The dressing up game

I wrote a few days ago about the great time I had at our Growing Old Disgracefully Springfest, which incidentally was celebrating the Organisation's 20th birthday. We finished on the last night, as we always do, with a party, with singing, dancing, and readings or recitations of humorous quality. We usually put on our glad rags for this event, and this year our founder had invented a wonderful new game for us, which I can best describe as Musical Dressing Up Bag.

We had all been asked to bring anything we could to contribute to the bag, including scarves, wigs, skirts, hats etc. They all went in a black bin liner, and we stood in a circle while music was played. When it stopped, the person who had the bag had to take out and put on not one item, but as many as she could before the music started again. You can imagine this produced some hilarious results. Unfortunately I cannot share my pictures with you without asking the subject's permission first. All I can offer is the picture taken of me, and as I was never caught by the music stopping, the things I am wearing are only what I chose to wear for this special event.

I originally wore the dress to my niece's wedding, and the hat to my son's wedding. Guests had been invited to come in fancy hats, and I decorated mine myself, adding to the original black velvet with some antique lace, blue ribbon in two shades, a blue artificial flower and a pink chiffon scarf. The small picture at the top of this piece shows it in full glory. I never had the heart to 'undress' the hat again to wear on non-party occasions. The 'pearls' are plastic poppit beads, which push together and pull apart to make whatever length you like. I can't remember when they were popular it's so long ago.