Welcome! Welcome! It's Storytelling Sunday today..are you ready for a tale or two? Then let's get started..
Cool White Jacket
A while ago now I made a page about Marie Antoinette. You might remember it. I liked it and I blogged it and I thought that was that. Until a couple of days later.
The (Not So) Small One and I were lying side by side on the bed, staring at the ceiling and talking about clothes. She wanted to know if I had "any vintage" she could borrow - you know, old stuff from when you were young. And suddenly I made one of those strange connections, when something you've just done leads you to something you didn't know you were about to do. Scrapbooking is useful in all sorts of ways.
I did have a bit of vintage, but without that Marie Antoinette page I might never have remembered. The story goes like this:
When I was in France on that exchange trip I've told you about, one of our excursions was to Versailles. We saw the gorgeous rooms and the gardens where Marie Antoinette used to play at farming; but we also had a bit of time to wander round the town. We stared in the window of a second hand clothes shop and my friend Judith spotted a white denim jacket she desperately needed to have. Her Mum was a French teacher, and maybe that was what gave her enough swagger to march in there and buy it. The rest of us couldn't have managed it..
I loved her jacket. I wanted her jacket. Every day for about three years until I finally found one I could afford in a shop closer to home. I paid £5 for it; and, every time I put it on, I thought about the lazy, low sunshine that day in Versailles and the dusty shop window and my crazy, headstrong friend. (Who, coincidentally by this time, had moved seventy miles away to the city to board at the very school The Not So Small One goes to now.)
I still have my piece of white denim history and I told The (Not So Small) One the story and she got it and I pulled the jacket out of the wardrobe and she slipped it on and she was beautiful. So I let her keep it. She says she'll guard it with her life and I think she probably should. That jacket has stories of its own to tell. And I thought of the 80's with a smile. And she thought of the 80's and laughed. And we were both agreed that we each had it Just. Exactly. Right.
That's my story for today. If you have one to share we'd love to hear from you! A photo and a few words (or maybe the few words without the photo?) or something a bit longer. I love them all! Create your post with an introduction (so your reader knows what's going on) and a link back here and then come on over. The linky stays open all week, so if your story isn't ready for Sunday - no worries!
The small print - which I'm not making small because I would like you to read it. I firmly believe we are telling stories in the round here. One person starts and then turns to the next. You can't do it in isolation. So I'm asking everyone who adds a link to say hello to at least a couple of the other storytellers.
I did have a bit of vintage, but without that Marie Antoinette page I might never have remembered. The story goes like this:
 |
| Retro writing - my notes at the time |
I loved her jacket. I wanted her jacket. Every day for about three years until I finally found one I could afford in a shop closer to home. I paid £5 for it; and, every time I put it on, I thought about the lazy, low sunshine that day in Versailles and the dusty shop window and my crazy, headstrong friend. (Who, coincidentally by this time, had moved seventy miles away to the city to board at the very school The Not So Small One goes to now.)
I still have my piece of white denim history and I told The (Not So Small) One the story and she got it and I pulled the jacket out of the wardrobe and she slipped it on and she was beautiful. So I let her keep it. She says she'll guard it with her life and I think she probably should. That jacket has stories of its own to tell. And I thought of the 80's with a smile. And she thought of the 80's and laughed. And we were both agreed that we each had it Just. Exactly. Right.
 |
| From the mists of time - a glimpse of my scrapbook from my trip |
The small print - which I'm not making small because I would like you to read it. I firmly believe we are telling stories in the round here. One person starts and then turns to the next. You can't do it in isolation. So I'm asking everyone who adds a link to say hello to at least a couple of the other storytellers.
50 comments:
Oh, I firmly believe you can never have too many jackets, but there's always a special one. Great story! I'll be linking up when it gets to be Sunday here! :>)
First to comment - comes from running late and being determined to join in.
Ah white denim, I remember it well - Wookie had a white jacket, I had white denim too. Terribly impractical so I'm impressed your white denim jacket is still white!
My two sisters and I have had many a conversation with our mother about fashion over the years. One sister in particular, who is exactly the same shape as our mother, has worn many a vintage piece stored away.
I hope TNSSO enjoys her vintage jacket!
Ah! The 80's and the must have of the teenage years... Now, as a scrapbooker, I think you need to make a page with your daughter wearing the cool white jacket!
That was lovely how the story connected :)
My 80's jacket was soft baby blue, oh how I loved that jacket, of course I teamed it with white jeans.
I hope your daughter does guard it well.
Awesome story, as usual.
Yep, the story needs a page of its own. Scary how TNSSO thinks the 1980s is a vintage era ... I was her age!!
My DD is 8 and she already asks if she can have this or that item of clothing of mine when she is big enough. I went to France in the 80s and came home with a very spiffing pair of white slip on shoes. Sadly it was the days before i scrapped and I didn't photograph such things.
thanks for bringing back all those memories.
What a lovely way to share that story with your (Not so) Small one
and a great tale tis too
I love this! And it's great that your page reminded you of your vintage. Lovely story, and go the Small One!
A lovely story....and I agree with Ruth....scary the 80s is now considered vintage!!
your stories always make me smile
That made me laugh Sian...Kirsty can't forgive me for getting rid of my sheepskin jacket, which she insists is 'so in' now!
Alison xx
You definitely need to make a page about that story, and a picture of the Not so Small One in the jacket please!
I had a denim jacket but alas mine was but simple bleached denim. Your jacket sounds nice unlike mine which was consigned to the bin many years ago!
Lovely story, Sian :) Ah, I remember hankering after a white denim jacket....
And lovely to join in with your Storytelling Sundays again after so long! This afternoon I shall pop back and follow some links - can't wait :)
A lovely story and it's great when a piece of clothing has so many tales to tell.
Excellent story! I don't think I have a single "vintage" item that anyone would want to wear - perhaps because I wore them out and made dusters of them...or they went in the dressing up trunk for the grandchildren
I'm impressed that you held onto your jacket, although after reading your story i feel rather old....80's vintage!!! lol!
Thanks Sian for linking me back again :) I thought it a conicidence that there were two Midsummer stories when I checked back to read some more!
We were just discussing how the 80s is 'vintage' these days last night - when watching The Voice. It really looked like some of the contestants could have been teleported straight in from there!
I don't think I ever had white denim [blue, black, cream + I think purple, but no white] - but I do know that feeling of saving up for the item of clothing you feel says it all about you when you're a teenager! Mine was a pair of black ankle boots with chains which - if I'm honest - if I hadn't run them into the ground - I'd still wear today. And I remember they cost almost as much as the price I paid just a few months ago for a good pair of leather shoes. :-O
Have a lovely Sunday.
Julie x
A great story and glad you managed to get your white denim jacket in the end! I never had a white one, but I had a navy denim one which I wore to college and to the pub solidly for two years!
Ooh, now, I could tell you a few stories about 80s fashions:) I'm impressed you still have it. Great story, I bet your daughter thinks its fantastic..It's vintage you know, she shall be telling all her friends.
what a lovely story. Very sweet. I love the fact that you scrapbooked your time in France. How lovely to look back on!
What a great story and a gutsy friend, to attempt the purchase in a foreign country. I love the image of you and T(NS)SO lying on the bed together. I do that with my girl too :o)
Love your story, and now your daughter is wearing the jacket - I love connections such as that! Maybe one day I will be brave enough and join in, I really really must get back into scrapbooking properly! Time just passes me by *sigh* Have a great Sunday x
You were so smart to save that jacket. There are plenty of things I wish I'd have saved---platform shoes from the 70's. My girls would love to have them now.
I'd love to see a picture of your "not so small one" in your jacket!
I love that you have had that jacket for all those years and it can now be handed down! I don't think I have anything what a shame, tho DD prob wouldn't wear anything of mine anyway!
Love that you were scrapbooking already. Great story
From the 80s...lol, I don't think I have anything but A still mention the black bomber jacket that I wore in Paris in 1990 and how my hair was THAT big! Thank you for sharing.
A late entry, Granny weekend for me to the max.
I love your story and the photographs but even more, I love that you still have something you hand wrote and can share it with your daughter. What a keepsake. And do you think she would be willing to model the jacket for us maybe on a layout...
SweetGirl has recently been given dresses from my mother's attic, dresses my mom and great aunt made for my oldest sister in the early 70s :) Love the story and the connection for both of you.
It truly makes me laugh to think we ould own any clothes that weve ever bought could be considered vintage lol ... And the 80's at that oh goodness I feel old now lol
Great story. It's lovely that you've passed it on to your daughter. I've kept a few bits to hopefully pass onto my daughter some day! I'm not sure if they have such good stories though!
It would be cool to see a pic of her in the jacket :-)
I noticed your blog when I was reading Sabrina's latest entry and had to stop by. Please to forgive any breach of blogging protocol by an immediate response, but I wanted to pop in and say thanks for this lovely post.
As I read about the white denim coat, I couldn't help but think of my wedding day last year. My "leaving costume" was the same vintage lace dress that my mother had worn on her wedding day, nearly 41 years before. With a new tulle petticoat and a hat from Marks & Spencer, it was the perfect way to combine then and now.
Thank you for this lovely post and the moments of reflection!
How cool that you kept the jacket!!! My mother does not hoard anything so she would never still have any 'vintage' clothes :-) I suppose that could be partly contributed to the fact that me moved lots. However for me, I would have preferred clothes from my Grandma as I LOVE 50's clothing. I really enjoy these stories each month and I spend the next week catching up on them all. Have a lovely week :-)
Stephanie, thank you so much for taking time to share a story of your own with us. I love anything with tulle petticoats inolved - it sounds perfect!
What I love about scrapbooking and story telling is making the connections between past and present. You are honoured that your your daughter would want to wear something from your past. My children seem to think my past is in the olden black and white days!
A lovely story as always - and goodness only knows what the '70s must be in the '80s are vintage !
How lovely that your daughter can share a piece of clothing from your past - that is now new to her. I really enjoyed your story, Sian! xo
I love that your daughter is now wearing your white demin jacket, Sian. Clothes do have stories and history of their own, and it's lovely that this one lives on.
Love, love, love your story! I have a standard American white denim jacket but also one I bought last summer in London - that is so much more stylish and which I bought only after screwing up my courage to ask someone on the Tube where she got that fabulous jacket!
Rinda
How neat that your layout helped you remember your vintage jacket. Scarey to think of the 80's as vintage though. :)
I left a long comment on this post the other day, with a question, and now it is not here! grrrr! I think I said something about being surprised that you still had a jacket you owned back in the 80's (my closet was long ago purged of all my college clothes)and wanting to see a picture of the jacket that was so special that you were willing to save up for it for so long...
Omigosh, I had a grey wool bomber style jacket circa late 1970's early 1980's that my eldest daughter now wears and all her Uni friends a couple of years ago wanted to know where she found it. They all complained that they wished their mothers had been clothes hoarders so they could have cool clothes that were back in fashion again.
Not sure I have any photos of me wearing it as many were destroyed by rain but I think I'll have to obtain one of daughter wearing this jacket as it has a 30 year history!
Thank you so much for this idea :).
Robyn
I'm finally getting back to normal after broken hard-drive and weekend away - Mary B kindly linked my pre-scheduled post!!
What a lovely tale - my Hubby has a corduroy jacket that keeps his memories in the wardrobe - shame that the boys DON'T get it as he certainly wouldn't fit in it any more!
A lovely, lovely story ... and wondering where it was that you lived then. I always had you as a city girl, Sian, and now I am not so sure!
So, so many times I think I should join in Storytelling Sunday and then promptly forget! I do enjoy reading everyone else's post though!
It's great that the jacket has survived for the next generation :) MY dd has many of my scarves and bits of jewelery but the only clothing that has survived will have to wait to be handed down when she is a little older and taller :)
Ahh the 80's - I cannot believe it's considered vintage ;) Stirrup pants and acid wash denim were my picks, and throw a bit of flashdance styled tops and it's all good!
sorry I missed STS this time, too many things happening :)
Post a Comment