"these socks, those earrings"

Glenda Adams, late 1980s, Sydney, Australia

My mother, Glenda Adams, died five years ago today. I am her only child, and she was an amazing mother. While our tastes are different, she and I shared a love of clothing and a sense of personal style. She is a well-known Australian writer; I keep a blog about reading her writing here.

In an interview she had with Jan Hutchinson in the October 1988 issue of the journal Fine Line, they talk about whether her writing is autobiographical, morality in her writing, whether writing is political, women and writing, and my mother's two novels (at the time) Games of the Strong and Dancing on Coral.


But my mother also gets a chance to talk about clothing (because Games of the Strong includes a conflict about shorts and petticoats):


"Well, that's in a lot of my stories. What you wear. Nothing much has changed. We take as much care throwing together something casual. We choose quite carefully our tops and bottoms. These socks, those earrings. I feel that to think happily about clothes is quite a wonderful thing and it's been mistaken for -- given the fifties and sixties and the women's movement -- a sign of low self-esteem that you have to doll yourself up. You can also see it as a sign of extraordinary self-esteem. To decorate yourself with some confidence seems to me to be a wonderful urge. And not one that was encouraged in us young Australian women, especially if you were supposed to be good at your school work, which is sad for girls."


Of the many lessons she taught me? Play with and enjoy your clothing. 

the shop is up and running...

I am starting to love the photography and write ups for the new Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SlipperyCrockery. Goal for February: 30 items listed. I am at 17.

I remember always wanting to have a clothing shop. I thought it would be a dream to live in a clothing store.
I remember scouring thrift and vintage stores for interesting finds. The five-dollar bin at Alice's Underground was my go-to spot (and I rarely had more than five dollars then).
I remember designing and drawing pictures of clothes as early as 4 years old.

Yesterday, my 7 year old son said, "This looks like a clothing store!" He had arrived home from school, and I was in the middle of photographing and hanging and organizing my stock. I've made it!

my son dressed me today

I am wearing an Iz chosen and approved outfit today. I am not sure how it all worked out, but he does know me. Knee-high 70s Frye boots with rolled-up jeans (how else would you see the boots?):


Dark blue jeans, mini dress with a pink and citron pattern on a cream background, topped with a pink and grey striped pullover cotton knit sweater:


I went out it it--with my 1970s black leather jacket to top it all off. - Posted using BlogPress