Monday, April 9, 2007

Embarrassing Clothes



Whew, it is 12:15 AM, April 9th and so Fun Monday begins. The challenge for this week's Fun Monday posed by Amy W of A Family Story is to describe embarrassing clothing that we wear and how it got that way.

I am not sure that my clothing embarrasses me, but maybe it ought too. One category of clothing that I wear, which might embarrass others, is my homemade articles of clothes. Occasionally, I will make something to wear to school to celebrate an event or a scientific concept. Since I really am not a seamstress, I usually sew something simple without buttons or zippers, wraparound skirts or skirts with elastic waistbands. The following skirt, Exhibit A, is made of funky Joe Boxer material, that features skeletons of Stegosauruses. Originally, I did not realize that the white edge of the skeletons glow in the dark. After making the glow-in-the-dark discovery, I started wearing the skirt when teaching about triboluminescence, which is an optical phenomenon in which light is generated via the breaking of certain bonds in some crystals.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Here is another elastic waistband skirt that I have worn to celebrate Earth Day and National Geography Week.
Exhibit C
This wraparound skirt I made for an interdisciplinary study of Africa. I am not sure that the material represents the continent of Africa; however, the bright colors and fish are meant to characterize the mighty continent.
Exhibit D
The other category of ought-to-be-embarrassing clothes involves my penchant for wearing hand-me-down or hand-me-up clothes. I wear clothes from my sisters, parents, sister-in-laws, as well as my husband and sons. One of my favorite garments is a suit, a man's suit that my son wore almost twenty years ago when he was in high school. In this picture Daddy D and I are doing a little spoof on the The Blues Brothers for our Sunday School class. What do you think should I be embarrassed?

18 comments:

Beccy said...

You sound like a really cool teacher. That glow in the dark skirt would have got me interested in triboluminescence!

The very nice man said...

C'mon . . that skirt for Earth Day . . you didn't REALLY wear that, did you??
Were you arrested by the style police?? Heehee!! Brilliant!!

Amy W said...

I actually wish I could sew clothes!

I like the skirt for Earth Day, very cute...

And I agree with Beccy, you sound like a pretty cool teacher.

daddy d said...

No, not at all. Anything that gets the focus of your students upon the content is a good idea. Having a skirt to do that is just good educational practice. That Blues Brothers thing was pretty much up beat.

frannie said...

I like the handmade clothes! interesting and cool!

Anvilcloud said...

Love the suits.

ChrisB said...

Embarrassed no- you have a flare for capturing the moment through your clothes I'd say a unique talent for a teacher.
Blues Brothers looks fun.

Anonymous said...

You are the coolest teacher EVER!!!

PJ Librarian said...

I'm glad that my wee one has a grandmother that doesn't limit her clothing outlook based on the so called fashion industry. She is going to grow up knowing that it is the creativity and uniqueness of ones self that matters more. Being able to create items and wear them with pride (or humor) is so much more fun then buying them.

Anonymous said...

I'd actually wear the first one. I love neutral colors, and my kids would think it was so cool that it glowed in the dark.

I'm agreeing with everyone, whatever it takes to get students interested in learning. I think you're a really cool teacher for wearing these clothes.

AfKaP said...

I'm with pjlibrarian on this. No embarrassment at all! I thought about posting the prom dresses that I had made in high school but that might have been going too far! I think you have great flair. (Or should that be flare for spontaneous combustion day?)

Anonymous said...

I think those clothes are awesome for a teacher. Of course, I don't think I would have wanted to wear them anywhere else, but a classroom. But - I am jealous of your ability to sew. I've never learned.

Anonymous said...

I love this! It makes me miss my days in the classroom. I wasn't as creative as you, but I did go as a "theme" many days every month.
Now, I will be back to do further research as I haven't visited here much.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but you have failed. I see nothing wrong with any of the clothes you posted!

Anonymous said...

Tribo what? Geez. I say anything that gets the point across is a good thing. After all, look at what it did for our Sunday school class. That was the greatest - wish we could have taken a movie instead of the picture!

Anonymous said...

I am not embarrassed in the least for you. I think a hand sewn skirt for an educational purpose is absolutely delightful! And the Blues Brothers suit? Absolutely fabulous.

Thanks for coming by!

Anonymous said...

I can't help but wonder if you are the inspiration for the fabulous Ms Frizzle of the Magic Schoolbus series????

Anonymous said...

I was thinking along the same lines as Susan (Mrs. Frizzle) :)...and I think you're BRILLIANT!

In context, lol. Some of these things out of context might just be cause for embarrassment ;).