Dressing For Success (You Not the Cat)

Your Appearance Speaks Volumes. True yesterday...

- Lucy Drury

On my office wall is a collage of old family pictures assembled by my daughter for a high school project. Most pictures show one or two people, but there is one group photo of my grandparents in the living room of my first home holding my older sister and her cousin, both toddlers at the time. I suspect the occasion was a joint birthday for the two girls and believe this picture was taken in early 1952. The party was not a large one-probably just the grandparents, parents, and two kids. Yet all four of the grandparents were in business or "Sunday" dress for a small family gathering. There were differences in their clothing, though. My paternal grandparents were quite a bit younger, and it reflected in their clothing.

While the clothing reflected their age, it also reflected their personalities. My paternal grandmother, Hilda, was a very outgoing lady and had many friends. She belonged to a number of groups and clubs that were popular during her young adulthood and maintained those relationships for life. She didn't drive but was quite good at navigating public transportation. During summer break, she would take us along on one of her downtown shopping trips. We would have lunch at the Woolworth's counter, make the rounds of her favorite department stores, and end with a trip to the Famous-Barr candy counter. I remember her frequently entertaining her club girls and bridge groups at her house. Her friends would make a fuss over us when she took us with her to her church quilting circle or we dropped in during one of her club meetings. My older sister often rode the bus to her house, and she taught her how to sew and cook. They had our whole family over for dinner every Sunday, and sometimes our cousins, too.