It Was a Total, Utter and Complete Fashion Meltdown

I know that I have had meltdowns in my life over things that, in retrospect, appeared to be blown out of proportion.  I know that those times occurred fairly frequently during the teen years (and daily -- or more often -- during pregnancy).  I still have a meltdown once or twice a year (usually once at work and once at home). [I hate melting down at work; it's so very undignified.]

But, I don't think I have ever in my life melted down with the drama and flair my Daughter Dear exhibits when she has a tantrum.  She can go ballistic over small things (takes after her father, she does). Slightly more significant problems can rival Chernobyl. Today we encountered a Really, Really Big Thing. I missed the worst of the drama, but it must have been really bad, given the way my Dear Husband and the Very Bad Dogs were behaving when I got home from work.

DD is going to a wedding tomorrow. A fancy wedding.  Wonderful BoyFriend's entire family will be there.  DD, of course, bought a new dress for the occasion. She paid way too much for it, even on sale. I know that because she bought it at the last minute (when you always pay too much).  Also, she won't tell me how much she paid for it...... on account of, if she did, she knows I would go ballistic, and one conniption fit at a time is sort of a good rule to follow.  

Anyway, she had a brand new dress, which was quite lovely. She was excited.  She was ready for her weekend of family festivities with The Most Wonderful Family on Earth (that is not an attempt at sarcasm: they really are a wonderful family).  She was all set.

However, late this afternoon disaster struck.  I am not sure exactly how it happened (I was afraid to ask) but somehow it came to pass that Wonderful BoyFriend accidentally broke the zipper on the fabulous new dress. Her outrageously expensive dress was equipped with one of those crappy plastic zippers that ought to be illegal.  Any company that would charge more than $20 for a dress with a side zipper made out of plastic should be ashamed.  Some of the older plastic zippers could be fixed. This was a cheesy, cheap, crappy new plastic zipper. It was hopeless. The dress was fit only for a dust cloth.

She called the store. They agreed take it back (even though it was on sale), but they did not have any other dresses like it at the sale price.  The hour was late. She probably would not have been able to get to the mall in Orlando before the store close, anyway.  We considered various options:  Pins; Sewing the side closed.  We decided that invasive procedures were not acceptable, because we want to return the dress and if we damaged it further our chances of getting the money back would be eliminated.

I decided the only option was wearing something she already has, and, to that end, I pulled a bunch of other dresses out of her closet. DD has enough clothes to start a freaking chain store! She has  some beautiful clothes.  I pulled out at least three outfits I thought would be lovely.  I pulled out a couple of dresses I didn't even know she had, and that I coveted immediately upon seeing them.  

Wearing something she already owned would not do, of course. (What was I thinking??) Ultimately she decided that, since it is very cold this weekend in Central Florida (relatively speaking) she will put a sweater over the dress and wear it with the side gaping open.  She will take an alternative dress to change into for the reception, if she feels uncomfortable.  That seemed like a reasonable compromise, I suppose. (Wearing something beautiful you have worn before would have been a better one, but I'm 54 and she's 19. That must make a difference.)

A little while ago, DD and WBF headed off for their weekend of celebration, exhausted and emotionally drained. 

DH had flown the coop earlier in the evening.  The dogs and I are here, traumatized and drained.  

I'm so grateful to be old and unfashionable!