Dressed in her favorite well worn seersucker duster Velma slowly rummaged through her top dresser drawer and became distracted by things she'd not looked closely at in years, such as the little lace sachet filled with bits of lavender tucked back in one corner, and the small scented hankie pomander hidden out of sight.
For the reunion coming up in a few days, her much older half-sister, Verna, wanted her to wear the mauve gaberdine suit she had made for Velma's going away outfit all those many years ago. Velma and Verna had both stayed slender their entire lives, much to the chagrin of some of their heftier sisters, so donning the suit would not a problem.
As she continued to look through her unmentionables in the drawer, she finally found what she was looking for, but decided she'd better get a ride to town the next day to get a new one, as the once beautiful lace trim now looked tatty, and needed to be replaced as did the straps.
As she tried to make her way through the department store the next morning, she had to ask for directions several times as the store was looking unfamiliar, so finally she asked a very young salesgirl, "Where are the slips?"
The girl, who appeared to be the age of one of her granddaughters, seemed puzzled by Velma's question, and replied, "What is a slip?"
Don't you know it! Slips, nylons, things of history! Good post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paul. Although this story is fiction, I know someone who was hoping to buy a slip about five years ago, and the salesclerk didn't know what a slip was.
DeleteYou can find them, but you have to look further and harder. Good story!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yes, indeed. It is almost easier to "let your fingers do the walking" in order to find a store that carries them.
DeleteI can imagine her disappointment.
ReplyDeleteThat's so well written, Pat.
Best wishes,
Moon
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com/
I remember those - not that I wore one myself of course! Nice one.
ReplyDeleteClick to visit Keith's Ramblings
How do you people* keep track of all that stuff**?
ReplyDeleteGood Six, though frustrating in a way. lol
*women (in general)
** fashion and clothing (and such***)
*** one of the biggest stumbling blocks for me when writing is 'technical' names for women's clothing and fashion, in part that's probably why I don't spend a lot of time on descriptions of characters.
* The same way men keep track of different size nails, bolts, carburetors and whatnot, silly. :-) It's all in what we're indoctrinated with when it comes to gender and upbringing. (Not a criticism of you...kind of tickled at your comment.)
DeleteAh, yes. The last time I bought a new slip I had to shop online. Brick-and-mortar stores don't carry them anymore, and younger retail staff don't even know what they are.
ReplyDeleteI can get through life without a slip, but it is amazing how fast we are seeing language change, gaining words, but seeing others slip away.
ReplyDelete