not mine, but a pretty accurate ‘before’ picture of my bellbottoms
—
with the return of outdoor ice-skating weather
i’m reminded of my ill-fated misadventure
when i made a choice to combine my bells with my skating.
and it wasn’t a good thing.
i was ‘home-ec’ years old
in middle school
loved the cooking part
horrible at the sewing part
decided i’d make bellbottoms
instead of a stupid apron
ignoring the fact that
i wasn’t good at it
just wanted to get it done
bought some cool blue fabric and a pattern
somehow stitched it together
but really didn’t get the concept of alterations
all i knew was that
they should be very tight and have very big bells at the bottom
so i finally took a yardstick
just drew a chalk line on each inseam
didn’t measure anything
stitched them up
modeled them for our fashion show to pass the class
noticed they were quite tight even when just standing
went ice-skating with my friends after school
wearing my new very skin-tight bells
to impress my crush who would be there
looking cool with my skates and my bells
it all began well
then we played crack the whip
it all took a turn
when i sailed across the ice
stopping in a huge snowbank
so fun
until i fully stood up
realizing
my entire inseam
from ankle to ankle
had all torn out
leaving me more or less wearing
a tight maxi-skirt/chaps type of garment
brought new meaning to ‘cool’
tried to casually walk home through the snow in my skates
with an air of ‘what?, this happens all the time, pretty normal…’
another reason why i am a teacher and not a seamstress.
—
“bell bottom blues, you make me cry…”
-derek and the dominos- eric clapton
If this is a true story – I love it! Ok, I love it if it isn’t! It’s always good to laugh at ourselves….
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sadly, it was very true, but now happily just a story from my past – always good to laugh at ourselves, who better ?
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Oops! I’m glad you laugh about it now.
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yes, absolutely )))
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😍😎😛
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What larks!
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)))
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😊
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You had me at “tight pants”! Although, I am now intrigued by the maxi-skirt/chaps idea. How did that not become a trend?
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yes, it was quite the look. and I can’t believe it didn’t catch on.
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Whoops .. another reason for me to remain an Aussie beach-bum.. 😎🌏🏖
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well. there are all those potential bathing suit mishaps than can occur…)
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funny because it’s true
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yes, now )))
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Happy to report I missed the bell bottom craze.
“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” 😦
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I fully embraced it and lived to tell )
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How many secrets are revealed behind the protective wall of WP!
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so right!! yikes –
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I always remember that right after I press ENTER. 😦
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same!!
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I had a pair like that – way back in school in the 60’s and mym mum put patches on them when there was a hole in it. I did actually love them. 🙂
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I loved bellbottoms, too. this pair, only lasted one day, out in the world, unfortunately. )
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🤣
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))
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I applaud you for going out on your own to make something other than the standard apron we all learned! However, I wonder if your ‘incident’ was Karma showing you what happens when we don’t listen to authorities and directions. Just as an aside, I gave the apron I made to my grandmother because she always wore an apron, and I received it back when she passed away. And yes I still have it and it hangs displayed on a hook on a wall of my kitchen!
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aw, that’s sweet about your grandmother and I’m glad you have it now. as far as following authority, I’ve always been a bit of a quiet rebel, but, yes, with consequences. )
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Thanks for sharing another misadventure.
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misadventures are always so memorable )
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a wonderful tale; I had a few chuckles reading this 🙂
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and I did too, remembering it )
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Definitely takes me to the seventies! And always loved that song!
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flashback!
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So true!
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Measuring the inseam with a yardstick and walking home “cool”. You’re my hero.
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you know, it’s all about the swagger. until it all comes apart )
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And you lived to tell us about it, Beth! Why oh why did anybody ever believe bell bottoms were a good idea? I still remember tripping over mine in the junior high hallways. At least I never had to attempt to sew any sort of clothing.
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at least you have that )
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That is hilarious! But what terrible angst for the younger you. I guess lesson learned!
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well, yes. )
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I made the apron. Alas, it took me years to rebel!
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every rebel in their own time )
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I remember when I was young, wishing I had bellbottom pants 🙂
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I just loved them!
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I made a birdhouse. I see now, that it was a much safer decision. You did what you could and that’s all anyone can ever do. Maybe it happened so that you could make all of us laugh today. Who knows.
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I think that was the reason. plus, I married that crush years later, in spite of it or maybe because of it
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In the song “Pretzel Logic”, Steely Dan sings this about the high heel men’s shoe fashion craze of the early 70’s: “I stepped upon the platform, the man gave me the news….he said ‘you must be joking son – where did you get those shoes?”
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love that!
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Laughing my head off, mostly because it was you, not me. I think I made an apron and a skirt (was mortified that I had to wear it in a fashion show!). Really ugly print as I recall.
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hahahaha, I know and it really made me laugh to write it out. ) how horrible that we had to do those fashion shows after )
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I have never been ice-skating. But I did get married (for the first time of three) in a suit with bell-bottom trousers. In my defence, it was in 1977! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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that is fantastic!
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Good story. 😀
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A chilly walk home…and on skates, no less. Did you whistle nonchalantly?
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luckily we lived very close, almost behind each other and I did try to be nonchalant, but most likely did not pull it off )
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A great story, Beth. I can picture the scene too! I made a dress in home-ec and it was terribly uneven. I was much more of an eyeballer than a measurer. 🙂
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yes, i so get this! )
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Thank goodness for teachers and seamstresses. 😁
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and hard to be both. i made the right choice for me )
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I don’t follow fashion, but I’ve recently seen a few girls wearing these again. Are they coming back in style? Fashion is such a fascinating thing. Who knew that ripped jeans with holes all over them would become a style. When I used to rip a knee out, I remember that Mom would sew a patch over it.
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i’m all about comfort and warmth at this point in life, with a little flair now and then )
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Oh my goodness! Poor you! Lovely you can laugh at it today…
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yes, I was laughing just writing it )
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I bet!!
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Haha, love your funny story. I’m terrible at sewing too 😆😅🌈
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it’s never going to get better so I leave it to the experts )
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Great story. Brings back memories.
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thanks!
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I am terrible at sewing. My grandmother taught all her granddaughters, and I was the one who just didn’t like it or get it. I feel your pain!
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well, luckily we have other skills )
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We do! 😀
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Wonderful post. I was a groomsmen in a 1969 wedding where we wore white bell bottoms and dark blue jackets. We looked like pirates.
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That is incredible! Pirates were in ,so oh you were right there in the cutting-edge
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funny story, Beth. These days, such an event would go viral on social media. ANd you may have started a fashion trend… I guess that’s what happens when you are ahead of your time…
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I’ve thought of this when thinking back on so many stories, so lucky for no social media when I was growing up!
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yes, same here!
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That’s such a funny story, Beth, but I’m sure it wasn’t at the time. Oh dear!
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not as much, but it certainly is now –
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😅😉
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OMG Beth , the things we do for love or crushes!
I am useless at sewing too that’s why I was a windowdresser , one of my clever sisters was) is the seamstress. Love those bells! I had them too!
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something special about the bells )
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Yes we always remember them with affection 🤣🤣🤣
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You managed to somehow capture an entire era in this post!
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ha! it was certainly a snapshot in time )
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I love it! If you had done that today it would already have a million hits on social media! Lucky you! :>)
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luckily no social media then )
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I’m laughing out loud. Great poem. I could picture the entire scene. BTW, I loved to sew and stitched many of the clothes I wore as a teen. But I haven’t touched a sewing machine in years. 😦
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Thanks! Too bad I didn’t know you then)
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When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade 😀
Indeed, clever of you to walk away high and mighty!
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so cool, not. )
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Brought back memories of my first ever pistachio-green colored bell-bottoms. My mum had sewn them perfectly and I was one of the first among my friends to wear mine proudly!
Thank you, Beth for taking me down the memory lane.
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wow, the best!
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