Fashion and other Faux Paws AT THE CFA ANNUAL

As much as we would love to deny it, our wardrobe and ideas of haute couture have not always turned out the way they appeared in our dreams. Zippers either broke or got stuck in the sequins of the dress; heels on dress shoes decided to give up the ghost as we head out the door of the hotel room; the dress that was the perfect size last weekend when tried on suddenly needs a shoehorn to step into it. Arrgh! And then there's the makeup and hair challenge! Add missing accessories, and the list of potential formal dress disasters is endless!

- Candilee Jackson

Jeri Zottoli shared her musings on wardrobe malfunctions with Cat Talk. "I've been going to annual banquets since 1981 (scary, isn't it?), and have yet to commit a fashion faux pas. I'm compulsively organized and make lists so I don't forget stuff. However, I have seen my share of 'What was she thinking?' or 'Shoot the sales clerk who told her she looked good in that.""

Jeri shared that she has a group of friends who refer to themselves as the "Fashion Police," and while they do not issue real tickets for fashion faux pas, they DO talk among themselves to determine who might deserve one this year. "I remember eons ago there was a lady from Texas who had a knee-length, purple-sequined frock that was at least two sizes too small. My partner in crime at the time quoted a line from the movie Steel Magnolias, when Ouiser quipped, "That looks like two pigs wrestling under a blanket."

Why a Slip is Called a Slip?

This author has her own story to recount. The annual meeting was set in the City of Big Shoulders, Chicago, hosted by the Midwest Region. The evening was well underway, dinner, dessert and coffee were served, and the program was set to begin the announcement of the various awards for the year. As a member of the host committee and MWR secretary, my job was to help people line up in the back of the banquet hall so that there was a steady flow of award recipients. The lights were off in the hall with the exception of the specialty lighting around the stage, and once our current section of winners had been lined up, I sat down with a group of friends to watch the excitement.