I did a post back on January 20th of this year (HERE) where I told you about a mishap when I was modeling in a Fashion Show at College. I told you I had another story and thought I’d share it today.
I was in 4-H for mainly one reason… because I loved to sew! Sure, I was involved in the cooking and the Share-the-Fun activities, and a few other things, but my heart was mostly there for one reason…to sew and to see if what I made was good enough to make it to State. You made an outfit and then it was judged by some very strict judges and tough guidelines. If you were fortunate enough to pass the scrutiny and get a high score on it, you could either send your outfit to the State Fair, where they would be all be displayed on mannequins or on a showcase wall, or if you happened to be able to go to the State Fair, you could model your outfit in a big Fashion Show. You couldn’t go in person every year, but I think about every 3 years, if I remember correctly.
Well, this one year, I think I was 15, I made a dress and was hoping it was good enough. You’ve seen it before in a photo I showed when I received my 70’s Julie doll. That’s me in the front row on the left side and that’s the dress.
Remember this is the 1970’s…The dress was a burgundy knit, but not a polyester double knit or a cotton knit like tee shirts. It had a little bit of nubby-ness to it and was sort of close to a boucle knit if you know what that is. It was soft but had a bit of body to it. Then it had little knit scarf that I wore around my neck. It looks terribly silly when I see it now.
Okay, so here’s the story: I made it to the State Fair and had all the necessary things I needed for modeling…the dress, scarf, slip, hose, dress shoes, all the things I needed to look “good!” We were shown the stage but we didn’t actually practice on it. It was your typical “fashion runway” where most of the activity is on the stage area but there was a runway that extended past the stage out into the audience. The stage wasn’t so high that people would see up our dresses, but it was off the ground somewhat. We got instructions on how it would happen and they showed us how to pivot and make the turn at the end of the runway and come back to our seats. Seems simple, right?
Well, the actual night of the Fashion Show, we arrived on stage and there were “stumps” all over the stage… Yes, tree stumps…rough cut I might add. They were about 20 some inches high and those were our seats. We had been assigned where we would be sitting and my seat was the one right at the beginning of the runway, at the edge of the stage, sort of like this quick drawing I just did…
We all got in our places and on our stumps… Now remember this is the 70’s and remember those short dresses! I wasn’t the most confident young lady on the planet and grace wasn’t necessarily my strong suit, but I was determined to model my dress. It seemed like forever but they finally called my name and I stood up to start down the short runway. As I stood up I felt something pull on the backside of my leg. I took one step and I felt the pull tighten around my thigh. To my horror, I realized my panty hose had gotten caught on the stump and as I walked a thread was stretching and I didn’t know what to do. I’m sure with the lights dimmed in the audience everyone could see what probably looked like a spider web coming out from under my dress! I kept going and a few steps down the runway I felt a “SNAP” almost like a rubber band and awkwardly jolted forward. I figured I had probably pulled a large snag or even a runner down the back of my panty hose and it was visible to everyone in the audience. I wanted to cry, but just smiled, pivoted and returned back to my stump. Later when were done, I checked and I had a hole about the size of half dollar in the back of my panty hose! “sigh”
Oh well… I think that was the last of my 4-H modeling. I can still remember that feeling and now I can laugh about it, but then… I wanted to crawl in a hole and just hide.
I hope this silly story gives you your first smile of the day!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yes, it did, Jeanne, give me a smile!! It brought me back to those days with the short skirts and pantyhose, ugh! Sometimes I ruined a pair just putting them on, then had to look everywhere for a good pair! Living in a household of 4 girls, you can imagine how many times that happened to us!
I was a 4-H member too, and even wound up being a judge in our county fair! Still have my official “ribbon” I had to wear, and felt, oh, so important! Silly me!
Hi Linda,
I know what you mean about ruining your hose, sometimes even before you got them on! I have a friend who always used white gloves to put on her pantyhose and thought everyone used them. I’d never heard of that before.
I think being a 4-H judge would be fun… I should check into it…never thought of doing that. Thanks for your comments, Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, poor you, Jeanne! What grace you have to get through such an experience. I have no idea what I would have done. Ran away? Silly them for putting rough tree stumps near pantyhose. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Yes, it gave me a chuckle.
Have a wonderful Thursday, Jeanne!
HI Cindy,
Well, a laugh was really all I was hoping for from everyone… glad you got yours!
Blessings, Jeanne
Hhhmmmm….. likely the last year they used tree stumps as “sit upons” !!
So sorry you experienced such an embarrassing happening at an important event. I do like your dress and I so remember the “look” back in the good old days. {were they so good?} I lived in the city, inner city, so were did not have 4-H or anything like that.
The story: first day of Freshman year, we were allowed to wear our own clothing for the first two days and then we had to wear our uniforms. I chose a gold woven wool skirt and sweater set. It was store bought so I thought I would be really “with it”. It was a hand-me-down from my older sister. Half way through the day the hem started to fall, so by the end of the day the entire sewn hem was out and I, the gooney Freshman, was walking through the halls with a fallen hem. The length of the skirt was near my ankles. Keep in mind that these were the days of mini skirts. I had to take two buses to get home and walk 7 city blocks to finally shed the offending skirt. EMBARRASSED and HUMILATED forever !! The next day I wore a mini skirted dress.
As a side note: panty hose did not exist until I was a senior in high school. They were of questionable design and usually ended up with huge bags at the knees. So if you remember the garter belt or girdle with hose any pantyhose was better!!
HI Jeannie,
I think I would have found a stapler and stapled my hem up or found some masking tape! Poor you!!!
Yes, I know about garter belts and hooking your stockings onto them… can you imagine that now?
Thanks for sharing your memories… everyone must have at least one pantyhose story to tell.
Blessings, Jeanne
I think modeling was the hardest thing to to do..even though it seemed like it should be easy. (Walk and turn..how hard is that?)…I worked for a big retail store in HS and modeled for them …but as a sz 13 I was always assigned to model coats..in the summer of course! 🙂 For Easter when I was in 8th grade I got my first pr of heels and nylons ( with a garter belt, Jeannie B) As I was walking down 4 stairs into the Choir practice room Easter morning I caught my heel and fell flat on my face..tearing a HUGE hole in the knee of my nylons ! Talk about humiliating! OMGosh!
Oh Kathie,
I’m sorry but I laughed out loud when I read your story… poor you too! Like I said, everyone must surely have a panty hose story to tell.
Thanks for sharing another chuckle of the day with us!
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
While we can laugh now, it sounds like we all experienced things making us want to crawl into the nearest hole…the stories the girls added to your’s are most unfortunate too. My story is strange…needed hose the following day, stopped to get some at the store, went to put them on the next day and I KID YOU NOT…the pantyhose were so short, the crotch part ( excuse me ) was about even with the hem of my dress. I was desperate and thought, I have to make them work and I pulled and stretched them until they were wearable. However, I had to continually run into the bathroom for the rest of the day and stretch them again and again so they’d stay up. I’m thinking, ” were these hose for children?” but they weren’t…they were sized correctly…most likely a flub-up by the manufacturer. I was so mortified having the hose slide down all day!!
By the way, love the oak book case – everything looks so organized!
Hi Paula,
Well, I laughed out loud at your story too. I’ve had pantyhose that were too short too and you are miserable wearing them like that. I used to wet my hands just slightly and try to pull them up, but they really will only stretch so far. You poor thing… but I’m still laughing…sorry!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, It is funny how we all have a pantyhose story. I think it was traumatic for all of us because of the time. Wearing pantyhose WAS a big deal in those days, they were new & they made you feel so grown up. I remember getting a pair of navy blue hose when we were in junior high. It was winter but I was going to wear those blue hose to school even if there was snow on the ground outside. So out the door I go and down the country driveway to catch the bus when I fall through the icy snow on my KNEES and rip a huge hole in my new navy hose and bloodied my knee:-( So much for feeling grown up!
Cindy,
Your story made me laugh out loud too!!! I think you’re right… we ALL have that funny pantyhose story tucked somewhere back in our past. Someone should write a book called “Funny Panty hose stories!” It might be a best seller…
Sorry, I didn’t get you answered when you sent me the pic of the new paint color. I was doing errands.
Love you, me