DOING IT THE EASY WAY

I can tell you what my figure problems are. Very simply, I'm short and plump. And – I'm a size smaller in the top than I am in the bottom. Therefore, when I buy clothes, I mostly buy separates. Living a casual life, I seldom need much in the way of clothes.

However, I wanted a special dress for Hallie's wedding, and one day last spring I found the perfect one online. I ordered a petite size I thought would be about right – and I guess I have to say it was "about right." It was a little long in the bodice and too long in the skirt. I thought I could probably alter it, but I put that off for weeks. Finally forced into it by the time crunch, I went to the sewing room and tackled the job. Instead of taking the shoulder seams apart for a deeper seam, I simply stitched a tuck that pulled the whole dress up, giving me the room I needed through the hips. Then I still had to hem it, and I discovered the hem was crooked to start with, so I just did the best I could to make it right.

I could feel my mother rolling over in her grave. I knew she wouldn't have approved of the quick way I was solving my problems. But then I thought of that time when I was that magical age – 16.

Mother decided she would buy my spring formal. I don't know why. I thought she did a great job of making my formals. But she decided this time we would have a special shopping trip to Lewiston to try on formals. There was a shop – the Renee Shop – and we didn't go there often, but this time we did. And I fell in love with a white lace formal. Mother was pleased because it was a style she wouldn't have made for me. Trouble was – it didn't fit me. It was just right in the hips but way too big in the bust.

"It could be altered," the saleslady said. "We have an alterations lady that works wonders."

Mother sidestepped the comment and began to calculate aloud how she would take it apart and do this and that. . .

"We'd be happy to alter it," the saleslady said, as Mother continued to think aloud and consider whether or not it would be worth it to buy this dress and then re-make it. I was "on pins and needles." If Mother decided she couldn't alter it, I wouldn't get the dress and that would be that.

"Really," the saleslady said, now with a bit more force, "please let me call our alterations lady. She might have a good idea on how to do this simply. At least talk to her." So, Mother relented and the alterations lady came in.

"I would simply make a dart right here under the arm and it will pull all this fabric into place," said the alterations lady.

Mother gasped. It had never occurred to her to do a simple fix. It had never occurred to her that a simple fix would meet the need. Mother was so impressed she let the alterations lady do the job.