The park has been all abuzz the past few days, it seems its all the ladies are talking about. There is going to be fashion show this evening but just not any fashion show, we’re having a ROPA Style Show!
Do you remember a few months back when I took you on a trip to ROPA?
This is where the ROPA Style Show fashions came from. Let me clarify this, this is where they started. Better dresses, gowns, cocktail dresses, designer clothes were culled from these same donations and taken to a storefront where they are hung on hangers and displayed. That store is where most of the show’s clothing came from,but not all. Some came from the pile above.
The leader of the show, the one who works tirelessly putting it altogether is Patty G. She shopped for some of the clothes, organized the ladies in the park to be the models and was emcee for the evening. She has been one busy lady!
I made my way to the Friendship Hall a half hour before the show started so that I could get behind the scenes pics.
The lovely Dixie is sharing a laugh with the ladies before its time to strut her stuff.
One last look in the mirror.
Patty P., one of the park’s Activities Department workampers wrapped up in her pink boa.
There was so much activity in the quilting dressing room with last minute touch ups to make-up, changes in jewelry, getting out of comfortable Crocs and sneakers and putting on those unfamiliar high heels.
This wardrobe change was a huge difference from the everyday shorts and summer top or jeans and a sweatshirt on those chilly days.
Some of these dear ladies just don’t have the steady hand they once did so their friends graciously offer to help with applying of their makeup and helping them make their clothing selections.
Now, lest you think this park has some butt ugly ladies let me tell you right now that we think Ralphina is just beautiful!
He She is quite the fashion icon in the Rio Grande Valley.
It was soon time for the show to start so I went out to the auditorium to claim my front row seat.
This is Joyce M., she is wearing a Jessie Harris white rayon wrapped dress, a throw back to the 1920’s.
Sun Z. is wearing a Caroline Wells Collection dress. It is a long beige flowered sheath with an overlay of net. This dress cost Sun thirty cents. You read that right, thirty cents not thirty dollars. She got it from the pile so she paid by weight.
Sun spends hours and hours at the ROPA each week digging through the pile and finds the most amazing buys.
Carol I. is wearing a beautiful cocktail dress with cape that started out as a long formal. Ever so handy with a needle and thread Carol cut the dress to cocktail length and made a cape out of the material she cut off.
The dress has hand stitched beadword on the bodice trim and twenty one covered buttons down the back.
This lovely lady is Phyllis B. the better half to Ralphina.
Phyllis is wearing a silver accented, 100% pure silk, black dress by ShoMax.
She and Ralph, her husband of sixty years will be ready to trip the light fantastic when she puts this little number on again.
Marge H. is our 2011/2012 Mission Bell/Trade Winds Park Queen. She wore this black creation for the coronation and to the Citrus Festival Activities.
She shopped til she dropped and found this frock for a whopping $10.00! Now that’s a good buy!
Irma F. is modeling this beautiful sequined sheath with cap sleeves. This dress is completely covered with black sequins and decorated with gray and silver sequins set in a pattern on the bodice.
This dress weighs in at about five pounds with all the sequins! Another great buy at $23.00
Alma G. really hit the jackpot with this sportswear outfit.
Alma’s black slacks are by Jaclyn Smith, her red knit top is by Designer Originals, her black and white jacket is from Coldwater Creek and to complete her outfit she is wearing leather boots by Bandolino.
And the purse? Coach. Yes, Coach.
This entire outfit, including the Coach purse, set our Alma back a whole $7.00 !
Audrey F., our Activities Director, continues the sportswear line with a tailored suit jacket, that you can’t see, slung over her shoulder. It is by Kasper by Nights and made in China.
Her vest is red with black and red beading with a black zipper. She didn’t know the brand name but suspects some little old ladies from the Philippines made it.
Her favorite black jeans are made in the good ol’ USA and her underwear were made in Mexico.
Audrey is one culturally correct chick!
Elinore N. is wearing a sequined long sleeve dress by Mark & John of Sonia Suri Inc of LA. This dress features a scalloped hem which hangs longer in the back.
Elinore was a very smart shopper with this cocktail dress. She bought it by the pound and it set her bank account back a pretty penny. In fact, twenty pretty pennies. That’s right, 20 cents!
Joyce looks terrific in the blue velvet dress with a touch of old fashioned lace at the neckline.
She looks like she’s ready for Dancing with the Stars!
A whole lotta shopping has been going in the last few weeks getting ready for this ROPA Style Show. Some of the models even had two or three wardrobe changes for the show. I’m sorry I couldn’t show everyone and every outfit worn during the show but I can only blog so much.
As I said, a whole lotta shopping has been going on. You never know what your going to find at a ROPA. Designer dresses, high end sweaters or slacks or skirts. Name brand coats, the possibilities are endless. Yep, you can find just about anything. Clothes in blue, green, yellow, pink, red and even animal prints. Including the animal print outfit below that Ralphina modeled. It brought the house down!
I can only bet that it takes a ton of work to organize all this which turns out to be a fun evening for the folks here. There were plenty of ooh’s and aah’s as the models walked the ROPA runway. Yes, a lot of work goes into this. Again, we have Patty G. to thank for this fun evening.
Here is Patty receiving a token of appreciation from all the gals involved in this year’s ROPA Style Show. Patty is wearing a beautiful, long, purple dress by Alex Evenings that has a slit up one side. Over it, she is wearing an over blouse of sparkly stretch fabric.
This was another fashion find at twenty cents! Patty is planning on wearing this dress to her granddaughter’s evening wedding.
So its over for another year, but the ladies will be digging through the ROPA piles again next year and I bet they find some great buys once again.
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