(re-run)
When I was in high school and bought some of my clothes at the DAV thrift store, they called me quirky.
When I made a cool pair of bell bottom jeans out of my dad’s old work pants, they called me quirky, but they also asked me where I got them.
When I broke tradition and wore a short-sleeved mohair sweater for my graduation picture, they called me quirky, but a girlfriend went out and bought the same pastel sweater and wore it for her graduation picture, too.
When I bought a navy winter coat to the ankles with a big tie in the front, they called me quirky, but another girlfriend went out and bought an identical coat.
When I went to college and saw all the sorority jackets, I made my own. Instead of sorority letters on it, I chose MMB for malted milk balls. Quirky.
When I actually joined a sorority, my sisters told me to stop wearing that jacket. Frugal me, I took off MMB and added ZTA.
When I got invited to a gangster fraternity party I went to the thrift store and bought a long royal blue vintage lace dress with a big sash and a toy machine gun. Quirky. Every sister in the sorority wanted to borrow it.
When I went to teach in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, I developed my own style of dressing on my limited teacher’s salary. I even bought my dresser from a junk shop and refinished it.
When I got married, my style went out the window as I became a stay-at-home mom.
I got my style back when I opened a shop in my town. I specialized in vintage and funky clothes and sold a lot of them.
I bought a black suede jacket with leather cut-outs at the Salvation Army for my shop and decided to keep it. I bought a bunch of dresses at a thrift store in Carmel for my shop, and a few landed in my closet. I buy loud colorful jackets and wear them with jeans when I go out dancing.
When I dance I wear men’s size 8 black wingtips on my feet. They are super slidey and very comfortable with a low heel. I met a guy in those shoes. The next time I met him to dance, he had on his black wingtips, too.
I buy guy shirts at the GAP for my gorilla arms, and the feminine ones usually make it to the clearance rack. The same rack is a great place to buy cheap Halloween costume parts.
I have a huge costume box in my garage (actually three Rubber Maid tubs). This serves me well when I need to dress up for a chorus photo or a jazz song or a masquerade party. I have been known to dress groups of people, too. Why not?
I know I am quirky, but here’s the good news. I never see anyone wearing the same thing that I do to a party.
And I don’t tell people anymore where I buy my stuff.
