Willimantic, Now & Then
But then my mother asked me what I was planning to wear to the wedding. “I think the invitation said something about Black Tie,” my mother said.
Now, my green Leprechaun suit, spiffy though it is, really isn’t Black Tie. I started to panic.
When I say panic, I’m talking about a pretty low-key thing. Mostly, it happens in the middle of the night, after a trip to the bathroom, when I am sinking deliciously back into sleep, and the whole “What am I going to wear” thing starts going through my mind.
No ‘Crying in the Chapel’ About These Wedding Clothes
By Mark Svetz
WILLIMANTIC –October, 2008
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Back then, I made myself a spiffy suit, which I still have, and it still fits. It is a beautiful suit, made of
100 per cent hemp fabric in a really nice grass green. When I made it, I recall a clever friend who kept running around me saying, “Somebody’s after me lucky charms!”
Aside from looking a little like a Leprechaun, I didn’t seem to embarrass anyone at the last wedding, so I thought I was pretty much set for Virginia.
Except for the little fact that we were also invited to the rehearsal dinner, and I thought I’d like to wear a different getup than my current marryin’ and burryin’ suit. But my clothing budget really hasn’t had any money in it for, oh, maybe 50 years. As a result, Sarah and I spent the spring and early summer not thinking about this.
Clothing usually comes to me in one of three or four ways. Mostly, these days, I make a mistake at the shop that results in something close enough to my size that isn’t good enough to sell. Otherwise, I either find something in the street, or a friend who has lost or gained weight says, “Do you think you’d wear this?” (My answer is always, “Sure.”). As a last resort, I go to the thrift store.
Sarah was also looking, and had found a couple outfits for herself. “Love Potion Number Nine” was playing on the speakers and we were both feeling like this shopping thing was not so bad after all.
The wedding was almost anti-climactic, but we had a nice time. The drive was as much fun as I thought it would be, and the wedding was memorable.
My day was made when my brother’s neighbor came up to me outside the church, where I was standing with Sarah, and said, “You must be Mike’s brother, ‘cause you’re wearing such cool clothes!”
Mark Svetz and Sarah Winter own Clothworks, a shop on Church Street in Downtown Willimantic, where they make and sell clothing and bags. Unfortunately, they have no formal wear
I now had my green suit, home in the closet, a black shirt to go with it, a really nice outfit with black pants, white shirt and charcoal blazer. I had shoes to go with both outfits. Ties, I had covered. (Somehow, the ties didn’t disappear with my old suit.) I knew my middle-of-the-night panic attacks were a thing of the past.
It didn’t seem like a hand-me-down would appear in my life, so Sarah and I headed out to Route 195 and the Salvation Army thrift store.
And that’s when this sartorial adventure really began.
Sarah and I went to Virginia last month for my niece’s wedding. This was a long-anticipated event for us. I expected to have a nice drive down with my son, and I was looking forward to seeing my brother and his family. There was, however, this whole getting dressed up thing.
I am an admirer of Henry David Thoreau. I especially admire his observation to “beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.”
For years I had a suit for weddings and funerals, but somewhere in middle age, after most of my friends were married off, but before they started dying, I seem to have misplaced it. I actually discovered this shortcoming in my closet a few years ago when my son got married.
After a few weeks of this low-grade panic, I decided to do what I always do – ignore it for as long as I can. My theory is, if there is a solution it’ll come to me if I give it time.
First of all, there were golden oldies playing in the store. I was immediately singing along to Jay and the Americans, as were the sales people. One hit song just followed another as I started looking for shoes.
While singing the words to “Do you wanna Dance,” I found two great pairs of shoes: one brown pair – wingtips – that were actually very comfortable, and a black pair that were almost my size. The brown pair would look great with my green suit, and I thought the black pair would be good for the rehearsal dinner.
With the Dave Clark Five singing, “Do you Love me,” I angled over to the pants rack. I found a nice pair of black pants that fit me to a T. Now, I am starting to have a feeling for this. Black shoes, black pants…what’s next?
A white shirt, which I found: pure, snowy white, and a perfect fit! I also found a jet-black shirt to go with my green suit. I was cookin’, just like Sam and Dave, which was playing in the store.
You’ve all heard how the tailor’s children have no clothes? Well, this summer I learned how true this old saying is, at least for the tailor’s husband and trusty sidekick.
Cousin Daniel Gets to Ring the Church Bell
Wedding Clothes
Mother & Daughter Dance
Dad & his Daughter
The Bride & Groom
