Hello Fabulous Fancies!
Yes! I’m back! It’s been rather too long – more on that later – but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been missing you! No, not at all!
It’s been a busy couple of years at Fancy HQ, but I’m back in the room now, and ready to talk about one of my pet topics – dressing for special occasions. In this instance, the special occasion in question is a trip to the theatre. Specifically, a recent trip to Her Majesty’s Theatre, to see the Rocky Horror Show! Yes! A true classic of stage and screen, which was so enjoyable that Mr F and I returned to see it for a second time.
(Just as an aside, Todd McKenney was an absolute revelation as Frank, but Shane Jacobson somewhat miscast as The Narrator. Personally, I think once you’ve had the inimitable Stuart Wagstaff politely ask permission to take you on a strange journey, you’ll never look back.)
I digress.
Ah, the theatre! The lights, the music, the gilded sconces, the palpable sense of excitement as the curtain rises, the active wear… (overture fades to a halt, curtain stops rising where it is, and the spotlight swings to the woman a couple of seats up from me, who is wearing tracksuit pants and a t-shirt. Yes, you read me correctly. A pair of black polyester stretch pants, with a bright white stripe running down the side, topped by a long sleeve cotton t-shirt.
Now, Miss F is nothing if not understanding, and certainly not a snob, (well, alright, the last bit may be a teensy fib) but really! It’s the theatre! Of course, my first response was to direct the poor unfortunate soul to where she was meant to be that night – Calder Raceway? Moonee Valley for the trots? McDonalds? – but then I took a long around me and realised that there were others! Yes! People in jeans! T-shirts! Hooded sweatshirts! At the theatre! Really, it’s the absolute limit.
Please don’t misunderstand me – even I, Miss F, possesses a few purpose-specific items of clothing that are not entirely stylish. Gym wear, housework wear, late night trip to Woolworths wear, I’ve got in all. Even a ragged old slightly barn-dance looking dress, complete with frays and even the odd tear, a true schmatte, that I wear around the house in Summer. But the crucial difference is that I don’t wear it to restaurants, work, weddings, funerals, and certainly not the theatre! No siree Bob! Not on your Nelly! Or anyone’s Nelly, for that matter.
(I must also point out here that nobody at Fancy Inc. has anything other than the deepest respect for those brave few who arrived at Her Majesty’s on this particular rather special night, wearing the traditional attire associated with this particular theatrical offering. It was a cold evening, and fishnets, corsets and little else was a courageous choice. We salute you.)
You see, the thing about not dressing up for the theatre is this… unfortunately there are very few occasions in most people’s lives where, fashion-wise, there is the chance to really push the boat out. Weddings, certain art exhibition openings, ’round number’ birthdays for fabulous friends… the list doesn’t exactly go on and on, which is why we must grab the opportunity when it arises. But more than that, dressing up elevates the occasion, turns the mundane into the instantly memorable, makes leaving the house on a chilly Thursday evening worth it all. And when we don’t dress up, somehow the joy is rather sucked right out of the occasion for those who did. Elevating the occasion, you see, falls to everyone in the room, not just a select few who have to shoulder the responsibility on their own. Especially if that shoulder is slightly bared, or encased in chiffon. Really, it’s a group effort.
So, to sum up, a Miss Fancy Rule of Thumb: If it’s at all possible that you’re going to find yourself seated on velvet, the least you can do is not insult it with denim, nylon, fleece or polyester.
Get gussied up, frocked up, dressed up, dolled up, prettied up – just remember that the operative word is up!
Have a Fabulously Fancy Day!
Love,
Miss F xox
Miss Fancy Says 