Challenge of the Year

So . . . what does one wear to a film premier in LA?

A few years ago I lost sixty pounds and was so thin that I could wear virtually anything. All those cute young fashions actually looked good on my skin-and-bones frame. But then some of those pounds crept back to their original places and now I once again look like the middle-aged mother I am.

So—what does a MAM wear to a premier?

I went to Dillards yesterday and tried on several dresses from the holiday wear department. Bad move. At one point I stared in the mirror and was instantly reminded of the headline I’d just seen on a tabloid at the grocery store. “THE BUMP IS BACK!” the headline screamed, “AND BRAD IS OVER THE MOON!”

Well—I’m not Angelina Jolie, I’m not pregnant, and my bump doesn’t come and go—well, not routinely. And in far too many dresses yesterday, it wasn’t shy about making its appearance.

(BTW, if you’re male and reading this—you may excuse yourself now. Thank you very much.)

Most of the dresses I tried on were cut too low, hemmed too short, and sewn too quickly. I found myself wishing that I lived in the 1950’s—I LOVE those full-skirted dresses Lucy and Ethel always wore when they went out on the town with Ricky and Fred. I actually have one of those (found on eBay), but it has about a 24 inch waist, and that’s just not going to happen in less than three weeks.

So—I emailed my daughter, the fashionista. Never fear, she says, I can go simple and elegant and accessorize. She says to stick with Ralph Lauren (whom I love) or Donna Karan.

I know Lauren, so I go online to check out the new Donna Karan collection. To my great relief, it’s composed of pieces I might even have in my closet. There’s no way I can BUY any of the pieces I saw (see the photo? One of those pieces sells for $1995.00, the other for $2595.00, and I have no idea which is which), but I think I can come close to replicating either this look or something similar. And I’ll be comfortable!

I was watching a Doris Day flick a few months ago with Jim Bell, Nancy Rue, and Lisa Samson . We gals were exclaiming over Doris’s small waist and her adorable hat, and we remarked that such small waists were possible because women were generally girdled until they couldn’t breathe . . . at that point Jim turned the movie off and said we needed to concentrate.

LOL! Men. They just don’t understand how important these things are . . .

So . . . if you have any ideas, I'm open. And since I used the picture, I feel duty-bound to say that YOU can shop the Donna Karan collection here .

~~Angie , now looking for the Ralph Lauren collection . . .