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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tea Leaf Tales: Vintage Clothing—Wearing Wonderful Feelings



With the coming change of seasons, I think about buying some new clothes, or some new old clothes. My husband recently asked why I’ve fallen away from my regular visits to the local sprawling outlet mall in pursuit of great deals on brand name clothing. 

Although I wish I could say it has been by purposeful design with a lofty intent to be green and spare impact on the planet, honestly, I have become intrigued with vintage clothing. I was hooked from my first purchase of a delightful upcycled skirt, lovingly handcrafted by a talented seamstress from scraps of fabric from old knitted garments. When I wear that skirt, it swishes with not only a terrific flowing design but also from the good vibrations of every owner of every fragment. I smile and know those folks are with me, whoever they are. 

Now, I scour vintage shops with a careful subjective method. First, the pattern of the cloth must whisper an invitation and then, as important as the fit of the garment, is the feeling it transfers from its previous owner—a mini magical quest so to speak. Online shopping for vintage clothing requires greater skill and should be practiced only after some initial direct practice. I recently purchased two skirts from a nice woman in Hungary. I was overjoyed when the vibrations I picked up from her photos rang true, with one skirt sweeping me around in dizzy, happy circles and the other embracing me in a cozy hug, both just as I imagined—I can’t wait to wear these feelings.


Tea Leaf Tales is a series of original ten-sentence short stories by Marsha A. Moore, relating to photos/scenes that resonate with her.
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Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, and Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

4 comments:

Daniel said...

One of my wife's many endearing qualities is that she hates spending big $$$ on clothing and regularly visits the thrift shops. She recently acquired a beautiful floral print dress that had a design problem in the neckline and bust, but a few careful cuts and new seams turned it into a lovely find. I think it cost her $4.

I think some of the good vibrations she gets from her clothing come from her favorite sewing machine. It is a 1925 treadle, and it still works amazingly well.

Marsha A. Moore said...

Daniel, those old sewing machines are so special. My mother regularly used one built in the late 1920s, the first electric model, up until she broke it during her struggle with dementia last year. I still have it and can feel the magic and her love.

Wendy said...

This is a beautiful post, Marsha. How lucky you are to have an eye for feelings. Magical indeed.

Marsha A. Moore said...

Thanks so much, Wendy!