words & pictures - remember


I remember, I remember, I remember that beautiful strapless cobalt blue taffeta frock that I designed myself that I wore to my year 11 formal. I remember the hair that I curled to go with it that stuck out way too far...and the white court shoes & white stockings....the blue and pink eyeshadow and pink lippy. Precious. I was with my best friend. She had a dress in the same colour and permed hair. She had white court shoes. We were like twins. Our dates were not. Our nights did not end the same. Mine had really bad garlic breath and I couldn't bear to go near him. He just annoyed me in the end. Hers was really nice. They were best friends too.


I remember the 1920's style cream dress I designed and made for the year 11 deb ball. I thought I was going to marry that boy. You have no idea when you are 15, but you think you know everything. I remember how much my heart was broken the next year.


I remember the dress I designed and made for the year 12 formal with the red and black lame fabric and red and black tulle with the daring split and all of the diamantes I glued and sewed onto it with all of its angles. I remember the big hair and Michael confessing his love for me completely out of the blue, and someone else slashing themselves later in the night in the bushes.


Dresses have all of their memories that are entrenched in their seams and they tell their stories for all their years to come, whispering them out of the closet for people to hear. They help the stories to keep coming out. They keep the remembering....the laughter, the tears, the sadness, the dances, the goodtimes.


Thanks Pip for a lovely theme of remembering!