The Wardrobe

I love playing dress up. It’s a hobby of mine. I love makeup, hair, costumes – the entire transformation. I love capturing the abstract on camera, envisioning and creating, using my body as a canvas. Then, I preserve these moments in time, snapshots of art, in film. The camera saves and safeguards reality.

In Sevilla, Sarah and I had the opportunity to play a lil’ dress up. On our floor of Peppi’s apartment, there’s a hidden room. After snooping, we discovered a jackpot in the corner of the closed-off quarters. Beneath clothes hangers and trash bags hung a stockpile of flamenco dresses. We’d opened the wardrobe door to Narnia. We gawked at the assortment of vibrant rainbow color dresses, mounds of ruffles and fridge tucked neatly beneath a black cloak.

Peppi postponed the “try-on” date several times. She’s always searching for a day that’s “más tranquilo.” Everything needs to be more tranquil – without a worry in the world. When your days consist of a walk to Corte Inglés, maybe some ironing, and an occasional café con leche break, I don’t think you could really ask for anything more tranquilo…but hey, it works.

Peppi warned us that her niece and daughter’s dresses may not fit. My daughter is very beautiful and very skinny, she cautioned, the dresses probably won’t fit you, I’m pretty sure they won’t fit. But, she continued, head high, but I mean, you can try. Thanks, Pep! Please, tell me how ya really feel.

We slipped on the elaborate dresses. To our surprise (and Peppi’s), the zippers zipped and buttons fastened with minimal sucking-in and a little booty squeeze. Despite the Spaniards’ pint-sized frames, we had a match! The Cinderella slipper fit.

Peppi crinkled her little nose and waved her pointer finger, still insisting the dresses were too tight. Of course, the only flamenco dress that didn’t fit was by far “the most” beautiful. Spaniards have pride in what’s theirs, to say the least. In Peppi’s eyes, even Gisele Bundchen couldn’t outshine her daughter in that dress.

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It’s been a while since I’ve had that much fun. Sarah and I definitely drew attention to ourselves, fully made-up in flamenco gowns mid-street, dodging cars and stares.

All good work takes a little sacrifice. I hope Peppi’s next guests find The Wardrobe.