Wednesday, November 21, 2012

finery

My sister and I often remark that it seems very few dress-up in finery anymore and we both find it rather disconcerting.
On my honeymoon flight I wore a vintage navy ottoman suit that was from my Mother's side.  I could feel the cut and the weight of the fabric that made me feel special the way it draped.
I often imagine what I would wear if I were to have my portrait painted.
 There is something wonderfully timeless about navy blue and I have admired the artwork of Harrington Mann for a long time.  This family portrait of children is exquisite, although I can feel that perhaps these sweet children were dressed for this special occasion and perhaps not 100 percent happy about it. Just look at that boy front and center with his floppy jabot, he looks as if he is about ready to leap up to go climb a tree.
Sitting pretty powerful dressed in her finery, she exudes an effortless grace.
I have often admired those that dress with panache and style.  We had a great Aunt Louise who would always wear a suit when she came for dinner and she always brought home made ice cream and cookies from the bakery.  She often had a hat and gloves and I remember taking her coat and pressing my nose into it to soak up all the incredibly delicious smells of perfume and sugar.  My Uncle Bernie would wear a top coat, a 3 piece suit and a hat.  Those were the days of finery and dressing up.
I would like to dedicate this post to the the late Pamela Woolworth Combemale who graciously opened her home on Thanksgiving day.  This is a portrait of Pamela as a young girl.
Pamela was a marvelous hostess and a gifted woman.

Will you dress-up for Thanksgiving?  I would love to know what you intend to wear?  Is it something new or old?  Will you be forced to dress up or by your own volition?

14 comments:

Acquired Objects said...

We will dress up tomorrow and it's our own choice. I think it shows respect to the holiday to dress. I for one will be wearing a cashmere sweater and a pair of houndstooth pants, very classic.

XXX
Debra~

Lobster Meets Peach said...

Being a "mean mom" I will force my children and Hubby to dress-up for dinner tomorrow. Some new for the kiddos since they keep growing and tried and true for the adults. Happy Thanksgiving!

Purple Flowers said...

I am going to wear a skirt (persimmon color)with a dark brown cashmere sweater. I was given a fun scarf that is multicolor and matches the skirt perfectly. Also brown tights and dark brown shoes. The scarf is the pop of color I chose.
Happy Thanksgiving Patricia.

Formerly known as Frau said...

I will dress in someone nice but comfortable....it's just the three of us but I want to take pictures! Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer C. Webb said...

staring at the little girls in your post. Drawn to them. Want to dress my girls in pretty dresses while I still have the control to choose their outfits

ArchitectDesign™ said...

Oh agreed! Maybe I'll dress up for thanksgiving - I have a beautiful orange and brown plaid tie with some small purple stripes running through I just bought at bloomingdales.....thanksgiving it is!

Gail, northern California said...

Oh dear. No fancy duds here I'm afraid. My granddaughters are 15 and 18 and we'll be in jeans as we head out for the workshop. While the turkey roasts, we'll be busy making this year's Christmas gift for their mom and dad....something we've been doing for years. This year its painted mugs using chalkboard porcelain paint. Hopefully by Sunday they'll be writing a message on each in chalk before giftwrapping.

They usually stop for their Christmas tree on the way home, their handmade gifts for mom and dad are the first ones placed under the tree.

Woodside Park said...

Dear Patricia -
I love celebrating Thanksgiving in style as it is such a special day with family and friends. I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving!
Loi

Windlost said...

P., thank you for sharing these beautiful portraits. I adore them. Reminded me of the paintings in the American Portrait Gallery in DC (amazing), with well-to-do people dressed beautifully in lovely environments! Ah. The art is lost...

Unknown said...

PVE,

Love dressing up and will be also as a child we did dress up my four sisters, brother and my parents too. Such a lovely tradition and a chance to see family and friends in a polished light. Lovely post.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting this year Happy Thanksgiving!

Bette

quintessence said...

I have never thought about this - I suppose since the prospect of having my portrait painted was never on the horizon. I adore navy as well - I find it a softer, much more flattering netural than black. And yes, I always dress for the holidays!

Unknown said...

In Canada, our Thanksgiving was celebrated in October. We always have a mix of dress styles & usually bring a casual choice for later in the day. Great for walking on this special day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating!

MJH Design Arts said...

We always dressed up--until we became almost native Californians. Now it's semi-casual. And I'm OK with that. One things we treasure is the time together. Have a wonderful dressed up thanksgiving!! Love the portraits and navy is my favorite color.
Mary

LPC said...

We usually dress up, but this year we had a birthday celebration to hold on Saturday, so we took it easy.

I have to show you this link to a post I did about our family portrait. Seems you would understand.

http://amidprivilege.com/?p=1195