Fashionista at five

I’ve spent this past weekend going through old family photographs. In this one, dated nineteen never-mind, I’m wearing my Easter ensemble. (That’s five-year-old me, to the left of two of my sisters.) The hemline’s a bit too short and the midsection’s much too tight, probably because this picture was taken around Christmas. 

Notice that the three of us are wearing identical dresses. You know what that means, don’t you? I’m doomed to at least another season of this same outfit in a larger size, passed down to me by my older sister. Maybe that’s why I’ve got a pained look on my face, the pinchingly snug waistband being a more benign possibility. 

Today, however, I’m smiling at some retroactive scheudenfreude. My sisters are sporting sensible saddle oxfords, miniature braids and tiny barrettes…but hey, look at me! I’m all dolled up in patent-leather mary janes, with a giant gardenia in my hair!  Apparently, even back then, I knew that accessories can make or break an outfit. 

I hope you enjoyed a fun-filled holiday weekend, and that you remembered to take lots of pictures.




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74 Comments

  1. This whole post made me smile but I especially loved “Apparently, even back then, I knew that accessories can make or break an outfit.”

    I’m really enjoying these glimpses into your childhood.

  2. This whole post made me smile but I especially loved “Apparently, even back then, I knew that accessories can make or break an outfit.”

    I’m really enjoying these glimpses into your childhood.

  4. I had to go through my album of old pix for a bulletin board thingie at school (teachers as kids w/parents) and there was the horrible yellow dress I hated so much, seen over a period of about two years. My sister (four years younger) ion hers, which was at least blue. But in the last pic, there I am, gawky and beginning to get long, still in that horrible dress, standing behind my sister, who is in a delightful bride maid gown, and the jealousy on my face makes me look like I’ve been constipated for about fifty years of my ten or 11!

    • Ha, and isn’t that a big part of what sisterhood’s all about!

      I hope you’re now able to dress yourself in new and lovely outfits, whenever your heart desires.

      • No chance of that! Bush has screwed us to the wall. I bought a pair of shoes recently and felt guilty as hell that I hadn’t waited my usual five years, my old pair of sandals had only lasted two and a half! So they get to ride on the credit card with all the other stuff.

        Whine whine. But the good news is, at my age, who cares about clothes?

    • Ha, and isn’t that a big part of what sisterhood’s all about!

      I hope you’re now able to dress yourself in new and lovely outfits, whenever your heart desires.

  5. I had to go through my album of old pix for a bulletin board thingie at school (teachers as kids w/parents) and there was the horrible yellow dress I hated so much, seen over a period of about two years. My sister (four years younger) ion hers, which was at least blue. But in the last pic, there I am, gawky and beginning to get long, still in that horrible dress, standing behind my sister, who is in a delightful bride maid gown, and the jealousy on my face makes me look like I’ve been constipated for about fifty years of my ten or 11!

  17. My mother used to FORCE me to wear those awful black and white saddle shoes, year after year–when all I wanted was a pair of black patent leather Mary Janes. Saddle shoes came back for a (BLESSEDLY VERY BRIEF) while back in the seventies, and even THEN I refused to wear them.

    You look SO cute in that pic!

    • Another time (in the book, probably), I’ll reveal the nefarious means by which I rid myself of my own pair of saddle oxfords. *shudders at the mere mention of those awful shoes*

      • What’s very sad–and I have no excuse for this–is that I have a picture of my daughter, at age two, wearing these same shoes.

        I must have been in a psychotic fugue at the time.

      • What’s very sad–and I have no excuse for this–is that I have a picture of my daughter, at age two, wearing these same shoes.

        I must have been in a psychotic fugue at the time.

  18. My mother used to FORCE me to wear those awful black and white saddle shoes, year after year–when all I wanted was a pair of black patent leather Mary Janes. Saddle shoes came back for a (BLESSEDLY VERY BRIEF) while back in the seventies, and even THEN I refused to wear them.

    You look SO cute in that pic!

  20. LOL…. yes, even as a little girl you sure knew how to accessorize. Quite the snazzy little one you are. 😉 That picture is too cute. LOL…

    Hope you had a great holiday!!!

  21. LOL…. yes, even as a little girl you sure knew how to accessorize. Quite the snazzy little one you are. 😉 That picture is too cute. LOL…

    Hope you had a great holiday!!!

  23. Oh man, that pic sends memories screaming back for me. I have three sisters and on special occasions, Mom dressed us all the same.

    Of couse on regular days I still had to dress the same as my twin, so count yourself lucky that you only got it on ‘special occasions.’

    BTW, You girls are all way too cute!!

    • Oh, you didn’t hear the whole story…we OFTEN had to wear the same outfit. My mother bought large quantities of on-sale fabric and altered a single pattern for all of us. Cheap — and definitely not chic!

    • Oh, you didn’t hear the whole story…we OFTEN had to wear the same outfit. My mother bought large quantities of on-sale fabric and altered a single pattern for all of us. Cheap — and definitely not chic!

    • Oh, you didn’t hear the whole story…we OFTEN had to wear the same outfit. My mother bought large quantities of on-sale fabric and altered a single pattern for all of us. Cheap — and definitely not chic!

  24. Oh man, that pic sends memories screaming back for me. I have three sisters and on special occasions, Mom dressed us all the same.

    Of couse on regular days I still had to dress the same as my twin, so count yourself lucky that you only got it on ‘special occasions.’

    BTW, You girls are all way too cute!!

  25. What a fantastic picture. You are a cutie! And so are your sisters.

    Thanks for sharing this.

    I love how you all stand.

    And the fact that you can wear white, sleeveless dresses around Christmas.

    • It’s fun to go back and try to get into the mindset of the little girl(s) in those photos. Do you ever do that with yours?

      That’s one great thing about living in Orange County…you can wear sleeveless outfits all year ’round if you want to.

    • It’s fun to go back and try to get into the mindset of the little girl(s) in those photos. Do you ever do that with yours?

      That’s one great thing about living in Orange County…you can wear sleeveless outfits all year ’round if you want to.

  33. Cute pic. I find I take oodles of pics nowdays but they never get developed like they used to. Instead, they sit on CD’s and are never looked at again. Lame, huh?

    • I totally understand. That’s my one objection to digital cameras. I worked around that somewhat by getting a digital frame. I just pop my memory card into it, and voila! A slide show of my recent photos. FUN!

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