Blue Velvet

In case you haven’t gotten the memo, velvet is in and it’s sexy it’s as hell!  I am trying out the velvet trend in this cute little number and in a gorgeous shade of cobalt blue. I remember the old days {don’t I sound old LOL}, about 17 years ago when velvet was trendy. I must have been twelve years old at the time. I had this gorgeous blue velvet long-sleeved short dress in a shade very similar to the one I am wearing in this post. I lived in Nigeria at that time and I remember my mom had gotten me that dress during one of her trips to the US or maybe it was London. It may have been the shortest dress I owned and Mom let me wear it! Needless to say I adored that dress. I wore that dress so much that the area that covered by butt started to fade into an embarrassing shade of white from sitting in it so much. Sadly, I had to retire that dress when the boys at church started to notice the repetition (that may or may not have been in my head).

But that was not before one eventful day when I was mean as heck! I still remember that day because I still feel terrible about it sometimes. Back when I was a teenager, like most parents in Nigeria mandated, we weren’t allowed to date. I also went to an all girls school so talking to boys was a novel concept for me. One Friday evening after evening mass, clad in my favorite blue dress and with my aunt (cough, chaperone) behind me; I started the ritual of walking past the teenagers that hurdled in groups outside, with one goal in mind – home to dinner (I used to think about food all the time even then). I got stopped politely by a cute dangly teenage boy around my age.  He went on to hand me a letter, a love letter! I know because it had a heart on it! See, that was the thing back then! Love letters and poems! No selfies, no dick pics, no shitty dating apps! Boys had to walk up and talk to you. Ugh! Take me back!

Guess what I did? I panicked! I had seen him around church a few times, I thought he was a cutie but dammit, Aunt Maggie was walking up behind me! What do I do? This hadn’t happened to me before. This only happened to my hot tall older sister! Was I allowed to talk to boys? Panic! Ok Jenn, breathe, be cool!

Little Jenn: Nose in air, rolls eyes at boy “what is that?”

Poor kid: “It’s a letter I wrote you! Please read it”.

Little Jenn: “What does it say?”

Poor Kid: “How about you take it and find out?” Small smile.

Little Jenn: “Not interested!” Flips head and walks away without taking letter.

What a bitch!

Fast forward 6 years later, I come home from college and run into old friends at that same church and I stop to chat. There is a cutie with them who refuses to acknowledge my presence and doesn’t even look at me or say a word to me! Rude!!! Guess who it is! Cute dangly teenager with the love letter.

Okay! long time to hold a grudge, buddy!

I didn’t realize it was him until after I left my friends. Naturally, it bothered me that I was ignored by someone I thought was a stranger and wondered why? Only then did I realize what I had done, six years later. I still feel bad because he was only 12 years old at the time and I was so mean! It is true what they say about people remembering how you make them feel, because 6 years later, he still remembered.

Where was I going with this story? Yes, that silly awkward innocent girl in the velvet dress now turned silly confident woman wearing yet again, another blue velvet dress. And I can’t help but think about how revolving fashion is. What is old becomes new again, bringing with it memories of moments once lost or forgotten. Thanks to Missy Empire for the gorgeous dress and for the reminder of that little velvet dress my twelve year old innocent self simply adored. I really do miss that strange girl! To the boy whose heart I may or may not have broken, I hope you turned out alright!

 

::Shop the post::

Dress c/o Missy Empire || Shoes c/o Bella Belle || Bag {similar} || Sunnies c/o Topshop