Tour of the Costume Box: A Cheongsam, a Kimono-Thing, and a Bunch of Fabric

Halloween Countdown: 13 days

You will have to trust me that this Chinese silk satin brocade cheongsam (eBay) is prettier than it looks in the picture and will exactly fit my older niece. The only flaw was a ballpoint pen line on the front which came came out with rubbing alcohol and blotting.

And try to believe me when I tell you this silk kimono-robe handed down from a college housemate is a worthy addition to The Box. It appears I myself only wear robes to keep warm–which could explain why this one sat in my drawer for 14 years.  Or maybe I kept it because it reminded me of another silk robe about the same size and weight in my granny’s costume box; it did duty for a lot of different outfits.

Big pieces of drapey fabric are also fun. I think the shiny green polyester was meant to be a window treatment. Honestly, the crap people will put on their windows! The rejected house-goods they will dangle themselves over the sides of the “As Is” bins at IKEA for! Have they no shame?

Moving right along. . .

A wrap from Goodwill that feels like silk but isn’t. Do you see those big bands of color blending from white to magenta to purple? Does anyone know the name for this type of dyeing?–I’ve always wondered. Anyway, it’s luscious, but after getting it home and running it through the delicate cycle I discovered numerous pink candle wax stains! Fortunately, I got them out (mostly) by ironing them between paper towels and spot-cleaning with detergent. Unfortunately, after washing the wrap a second time I found tropical punch stains. There is such a thing as too much fun for grownups.

Last and least, a homemade lace curtain, also from Goodwill. I bleached it, picked out the stitching, cut off the ragged edges. I thought the pattern was kind of classy for nylon lace.