There are some advantages to being single and unattached. For example, having the liberty of doing what you want, when you want to; not having to worry about the increasing challenges of raising kids in an increasingly hostile environment; coming home to meet things exactly the way you left them (many may disagree with me); not having to mind your ‘Ps and Qs‘ or hurt your loved one with emotional blackmail or outbursts (selfish, I know) etc. However, there are many disadvantages and one such frustration is zipping up!
To all the single women out there living alone, I’m sure you’ve experienced this at some point. You have a hot date and you’ve been planning an outing for weeks! You buy a gorgeous outfit to impress your date, and you know he’ll be impressed (at least that’s the expectation). Two hours before you step out, you start your preening: a long, de-stressing soak in the bathtub with your favourite aromatic bubble bath, you oil your skin, touch up the hair, apply makeup, and finally it’s time to slip into that fitted black little number…SCREECHING HALT… REWIND!!!
At the store where you purchased this sexy LBD a few weeks ago, you wore the outfit, no hassle. The store assistants were there to help when required and you didn’t think too much of it, until now! TONIGHT however, there are no store assistants or anyone else to help with the zipper…what do you do? Arriving at your date half-dressed may quicken things along but not necessarily produce the desired result of a long-term relationship. Sounds funny, until you’ve experienced it. A recent incident brought everything to the head for me and I decided, no more!
I had a high-profile wedding to attend, which required an outfit to match. For this event, I chose to utilise the services of a reputable Designer, who is also a friend. I tried out the outfit twice before completion and though I was concerned about the back zipper, my friend calmly allayed my fears by reassuring me that the style was meant to be fitted, corseted without the bones and that the zipper would help. The final result was breath-taking and I was visibly excited. On the d-day, after much preparation, it was time to get dressed. I slipped on the top, no problem; then tried to pull up the zipper but halfway through, my arm could go no further. I reached out with my other arm from the top…same result. My life (that could have been) flashed before me and I thought: ‘if only I were married to a loving man, and/or had a child (old enough) to zip me up, things would be different.’ I tried everything from enforcing mind over matter, attempting to elongate my arm (jokingly considered dislocation) and even had a remote (quickly dismissed) idea of calling my (driver) chauffeur to zip me up. After many tries, at which point I was dishevelled, stressed and sweaty (in spite of blowing fan and air-conditioner), I gave up! I cleaned myself up and settled on a solution.
The Solution: cover my back with a throw scarf and get a friend to zip me up when I arrived at the wedding. This seemed the only feasible, plausible, solution. I wasn’t happy and swore it would be the last time. Weeks later, I stumbled upon a solution on the Internet. Check out ‘Zip Cord Puller Clothing Dressing Aid‘ by Ablewear via Amazon.
Though life always throws out challenges, if we look hard enough, there is a solution waiting to be discovered. I find the Internet to be a useful starting point, at such times.
J
Jemimah 