It's springtime, and the weather has changed. It's warmer now, and I've had the urge to buy new clothes. Clothes shopping has been a pain because it's difficult to find clothes that aren't too young (too short, too tight). For a couple of years I was wearing Indian kurtas - silky, loose, airy, very comfortable. Then I figured I can't be wearing kurtas all my life, and looked around for some other styles. I discovered a couple of designers whose clothes I like: Citron of Santa Monica and Chico's. I love their silk tops and pants. They have simple lines with just a few catchy details. I've been buying them online because it's more convenient, and frankly, cheaper. If you go to the Citron shop in Santa Monica, clothes run for over a hundred dollars, but you can find the same clothes online for half the price. I know what size I wear for Citron and Chico's brands, so I can bravely buy the clothes without trying them on.
But the other day, I wanted to find some skirts and wanted to actually try them on, so I went to a department store. Naturally I got sidetracked and started trying on other clothes. One of the items I grabbed was a retro-gypsy peasant blouse - black and white, with string gathering the neckline, and elastic at the waist. When I put this on and looked in the mirror, I almost laughed because I saw my mother in my reflection. Even when she was older, she liked clothes with some style. One of her favorites was a peasant blouse that she wore with a drop-waist shirred skirt. She wore huge hoop gold earrings and clunky jewelry with this outfit.
So, anyway, I looked at myself with that peasant blouse and there was my mother - same face, same shape. It was a bit amusing and also a bit odd.
The blouse was a bit tight, otherwise I would have bought it and worn my mother's clunky gold jewelry (which I inherited)with it.
In the meantime, I'll hold off buying more clothes. I have enough.
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Photo of my mother was taken in 1994 when she was 82 years old.
