Wear Something Gaudy

I was just reminded that today is Wear Something Gaudy Day. We were first introduced to this bit of fun by Larry Dallas, a character on the 70’s sitcom, “Three’s Company.” There is a good chance he introduced us all to Wear Something Gaudy Day at The Regal Beagle.
Some years before that episode, around 1969, I had a favorite gaudy outfit I had made for myself. It included a hot pink satin peasant blouse. I paired this with a pants in Chinese red homespun with a wild paisley print. The waistband was the width of a cummerbund. Two huge pink buttons attached a pair of wide suspenders to it. Down below, on my ridiculously long legs, were paisleyed elephant bells, gathered at the waistband and widening into a 36″ hem on each leg.
No match for the Drew Carey Show’s Mimi, of course, nor for Lady Gaga, but definitely gaudy. And fun. The outfit always picked up my spirits, always made me feel like dancing.
Many years later, a widow already, I had to show up for a photo shoot, in a suit, at a corporate client’s office. It was Mardi Gras, and I was missing New Orleans. I brought a bunch of feathered masks and beads for our final shot. We were in the cafeteria. A young woman who worked there came up after we finished to ask where we got the masks. She knew her husband would go wild if she had one. She blushed as she said that and again as I handed her a mask and some very shiny beads to go with it. Gaudy is fun.
If your marriage is running a little ordinary and humdrum these days, today’s your chance. Put on something truly gaudy and dance your spouse around the house. Playfulness and celebration are hallmarks of a thriving relationship. Enjoy being married!
Links to photos of your Wear Something Gaudy Day celebrations are greatly appreciated—unless all you are wearing is a feather mask and beads.