The facial was lovely — only the good stuff, none of the squeezing! — and my toes are back in shape for those last few weeks when there’s still a slight chance of baring them. All that relaxation seems an unlikely memory right now, though, given the stack of papers (84!!) I brought with me to mark over the weekend (okay, that’s not going to happen, but I have to make a huge dent in the pile, at least). After that, my weekend priority is to hang out with Nola, and I’m doing that later today. Tomorrow, Pater and I are going to help my Mom get her furniture in order and see if she needs help buying a table and/or china cabinet, and then have a sleepover at her place. Her big concern so far has been the electronic entry — remembering how to let visitors in and out, as well as operate her own key fob. So I hope we’re able to get in to see her tomorrow 😉 and I hope we’ll see her settling in and beginning to feel at home.
Since all this is probably as tedious to read about as it is busy to live through, I thought I could entertain you with a photo or two of “what I wore.” I love this sueded silk dress by Graham and Spencer, although I realize that it’s on the short side for a Woman of a Certain age. But my legs are in decent shape, Pater likes to see them, and I think that wearing the dress with dark tights and flat boots tones mitigates the length. So I’m conscious enough of the rules to mitigate, but I’m not going to let them rule me — while my title asks if the dress is “too short,” I’m pretty confident that for me, right now, it’s just right! Goldilocks ‘r’ Us! I don’t always wear it with a scarf, but I like the way the black, grey, and cream stripes of this scarf complement the equally neutral palette of the dress.
These are the Fiorentini & Baker boots I got on sale last winter — and I think I’m gonna love them for a long, long time (hearing Linda Rondstadt, sorry).
The day I wore this, I met Pater for dinner after work and managed to splash something on the dress. Given that it cost a fortune to dryclean (I’d only just got it out of that plastic wrap they do), I decided to take a chance with a gentle detergent and the delicates cycle of my machine. After waiting for it to line-dry, I was relieved to see that the dress survived quite nicely and I didn’t lose any length, BUT the stain was still there, if fainter and smaller. So I repeated the whole process and, voilà , it’s as good as if it came from the cleaner’s. 
And here I go, with a lightweight silk/cashmere cardigan, ready to get out there and impart some wisdom! Just another day at the lectern. . .
Have a good weekend, will you? I’m going to try to do the same. I’m going to remind myself that I chose to do all the things I’ll be busy doing — the busy-ness reflects good fortune: I have a decent job (hence the marking); I have a big, still-connected, family (hence sharing my mom’s care); I stay fit (so will mash a couple of runs into the schedule). It’s all good, as the kids say!
Heck no – it is just right! One item I would like for fall is some new boots similar to yours, maybe brown to wear with tights/leggings and skirts, dresses and tunics. I'm really digging that style. It looks so comfy!
I don't think that dress is too short at all, especially with the boots and tights. Very cute!!!
I can empathize with your crazybusy week; been having one myself!
I think, with your great legs and opaque tights, the length is fantastic. And good for you for saving the $10 it would have cost to dry clean the dress!
Enjoy the obligations you have chosen( really good reframe by the way). Have a fantastic weekend!
Tights absolutely mitigate. On another note, I am caught by the idea of having to worry if I can remember how to let people in and out.
I love this look. I think I remember when you first photographed this dress for the blog – did you go to the opera? I remember thinking that it was so different – now I even have something like it myself. Thanks for the inspiration! Patricia
One other note, I've found that for greasy stains, a little Palmolive dish soap right on the stain before washing really does the trick! Good thinking not to put in the dryer, that would've just set the stain.
Jillian: I'll cross my fingers that you find a great pair on sale — I do love mine!
Pseu: Well, if my crazybusy week could be soon followed by one in Paris . . . I'm glad there's some relaxation ahead for you.
LBR: Not sure what happened, but last time it cost me $18 to have the dress cleaned — I'd dropped it at a "middleman" spot — a menswear store that's conveniently located. Didn't realize how much I'd paid 'til I was outside and looked at my MC!
Patricia: Wow! I'm an inspiration?! . . . you've got a good memory. I did get this last year and have worn it to the opera. It's the loveliest silk — satin for the black part, but reversed below so the satin is inside and the suede-y part out. Such an easy shape to wear.
Pseu: Because it's silk, and in such a tricky colour (mushroom-y), I wasn't sure how any spot treatment would work, but got brave enough to smear a stick of Spray-n-Wash over it. And you're right — the dryer would have been disastrous. I find that even in our climate, I'm managing without the dryer more and more, and it's easier on my clothes.
I agree that wearing opaques mitigates the shortness of the dress – of course, I'm being biased, because I do the same thing myself. But I would never do it without tights, not even if I had gorgeous legs … I just love that outfit on you.
LPC: I chortled when I first read your comment — at a quick glance, it looked as if you were wondering how to let visitors in and out of the tights!
Yes, my mom finds the security requirements of the modern apartment/condo building quite intimidating, and she's convinced she's going to find herself sleeping on the sidewalk because she can't sort out how to get in. We hope to be able to convince her otherwise . . .
Tiffany: Thanks. I'm glad I'm not the only one counting on tights to make an above-the-knees dress more modest.
Oh, I think you can wear that length–esp. with the opaque tights! It looks lovely . . .
Thanks, Miss C!
Your boots are amaaaazing. I'm all for dressing in whatever way your greatest admirer wishes! Hope you find your mother settling in comfortably.
Thank you, Duchesse. And Pater says "thank you" as well. 😉
We're off to see my Mom now, as long as she remembers how to let us in!
The dress is just fine, particularly the proportions of boot to leg. Did you try the 'bend down to retrieve a dropped pen test' though?
I think opaque tights have greater opacity than most leggings I see at the moment stretched across acres of butt cheek.
I have been lucky with mother in that her sister+hubby are helping her settle in.
I LOVED that "It's all good" when we were in Canada, i tried it here for a while but just got quizzical eyebrows.
The proportion of dress to boot to leg is perfect on you.
Indigo: It's great to have siblings to share the parent love/responsibility!
You've got me wondering, now, if the "It's all good" is a Canadian thing or North American — readers?
Mardel: Thanks! Proportion's a challenge for us height-challenged folk.
Looks beautiful!
Thanks, heart!