Dirty Little Secret

Here's my dirty little secret. Well, it's really not dirty. It's actually washed pretty regularly, which is probably leading to it's demise. I bought this shirt back when my daughter was in middle school (she's now 30 something). It came from the Limited and has been my favorite denim shirt for years. They just don't make them like they used to! When it became too bad to wear outside the house, it became my paint shirt. I wear it in the winter because my apron doesn't cover long sleeves and I have a tendency to drag my cuff through the paint.

The last time I washed it, I realized it was coming to the end of it's long lived life. The holes became much larger and before long it won't be much protection from paint. (Note the cuff coming off from the sleeve.) Vanity is not a major issue with me, so once it goes on for the day I generally forget to remove it. This poor thing has been worn to the post office, store, etc... When you're my age, memory becomes a problem and you don't realize what you have on until you get there and notice people staring at you. My mind has a way of making me feel better in these predicaments: They'll know this is my uniform and that I paint, walls (ha), for a living. I've seen construction workers (my husband was a brick mason) in their filthy work clothes stopping by the store on the way home from work to pick up milk for the wifey and I somehow see myself this way when I'm caught wearing this lovely item out of the home.

I also feel bad for the mailman (lady) who comes to my door about once a week and is alsaulted with the view of my daily attire. My husband once told me I looked like a bag lady when he came home from work and I had on my apron with this work shirt over the top. I had on new jeans and needed the double protection of the apron!

Note the lovely lacey details along the neckline. I have many more shirts that could be worn for this activity, but none feel the same as this well worn and very soft denim shirt. This beloved friend will soon be laid to rest and I'll be searching for the next fashion statement.

My faithful shirt and I painted this little canvas for eBay yesterday: