Respect for the Housewife Dress

I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite dress from my three GownTown Vintage pieces this month.  I think they're all gorgeous!  But, there's something about this dress, I would call it a vintage housewife dress, that feels very homey to me, as though if I were to go back in time, I might find my grandmother lounging on the settee in the afternoon, painting her nails and chatting on the telephone with her sister while wearing a dress just like this.

She's spent all day cleaning, cooking, dropping off, picking up, shopping, preparing, and now this is a moment just for her.  And she's pampering herself by putting away her work clothes and putting on a nice casual dress.  This dusty blue color is an all-time favorite and the white piping around the collar and sleeves and white contrast buttons down the front are heavenly.

Then all the day's dirty work is forgotten, and it's Move over, June Cleaver, you've got some competition!  I know that when people say it's a "housewife dress," there can be this negative energy about it, but I have nothing but respect for homemakers of all eras, including today.  You're basically in charge of keeping several people alive, fed, clothed, educated, taxied, loved, supported, and the list goes on and on and all for...?  Maybe a hug?  Rarely a thank you.  It is a hard job, a thankless job.  It is a job that is done not for reward, because no monetary gain is in it, but simply out of love.  

And then, as one of my favorite poems by Elma Mitchell says, 

And when all’s over, off with overalls,

Quick consulting clocks, they go upstairs,

Sit and sigh a little, brushing hair,

And somehow find, in mirrors, colours, odours,

                             Their essences of lilies and of roses.

We--housewives, mothers, women, people--cannot predict or even avoid the goliath tasks that each day may bring.  We simply roll up our sleeves and face them as they come, with sweat and tears, and all the strength we can muster each day. Sometimes, in all the giving, we forget to care for ourselves.  Don't forget.  No matter who you are, or what you do, to put yourself on the list.  Take a moment for you. 

A dress that makes you feel good and remember that you are a woman, and a beautiful woman too.  A vacation that restores your soul so you can bring more to your work and the people you love.  A few hours of daily quiet mediation to bring peace to your mind you can help others navigate chaos.  These things help us find ourselves again.

Shopping Info:  GownTown Women's 1950s Vintage Short Sleeves Notch Lapel Swing Dress