My favourite piece of clothing

[kaberett]

[December Days masterpost, with two days still kinda-sorta available - I've got fillers/secondary requests planned for them, but if you'd like something and haven't given me a prompt yet, please feel encouraged to!]

... actually probably has to be my dinner suit, which also has the distinctions of being (1) the most expensive clothing I own and (2) the only pair of trousers I have ever owned that actually fits.

At the beginning of my second year, because of Reasons, I ended up going to a Properly Formal dinner. Like, actually and seriously black tie. The most appropriate thing I had to wear was a green silk floor-length ballgown. (I wore cargo shorts underneath it for the sake of pockets.) It was pretty much then that I swore I was never going to present normatively femme for anything ever again, and I got hairyears to introduce me to his tailor, and I got a suit made.

I have since worn it to perform in more concerts than I can count; at the kind of formal dinner that's routine at Cambridge; to my graduation; and to a couple of funerals and similar functions. It's my favourite not just because it is clothing that actually fits me (and was deliberately tailored to look good while I'm playing music) and is much more multi-purpose and probably fundamentally cheaper than buying dresses for all those occasions would have been, but because in its way it's a symbol of becoming an adult, of saying "this is who I am and who I am going to be", of being sure enough of myself to make investments.

In St John's, for a departmental dinner.


At graduation, with my shirt pulled askew by my hood, but - I did it, I fucking did it.

(Of course, there's lots of other things I love - the teal knee-high DMs; my shirts, various; my first cufflinks, silver and Lizard serpentine; the hoodies I curl up in and have as my armour; but this -- this is special.)

Comments

[jedusaur]

&YOU;

[kaberett]

ILU <3

[worlds_of_smoke]

<3333

(and I forgot/didn't know? you played music! what instrument?)

[kaberett]

Mooostly at the moment I sing - I haven't touched my French horn in a year, about which I feel REALLY guilty, but once I have moved into somewhere where I can reasonably practice again (NEXT WEEK :D) I intend to start working on it again.

I also used to play the violin and piano to a reasonable amateur standard until my hands gave out (RSI); I miss them, but hey. We do what we can.

[worlds_of_smoke]

Ooh, singing is still pretty awesome. And French hoooorn. *___*

We played flute and probably still could, if we could hold our arms up for more than 15 minutes. XD We still have our flute, though, and I'd like to do something with it, even if it's a matter of doing serious rehab on our shoulders. We've never been small group performers - turns out that mind-numbing stage fright was just our severe social phobia. -laughs- We do a LOT better playing support roles in general and were in heaven playing last chair of the entire flute section in college. There's got to be some sort of community orchestra somewhere we can play again, y'know? We miss it a lot - we seriously pondered minoring in vocal and flute in college.

[littlebutfierce]

Oh, this is brilliant! The suit looks really good on you. :D

[milkymoon]

That is a marvellous suit - well cut, gorgeous and well-suited (no pun intended) for all sorts of occasions. :3

(Also! Teal knee-high DMs? I am a bit envious! ;))

[kaberett]

I was really sad around the end of November so I asked the Internet if teal boots existed, and LO, THERE WERE KNEE-HIGH SLIGHTLY-HEELED DISTRESSED-TEAL DMS. So I asked the Internet to send me a pair, and it obliged...

[hairyears]

My tailor *is* rather good.

[tamouse]

So love this suit. One really fabulously wearable outfit.

[ursamajor]

Snazzy! Also, teal knee-high DMs? Dayumn. :D Do they lace up only all the way or are there zippers you can use to get out of them more easily/lazily?

[kaberett]

They zip up all the way! And have a slight heel, though I am assured they also exist without. I am SO PLEASED WITH THEM.

[pretty_panther]

Omg that suit is fabulous and you WEAR IT SO WELL!

[calissa]

What stunning photos! You look great in both of them.

[alexseanchai]

Looking good!

[emperor]

A fine suit (much better than any of mine which are a bit ill-fitted and off-the-peg) :-)

[sidheag]

I've often thought I'd like to have a dinner suit, but didn't think it hard enough at the time in my life when I used to do formal things often enough for it to make sense... Looks great!

[raze]

Diggin' the suit - you look mighty sharp in it!

[umadoshi]

That is a most excellent suit!

[jelazakazone]

that is fucking awesome. You look stunning in the suit, probably in part because it was tailored for you. Yay for clothing that is functional, fits well, and makes you look fabulous. Also, hurray for finishing your degree! YOU DID IT:D

[silveradept]

A very sharp suit, indeed. Also, formal graduation clothes look good on everyone, regardless of wind-blown-ness, because graduation is just that cool.

[birke]

much more multi-purpose and probably fundamentally cheaper than buying dresses for all those occasions would have been

That is a good point! No one cares if you wear the same suit to every fancy event, but it's harder to... well, hard to feel one's getting away with wearing the same dress over and over, although I couldn't say definitively that other people care. I'm sure they notice. I notice. Anyway, it's a nice suit!

[wordweaverlynn]

Elegant!

[inoru_no_hoshi]

That suit looks absolutely magnificent (and so do you). :D

[(Anonymous)]

Who is this tailor? I have often thought I would like a dinner suit and my waist:hip ratio is, er, very not compatible with ones you can buy in shops. Recommendations for tailors who wouldn't look at me and think something like "what's a nice girl like you doing in a suit like this?" much appreciated :D

[jesse_the_k]

Exquisite suit looks exquisite on you!