If you ever went shopping with Sis there were no wishy-washy decisions. She was a woman who knew her style, her colours, her likes and her dislikes. She had a small wardrobe but everything worked in her "capsule collection". It was effortless for her to pull together something that would make her look, as Steve Martin would say, "marvelous"!
She did have trouble finding a summer dress. As many older women will tell you, shopping is difficult because many stores cater to young clientele - centenarians aren't being offered stylish and sophisticated choices. Even though we tried to convince her that the answer might be online shopping she was not interested.
She knew what she wanted: 100% cotton, sleeveless, no belt and no waistband. And most importantly, she didn't want it clingy! We struggled to find this dress. There were trips to the thrift stores and even friends picked up things that they thought she would like. She thanked them for their efforts but asked that they would return their purchases. She said she'd know when she found "the dress"! That's another thing I learned from Sis, even if the price tag was $5 it wasn't worth keeping something if you don't need it or like it!
I found a dress that I thought might work. I took it to her and she was thrilled. 100% cotton, made in Mexico, and it featured a fun print with colours she loved. She said, "It's perfect. I can dress it up and dress it down." Her dressing up meant sitting outdoors with her friends on warm days in front of her retirement residence. She looked great - sun hat, sun glasses and this vibrant dress.
This summer I have been wearing the dress. Friends have commented on how nice it is and I know Sis would be happy I am enjoying her dress! She would say it was a great investment. The Sis Lesson: Don't throw out clothes - share them. Someone else may enjoy the dress as much as you did.
