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We all have a story that reveals our most meaningful and memorable experiences through an article of fashion. How has a dress, a pair of shoes or a jacket, shaped or added magic to your life? Our goal is to find out how fashion has added more fun or made a difference in your life.

We are looking for a GREAT first story to post so...

Be the first chosen to share your story on our fashion blog and you will win a $100 gift card to the store!

Up, Clothes, and Personal

If our clothes could talk...
    They would tell us many wonderful things,
             Like how their color matches our eyes,
                     And how much they want  to go out and sing.

If our clothes could talk...
    They would tell us not so pleasant things,
             Like when we're becoming too indulgent,
                     Eating lots of ice cream and fried chicken wings.

If our clothes could talk...
    They would say comforting things,
             Like please dear don't cry,
                     Wipe your tears on my sleeve, it will be all right.

Among other things,
    If our clothes could talk they would say...
              We are creatures created too.
                     Treat us with love and care,
                              With comfort and support,
                                      Just the way we do you.
     

Fashion for Thought

I have been the owner and  buyer for The Wardrobe for the past 22 years and I sometimes refer to myself as a costumer for the everyday.   As a costumer, I have dressed numerous brides and though I have never tied the knot,  I feel like I have been married over a 1,000 times.  It's funny how we can live vicariously through other people's lives.

What is my “fashionation” with fashion?  I love how you can reveal a part of yourself and what is important to you by what your t-shirt says, what color you are wearing, where your clothing is made or even what your clothing is  made of. I love how clothing can tell a story about who you are, where you have been, and where you are going. In fact, clothing can truly tell the truth about an age.

Lucky me that I get to play dress up for a living. There is something very intuitive about what I do and how I do it. I guess style has a lot to do with instinct, according to Bill Blass. I especially love the thrill I get when I help dress somebody for their wedding day.  I'm convinced that being made a small part of somebody's ceremonial  day is why I still do what I do.

How rewarding my work has been over the years to help people feel, look and be their best in the world. What keeps me going is when I  hear people's stories of how great they felt in a dress or even a necklace that was discovered at my store.

So I have created this fashion blog and contest to share some wonderful, sometimes even life altering experiences with a larger, I guess you could even say, world  audience.   Sometimes it is possible in more ways than one to see through clothes . I welcome you to the world of  If Our Clothes Could Talk and I hope you will feel inspired by the many stories that are shared over the next several months.  Perhaps you will even see fashion in new and revealing ways.

If Our Clothes Could Talk Short Story Contest

True stories about how fashion has made a difference in our lives.

Having dressed numerous brides as a style coach, Heather Caswell, owner of The Wardrobe, feels like she has been married over 1,000 times.  Through these experiences, she recognizes we all have a unique story to share.

     Fashion tells a story…

     about where we’ve been, where we are,

     and where we are going.

     "Life is not be measured by the number of  breathes we take,

     but by the moments that take our breath away."

- Maya Angelou

We all have a story that reveals our most meaningful and memorable experiences through an article of fashion. How has a dress, a pair of shoes, or a jacket,  shaped or added magic to your life? Our goal is to find out how fashion has added more fun or made a difference in your life.

Our dresses have gone places.  

They've attended the Academy Awards. 

Won Emmy's.  

Even met Presidents.

     "Fashion wasn't what you wore someplace anymore;

     it was the whole reason for going"- Andy Warhol

                                                                                         

Think of a time when a favorite fashion item has added a little magic to your  life.  Maybe it was a special dress that your wore for a fortieth birthday party that transformed you into a butterfly.  Maybe it was a pair of pearl earrings that were given to you by your grandmother that you wore on your wedding day.  Or maybe it was a pair of sexy shoes that you were wearing when you met your fiance on the train.  Maybe it was the silly cat costume that you were wearing at a Halloween party that got you a promotion.

Share an occasion or an experience when something fashion related has added fun or meaning to your life.  Let yourself be ruled only by your imagination.


Guidelines
Share a story and express yourself in 1000 words or less.
 Submit your short story between  November 15th and May 15th, 2010.
Include an interpreted image of the item in a photo or sketch, if possible.
Please submit your story under one of the following themes:

• Special Occasion Wear
• Wedding Dress
• Everyday Dress
• Shoes
• Accessories (hats, scarves, purses, etc.)
• T-shirt
• Jeans
• Bathing Suit
• Suit
• Jacket/Sweater
• Jewelry
• Costumes
• Other

To Submit your story, please e-mail it to blog@thewardrobe.com along with the image.
The winning stories will be shared here on our blog, If Our Clothes Could Talk. Prize is (1) $500 giftcard to The Wardrobe or (1) $500 scholarship.  Winners will be announced at a special event in Spring, 2010