The Muse: First Communion

 Torrential downpours prevented the taking of new outfit photos for the Real Girl Style Challenge, but luckily I had these photos languishing around from May that I never published, mainly because there is actually only one full outfit photo of me. My friend Michelle (she's wearing the blue sweater in the photo with me below) was in a panic, because she had bought a brand new white dress for the occasion of First Communion at our church (she's the director of the religious education program) and she was nervous about wearing white. She thought she might be too old, or that people would think it was strange. So to be a team player I wore white too, and as close as I could get to white with my sweater. It turns out I missed the blue memo because if you look at the picture of Michelle with Sarah (the blonde) and Lynn (with the short hair), our third grade teachers they all wore the same shade of blue. It never occurred to me that white could be an intimidating color, but it is. If it the right shade for your skin tone, does it wash you out, are you too "old" to wear white. Its a color associated with major milestones like baptism, first communion, marriage but outside of that its not really in vogue. Its hard to keep clean and requires special underwear. I can see why people don't bother. All white is even bolder, its hard not to relieve it without some print or color. Even Father (who also wore white for the occasion), says that they aren't his favorite vestments (he likes the green for ordinary time). Then why do we keep wearing white? Is it the purity factor? Maybe. I think people just like the challenge of white. Can you keep it clean? Can you keep it looking good? If you can then perhaps your worthy of the white. White is a color (or lack of color) that takes on a life of its own, full of symbolism and history before you even walk out the door. Challenge indeed.

Myself and Michelle (above)

Michelle (dir. of Religous Ed.), Sarah (3rd grade teacher), and Lynn 

Dress: Lily Pulitzer thrifited via Wheeler School Clothing Sale
Sweater: thrifted via Goodwill
Bracelet: vintage, via Top Shelf Flea Market
Purse: vintage, Stylecraft, Christ Episcopal Church Thrift Store
Shoes: Fioni via Payless
Sunglasses: J. Marcel

Father Dave Costa, Michelle, our director of religious education, and her husband Mike our grounds and maintenance man.

Me, perhaps the last time I wore all white, at my own first communion in 1996 with Father Ray Theroux (at the time I really hated that dress, but now I see it was actually pretty tasteful as far as first communion dresses go). I was a little shocked this year, a lot of the girls had some really hoochie mamma first communion dresses,  I mean really who puts a 3rd grader in a strapless dress?

My mother had my first communion and baptism dress preserved in those archival boxes, not sure what I'll do with them. For now they sit on a shelf in the cedar closet.

I remember my mother had to got to a special parent meeting where they made lease banners for us. then thye hung them up at the actaul ceremony. I was so pissed off when I saw mine, I hated pink (still sort of do) and the banner couldn't be any less me. My mother however is the consummate girly-girl. Even when she was married she had a mauve bedroom, not quite pink, but damn close. She also can't understand why I would want my banner to be anything other than pink. Honestly, Ma.

Ironically in the group photo of all the kids who made their first communion Alyssa, Erika, and I were all grouped together. Its ironic because I didn't know either of them at the time. Erika went to a different school and Alyssa and I didn't know each other until middle school. Then we all went to the same high school and became best friends, carpooling together all through high school. The picture below was taken in 2006 (Alyssa, Me, and Erika) and we don't look all that different (well Alyssa lost the glasses). Just one of those little quirks that oddly turns out really well, either way it gave me quite a start when I looked at the photo a few years ago and noticed it.