How Literature Has Ruined Me, #7740

[mrissa]

I was looking through sale items at a store online, and I came upon a certain skirt. "Hey!" I said to myself. "If I bought that skirt, I would be the Sympathetic Grown-Up in an E. Nesbit story!"

Then it occurred to me that I already am that model of Sympathetic Grown-Up. Mostly. Without quite so many self-contradictory class issues. And with more of a personal life than the later, C. S. Lewis model of Sympathetic Grown-Up.

I bought the skirt.

I hope it fits.

Comments

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Um. The one in the Bastables book where they're staying with the lady who is into Higher Living? She's the only Nesbit Sympathetic Grownup I can think of whose skirt I might recognize.

[columbina.livejournal.com]

You ask a lot of your skirts.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

It's nothing compared to what I ask of my trousers.

This is why I wear mostly skirts and dresses and jeans and not so much in the way of trousers, honestly.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

No, not a specific Sympathetic Grown-Up (although I just finished reading The Magic City not long ago, so the older sister is probably foremost in my head). A generalized Sympathetic Grown-Up.

To be honest, the skirt is short, so it's more mod than strict Nesbit would allow. But this is the only way it will work at all with my hair Burne-Jonesing all over the place, so it's all right.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Now I'm curious. If I were to design a modern version of a Nesbit S.G.'s skirt, I'd go with fitted and curvy, with back kick-pleats releasing from the knee down. To evoke a slight Edwardian train, maybe I'd have the front knee-length with the back pleats just a little longer.

But I wouldn't call that "mod" at all, so your platonic ideal of a Nesbit skirt is probably different.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

There is a good deal of Edwardian detailing in some of the mod stuff, so that's probably where the crossover is coming in.

I think it's the buttons, maybe.

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

When I first glanced at this post my eye immediately saw, "skirt" and "up".

My monitor is covered with tea. I hope you're happy, Mris.