, white tights, patent leather shoes, and a navy Ann Taylor jacket, pearl earrings. This may sound horrible but a man who later became very famous asked what I was doing there, and, when I told him I was interviewing for a job, said, “Well, you must have gotten it. You look very handsome indeed!”
On second thought I do think the tights were nude. I’m not insane.
I can often remember the shoes that I wore on particular occasions, but rarely whole outfits. For example, I remember that I wore a pair of faux leopard skin shoes to my law school graduation. It pleased me to know that, as I crossed the stage of the auditorium, those shoes peeking out from my robe were pretty much at the eye-level of the audience. And there was a disco-themed birthday party that I attended ten years ago to which I recall wearing a spectacular pair of white patent leather platform sandals, each shoe adorned with an enormous daisy. Alas, I never found another occasion for which those shoes seemed suitable…
I honestly can’t do it. It’s killing me.
Aside from things like proms, the only time I remember what I was wearing was the day I flew a plane solo. I decided it was my lucky shirt. Its a blue button-up blouse with 3/4 lenth cuffed sleeves. I still have it many, many years later, although I don’t wear it anymore.
Oh and I remember what I wore to the Edgars the last three years. But that’s probably because I’ve worn the same dress each year. This year I changed the shoes in order to fit the red theme.
<blockquote> they gave it to a man who shortly became a heroin addict and had to leave</blockquote>It sucks to run out of smack at work.
Jeff,
I bet you can remember something your daughter has worn. Granted, that doesn’t go back ten years, but still, am I right?
I think I can do my whole Edgars line-up, but it also doesn’t meet the time limit and there’s often been photographic evidence.
My problem is that I’ve been photographed practically since birth and so every major event has an associated picture, I think. Oh wait – when I was around 5, I had this fabulous pink dress that I wore to my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary party. I loved that dress so much to the point that it got shredded. But otherwise, nope, this exercise eludes me.
How well I remember the dresses I wore on the two New Years Eves preceding meeting my husband. They were very stylish and clingy, one orange and one black, which was particularly form fitting. I was very thin in those days, which is why I probably remember them so fondly. I did wear the orange one on my first New Years Eve with my husband. Those dresses hung in my closet, long after styles and my waistline changed.
Then there were the beaded flats and the summer straw hat. The hat was wide stripes of hot pink, bright green, and lavender. The colors in the shoes were similar. Inbetween, I wore outfits of one of the colors. I cringe to think of it now, considering how conservatively I dress.
This is hard without photo documentation. OK, here goes. It was no particular event other than the 8th grade and I wore my first ever straight skirt. It was some kind of brown plaid worn with an incredibly soft pink mohair (itchy) sweater, tight, but not too tight. The skirt had to be tight enough that the boys didn’t point and laugh because you looked like the letter P from the side yet not so loose that the girls dismissed you as a fashion idiot.
I remember saving up my salary for weeks to buy a mini-dress in the late sixties and going to a high-end store to buy it. A bright green and white polka dot mini. A few weeks later, a friend showed up with the same dress, which she had purchased at Korvettes, an inexpensive store related to KMarts, I think.
Then there was the brown wrap around skirt a friend and I stole from Gimbels in 1964 and took turns wearing. That memory is even more troubling.
I know I wore white cotton diapers for my first couple of years. Does that count?
The first time I ever took a tour of Baltimore with it’s number 1 crime writer, I wore blue jeans, New balance shoes and a while button down shirt with blue stripes… a light blue t-shirt underneathe. Oh, and a smile.
I can remember a few outfits over the years, mostly from a long time ago as having kids (and my youngest is graduating high school tomorrow) did a number on my memory. But the only outfit I can remember down to my shoes was fall of 1967. There was a youth group party followed by a Selichot service, and I was in the service. I wore a dress that I’d made, just a simple A-line but the fabric was green with skinny hot pink stripes, and I had shoes that were hot pink, part suede and part patent, shaped like Mary Janes but had 6 VERY skinny straps. I think they’re my favorite shoes of my whole life.
I have trouble with this too, and it’s because I so rarely spend any time choosing my outfit. Women who actually think about what they’re GOING to wear are the ones who remember what they did wear, because they remember the planning and anticipation of the event as well as the event itself.
That said, I remember a blue-and-black striped dress that I wore to six weddings in a single year — and to one funeral, after which I retired it.
I know what I wore on my wedding day and aside from that- and I remember that on the first day of junior high, I wore white knee socks. Why didn’t I just write a big sign that said “HEY, LOOK AT ME. I AM A LOSER” That was more than 40 years ago but I remember.
Oh, Andrea, did people tease you?
I had this pair of shoes sophomore year of high school that I thought were so cool. I was so wrong.
Fortunately, I can remember the only times I’ve ever worn a dress. I work in theatre, that’s my only excuse.
I can usually remember fancy events and clothing together, but not much beyond that. (And my wife remembers that I wore a jester’s hat for a ridiculous amount of time at our wedding reception.)
I remember wearing a shirt that was too small for me, a ratty tie, and some forgettable slacks to my first day at Initech. (Yeah, it had to be Initech. The similarities are eerie, except my Lumbergh was a woman and even more clueless. “What’s my job?” “Just think about it. Something will come to you.”)
I was wearing sneakers and a striped golf shirt my the day I got laid off from there. (Sadly, Milton didn’t burn the building, and Lady Lumbergh and I both landed at BigHugeCo. I spent a year in fear that she’d try to pull me onto her team.)
I remember the dress I wore the day I found out I was finally pregnant with my now 18-year-old son, after almost 8 1/2 years of trying. Red, with tiny white and yellow flowers…and a pair of red flats…I so seldom wore anything bright, the doctor knew something was up.
I’d taken a preggers test at the college where I was a sophomore..(at age 36!…long story)…and knew what would happen with this one. BUT…these folks had fought with me for nearly 9 years for this to happen.
So the nurse, Mary, comes out and calls my name. Says, “why are you here?” and I say, “I’m pregnant!”
You could hear the whoops of the docs and nurses all the way out in the parking lot, or so I was told by someone who ran in from a smoking break…
Never will forget that dress…I’ve never been able to wear it again. It’s in the closet, in a box…
Some things you don’t throw away.
I remember what I wore the first day at public high school after previosu years at private religiosu schools. I wore a red Polo shirt, khacki shorts, and shiny white Reebock high tops. Other than that, I can’t remember crap, but like Sarah, I’ve been photographed heavily since birth.
Laura – I think I can remember EVERYTHING my daughter has worn. Ever. But me? I got nothin’. I hope this doesn’t mean I’m walking outside naked all the time without knowing it…
Laura,
Crocs makes mary janes and they come in a bright pink but, alas, they only have one strap!
I had a yellow dotted swiss dress with a white collar that I just loved to death, otherwise, I’m with the guys and if there isn’t picture, I don’t remember what I wore for what.
I want a pair of hot pink Mary Janes with six skinny straps. Bad.
Dave! Very sweet.
My, but the answers to this question does skew female. Is it the chromosome?
I can remember a nightgown from my adolescence (many moons ago) that was a seaform green with tiers of some man-made but frothy material that I guarantee was not photographed.
I wonder if hairstyles might be more gender neutral?
Lois- you reminded me- I wore a dress with bright green, orange and yellow stripes(made out of some sort of spongy polyester), it had small puffed sleeves and ORANGE patent leather shoes- they were Mary Janes with a single wide strap and a low wide heel(maybe from Bakers)to a city wide(Philly) BBG or USY dance in 1967. Those colors were very in that year- Fluorescent colors – pink, orange, green and yellow.
For boys to do this, it’s not as exciting.
As you can imagine, I’m somewhat good at this game. But I know the dress I wore for graduation UNDER my gown, but I have no idea what I wore to my party. I totally know the outfit I wore for the first day of my senior year of high school – a green floral print satin skirt from the Limited (which was my posh grown-up store when I was 16) and this angora short-sleeved light pink sweater. OH I thought I was chic.
I also have my first day of college ensem engrained in my head. A white short sleeved oxford (bleh), over a black/white polkadot dress, also from the Limited, and the worst part – my hair pulled back in the tightest most unflattering bun. No wonder no one dated me!