Some time with dear friends

Yesterday I met two of my sewing buddies for lunch and a visit to the museum at FIT.

The big Norman Norell exhibit is not due to open for another couple of weeks, but it is always good to look at great clothing with these particular friends.

This fabulous dress opened the exhibit.

It is made out of woven plastic measuring tapes. It is probably hideously uncomfortable to wear but it made all of us very happy to look at it.

The exhibit was sort of loosely organized around the themes. Some of the exhibits at FIT are put together so well that they completely re-arrange my brain. This exhibit didn't have that power but there were some lovely garments to see.

I loved the graphic look of this bustle underpinnings. 

These two dresses come from about the same time. The smocked brown velvet looks like the winter version of the college graduation dress my mother bought me. The Paul Poiret dress to the right could not have been worn at any other moment in time.

Yes, I do love the gold dress.

The Norma Kamali draped jumpsuit made me nostalgic for the off-price store just off of Lexington Avenue that carried tons of Kamali garments very discounted. Even discounted they were out of my range in 1982. I used to visit the clothes on my lunch hour and just lust after them.

More great clothes from the 1980's with Thierry Mugler dress on the left and a beautiful Donna Karan wrapped jacket on the right.

I had seen both of these garments in an exhibit on ability and disability at the Museum of Art and Design a while back. The top with the deep pleat is meant to be worn by post-op mastectomy patients. There are zippers and pockets to hold drainage tubes. 

The buttoned blouse is meant to be worn by women who use wheelchairs. The sleeves are open (and detachable) at the elbow to allow for maximum range of motion. At MAD there were several other exquisite sleeve options.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend time with my friends. 

And now onto neighborhood news. 

A line of grim looking trees on a grey day.

And in less grim news, the kosher ramen restaurant that is taking over the space in our old fish store looks like it is about to open.

You can decide if the hechsher is good enough for you.