Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Six Degrees of Della

You are in the middle of two photographs of Germaine Greer. The first one was featured in a groovy magazine called 'Pol' in Some Far Off Distant Decade. The second one was taken more recently.
Funnily enough, I'm not showing them to showcase the Ravages, or perhaps the Cruelty of Age. 
 The only reason why I feature anyone, famous  or otherwise on Della is to make some Link With Me. Just like I did a few days ago with Margaret Thatcher. 
Before I tell you my Link with Germaine, I must tell you how I feel about her.
Bad.
 I know that's  'Way Harsh' (I'm still teaching 'Clueless'), but she let me down terribly many years ago when, upon moving to The Mother Country, she immediately abandoned her Exciting Eclectic & Somewhat Raunchy Look in order to embrace Frump. 
It was an astonishing & almost immediate transformation, as if she thought, 'Right, now that  I've moved to England, I must  start dressing like The Queen'. Only it was The Queen after a Big Night & also without all the Glittery Bits. 

And how does all of this relate to Me, you might or might not ask?
Down below is Me Today. I'm wearing a v. cheap & a few years old houndstooth jacket from one of those dreadful Landfill Shops where you can buy an entire winter wardrobe for under a hundred bucks. Underneath is a wool thrifted 'Trent Nathan' dress that must be at least twenty years old because I had to rip the shoulder pads out before I wore it. I've tied a ten dollar Toy Pashmina that I bought at 'Cotton On' into a Pussy Bow which I think is v. clever of me. But then I'm wearing an Enormous Pair of Black Chandelier Earrings that have, by a Nasty Trick of Digital Photography completely disappeared. I swear that they were there though.

Anyway, Denny, a fellow teacher but not an English Teacher who shares our staffroom made a comment about my outfit today.
Denny is older than me, conservative, but well-dressed. She said, 'What has happened to you? You've become so conservative all of a sudden?  What happened to wearing one red stocking & one yellow one? You're wearing something that I might wear.' 
I was Mortified.
 'But what about the huge Chandelier earrings, Denny? You wouldn't wear those, would you?' I meekly inquired.
She didn't answer. Maybe the earrings were really invisible after all.
And then I started thinking about Germaine & her Overnight Change from Eclectic to Frump. Perhaps that's what has happened to Me. After all, I've often been told, 'What you resist, you get'. All these years of  disapproving of Germaine & I'm now suddenly turning into her. 
Quelle Horreur!

4 comments:

Darla said...

GG looks a bit disapproving in that second photo - like she's saying "See? This is what could happen to you".

Your conservative outfit would be nice for meeting the lawyer - well if you wanted to. Meanwhile lets have some more of your inspiring a colorful self please.

Darla

Mervat said...

I absolutely love this look on you - very clever! The shock factor is still there - your co-workers do not expect this look from you (as I am sure they didn't expect your look six months or a year ago) so in my mind nothing has changed about you! It is still 'always all about you'! And isn't that what this is all about? Hooray to that!!
xxoo

Sheila said...

I love this look on you - I don't know what they are saying that you are conservative! Maybe you just need a shock of colour (a red bow instead of black?).

Della Street Dreaming said...

Thank you Mervat for that beautful comment!
And thank you Sheila - I actually have a new red felt camellia which I'll drag out next time.