THE SECRET LIVES OF DRESSES is a wonderful exploration of
the process of discovering your story and appreciating it's
beauty and complexity.
Dora rushes home to Forsyth, NC from college after receiving
the news that her beloved grandmother, Mimi, has suffered a
stroke. Not even bothering to run home to pack, Dora leaves
her job at the college coffee shop and hops in her car.
Dora arrives to discover that Mimi, the woman who loved and
raised her since the death of her parents, is gravely ill.
Not knowing how to help, Dora turns her focus to Mimi's love
of vintage clothing. Since she arrived without luggage,
Dora goes home to rummage through "Dora's closet" for things
to wear. The closet if full of vintage clothes Mimi has
collected for Dora over the years, but until now Dora has had
little interest. Before she realizes it, Dora is wearing
vintage dresses and running Mimi's resale shop. While
working in the shop, Dora discovers that many of the clothes
have a "secret life", a written story or vignette that
captures the life (real? imagined?) of the dress. Dora
isn't sure what to make of these stories, and wonders why
Mimi never told her about them.
Mimi has always wanted great things for Dora, but Dora has
always taken the path of least resistance; following
whatever path opens before her without really committing or
investing. She chose a college because it chose her, and
she doesn't have any particular interests. The closest she
comes to passion is the crush she has on Gary, her boss, who
has never shown any really interest in her, something she
hopes to change by graduating early and enrolling as a
graduate student (since Gary says he doesn't date
undergrads). Now that's she's back in Forsyth everything
seems off and the future seems unclear as she watches over
Mimi and the shop she loves. Helping her are old friends
Gabby and Maux, and new friend Conrad, a handsome contractor
who knows what it's like to lose a parents and wants to
offer her his support.
I loved the contrast between the clear and poignant stories
McKean writes for several dresses, and the struggle Dora is
experiencing about her own lack of story. Who is she? What
does she want? What matters? Dora has struggled to define
herself, and now the circumstances of Mimi's illness force
her to do just that. THE SECRET LIVES OF DRESSES is soft,
well-made, and will stand the test of time. If you like
tales of self-discovery, family, friendship, and a little
romance, this book is a good fit for you.
Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She
went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is
majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows
the least dirt. She falls into a job at the college coffee
shop, and a crush on her flirty boss, Gary.
Just when she's about to test Gary's feelings, Mimi, the
grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke. Dora rushes
back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running her
grandmother's vintage clothing store. The store has always
been a fixture in Dora's life; though she grew up more of
a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl, before she even knew
how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress
could lift a woman's spirit.
While working there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable
contractor, Conrad. Is he after Dora, or is working from a
different blueprint? And why did Mimi start writing down--
and giving away--stories of the dresses in her shop?
When Mimi dies, Dora can't get out of town fast enough and
cedes control of the store to her money-hungry aunt who
wants to turn it into a t-shirt shop for tourists. But
ultimately, she returns to Forsyth, willing to battle
whatever may stand in the way of her staying there. Dora
can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can
she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?
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