The Purple Dress

I never really cared about the color purple. It was never my favorite, but I felt rather ambivalent. Pretty, but not Red! or Yellow! or Angsty Black!

And then I got married. To a man with a colorful last name.

And I took his last name because I didn't have any major feminist qualms with the tradition, and his last name was a lot easier to spell than mine. Plus, I could add the useful little phrase "Purple. Like the color" after saying my name for a hostess or receptionist. Like someone who would say "Smyth. With a 'y'" or "Fox. Like the animal." Husband always joked that, when asked how to spell his last name, he could sarcastically reply, "Got a box of crayons?"

But, I digress. I got married. And took his last name. And got a little sensitive about it. Especially wearing the color. I didn't own any purple clothing, save for one shirt that remains under contention (it's pink, I tell you. PINK!). But on a shopping trip with my cousin, we browsed through the pretty dresses at the mall and I fell in love with a dress. A purple dress.

It was on sale and in a deep, rich jewel tone and had an empire waist and flattering chest gathering and POCKETS! IT HAD POCKETS! This was a revelation. I was aware of the trend (which, frankly, is probably well out of fashion by now), but I never really got it. Pockets? Pockets belong on pants, on shirt fronts, on purses. Pockets on a dress? Pishaw! But my eyes were opened and I saw, hallelujah.

Plus? We just so happened to have been invited to a wedding in which one of the bride's colors was purple! And I was going to be one of the greeters at the wedding! How cute would it be to not only wear a dress that I loved, but one that matched the day's decor? PRECIOUS, GODDAMMIT. So I tried on the dress, and hemmed and hawed, and texted the maid of honor to make sure the bridesmaid dresses weren't purple (See? I'm considerate. Also? Self-conscious.). And I left the store without it. Because it was purple. But then I went back a week later, and I snatched it up and tried it on over and over again before the wedding because gah, purple.

And I don't think one person made the connection.Granted, it would probably look better on someone else, preferably someone who is not Slouchy McSloucherson, but it's cute, right? Right? Please validate me so that I can go on living.

Forthcoming will be more on the wedding itself in a far less self-centered post. Promise, promises.