11/10/10 Fashionista- What Goes Around... (lots of pics)

...Comes Around.

Let's take a walk through fashion history...mine specifically...and all the trends that cycle out and back in.

I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying building a new wardrobe now. Growing up I was never a trend setter with fashion. Coming from a home with 5 kids (4 girls) I was always looking for hand-me-downs...the best was when we got boxes from our older cousins once or twice. Looking back, I actually think I was probably a little behind-the-times. I desperately wanted the latest fashion trend, but I was usually on the tail end by the time I got it. Let's face it, clothes were very expensive then and fabric was a lot cheaper...Mom's actually sewed clothing (thanks again Mom for sewing me the white bikini I desperately begged you for...it's not your fault that I only wore it once...a self-conscious teen figuring out that people are not staring at you because you've got the cutest bikini at the community pool, but because it's see-through when it gets wet was a little traumatic) and most teen's closets weren't packed with nearly the amount of clothing they are now.

I have vivid memories of the few brand new, trendy clothing pieces I received for birthdays or Christmas and I remember wearing them often and until I wore them out.

Elephant bell bottoms...wide all the way from the top of the thighs until the enormous bell-bottoms (I don't think these have ever come back in...too bad as I could have used these when I was fat with my thunder thighs...mine had much looser thighs than these...of course that was when I was stick-thin...I'm always doing things backwards...'skinny jeans' when I'm obese...ugh.);

A midi (mid-calf length) coat made of tan corduroy (mine would have been right in now with the military look as it was double breasted);

Sweater unitard; from my toes to my (turtle) neck in gold cable knit, with a wrap around red-plaid mini skirt...NO this isn't me, just some other unfortunate girl in a unitard who at least had the sense to cover a lot more of the unitard (I was a tall skinny beanpole and I looked like a giant banana...these shouldn't ever come back in...ever...at least in gold).
'Love, Peace, & Flowers' Hip Hugger pants; picture the white one in the corner below and add a bright yellow sash belt and then add neon colored Peter Max style words and flowers (yes, I felt like a flower child in these).
A maxi (length) dress...my first one was red paisley (similar to the one below) and later I had a cream colored peasant-style one.Maxi dresses are back in. Of course I'm behind-the-times again and didn't buy one until I was skinny this summer and trust me, they're a fat girl's dream dress...and yes, they have them with flowy sleeves if you're working on the arms...even the big 'butterfly' sleeves we used to wear;
And here's the cream colored one (I thought I looked like a bride in this)...yes, the actual one I wore in middle school...I told you I'm a saver.And lest you think I can still fit into it...NOT. OK, this made me feel busty for the first time (when we all know I'm in training bras)...maybe my ribs have expanded LOL?
I blame my 'saving' it on my Mom...my DD actually just this week wore this beautiful expensive Peck and Peck dress Mom bought in NYC in the early 50's before she was married...see, most things come back in style (Yes, I wore this in college, and NO, I can't fit even my left pinkie in this thing now...it looks like a sack here, but it has a tiny waist with a flared skirt and is super cute on).

*Portions of Post Deleted For Lap Band Book