Now, on to the important news of the day. Have you ever purchased an item of apparel that made you feel scrumptious every time you put it on? I have such an item--a yellow cloche that I purchased at Marshall Field & Co. in the 1920s. That's one just like it, pictured above. Isn't it simply the bee's knees?
Here's how I describe the experience in my memoir-in-progress:
"The saleswoman, whose
nametag read "D. Rodgers," produced a fashionable cloche in the most
stunning shade of brilliant yellow, trimmed with a sophisticated navy grosgrain
ribbon. I took off my own dull hat and set it in my lap. She handed me the
cloche and I gingerly placed it on my head.
"No, no. Not like
that. You wear it like down, like
this." She grabbed the hat on each side and firmly tugged it down until it
rested low on my forehead, shading my eyes. "There! That's better. What do
you think?"
I gazed at the
three-way mirror. I almost didn't recognize the chic, up-to-date woman who
looked back. I examined my head from all angles. "It's lovely," I
admitted.
"It's amazing what
a difference the right chapeau can
make," Miss Rodgers exclaimed. "Just look what it does for your
coloring!" My complexion did indeed look clearer—what I could see of it
beneath the lowered brim. "It's a darling hat," she continued.
"And so classy. You know what she says: 'A girl should be two things:
classy and fabulous.'" At my puzzled glance, she grinned. "Coco Chanel."
"I don't
know," I dickered, reluctantly pulling off the hat and smoothing my
flyaway hair. "It might be a little too
fashionable. I live in a small town, you see."
"That's your
opportunity to be a fashion leader! Someone
has to set the standard, even in the small towns. It might as well be
you."
I liked this clerk! She
was warm and friendly, and I wished I had the nerve to copy her style. Even so,
I doubted that I'd be setting any kind of standard in my hometown anytime soon,
for fashion or anything else. "I love the yellow one, but I think the
brown suede would be more practical," I said.
"Oh, piffle"
she scoffed. "That dull brown makes you simply fade into the woodwork. In
fact, it looks remarkably similar to that sad thing you were wearing when you
came in. I should think you'd be tired of it and want a change."
If she only knew how
much I wanted a change—and not just of my hat."
And now for the REALLY important news. Dear ones, I am THRILLED to announce that my hat . . . my Darling Yellow Hat . . . is currently available for purchase at that most exquisite of emporia, Target. That's right, dear reader, you too can sport this fetching cloche simply by visiting Target! I hope to see several of you wearing it the next time I run into you on the street. Move over, Red Hat ladies . . . make room for the Darling Yellow Hat Club!
Until next time,
Boop-boop-be-doop!
