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Gray dress

I hate ruining this masterpiece of a vintage dress with a bad hair day, but what can I say? I got carried away with one of my DIY haircuts and couldn’t do a thing with it! Only time cures some problems. In three weeks, I’ll be good as new.

Who is Abella? I searched high and low to learn more about the vintage Abella Paris label on this 1960s wool jersey dress, which I confidently date to the 1960s because of its metal zipper. After 1970, metal zippers were all but extinct in everything but outerwear and jeans. The only person I could find in history by that name was Maria Abella de Rameriz, a writer, feminist and free thinker from Uruguay who lived from 1863 to 1925—too old for this dress.

Abella Paris

Here’s a short detour. In 1910 Maria Abella de Ramirez launched The New Woman as the voice of the National Feminist League. Among the things she was known for: condemning the role of the church on women’s social status, protecting the rights of children who were born out of wedlock, and lambasting the moral code that created a double standard between men and women. Sounds like my kind of girl! There’s still plenty of work to be done in all three areas.

Back to my vintage dress: To further validate the date estimate, I found another vintage seller with a dress that is obviously from the same collection. Notice the similarities? Miss Sixties Vintage Fashion has a 1960s date on hers, too. She was selling her Abella for $189, so I felt pretty good about capturing this vintage beauty for $19 at an auction! It is in brand-new condition. Yay!

Gray Abella

FYI, the ruffles on my dress travel the entire circumference of the hem! I only wish I could have filled out the bust more generously! But, as Abella of Paris would say (if there ever was and Abella of Paris) c’est la vive! What can we do but make the best of what we’ve got, including bad hair days.

To accentuate the unique design, I chose a simple, monochromatic look: gray vintage purse from the 1980s, rhinestone jewelry from the 1950s and edgy semi-sheer tights. I sincerely hope you won’t mistake the paisley-ish pattern for varicose veins! (My Mom recently noticed mine. “Oh, honey,” she practically cried, mourning over signs of age on one of her babies. “What?” I said. “Did you think you’re the only one getting older, Mom?”)

Gray Purse and rhinestones

On myself, I hate bare legs with a dress or skirt. With spring here and summer coming, sometimes it’s a real challenge, especially for something as dressy as this ruffled frock. What summer leg wear options do you like?

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.