Ann Ipock
            Humorist, author, speaker

Georgetown Times Column

Mama is styling in her colorful hibiscus capris

By Ann Ipock                                                 September 22, 2004

I read recently that the iconic hibiscus flower is the hottest fashion item going these days, and that you can now find this beautiful state flower of Hawaii in all kinds of places: swimsuits, skirts and dresses, sportswear and even water bottles.
Living at the beach, I know this to be true because I see this same hibiscus pattern on beach towels, chairs and umbrellas.
But when I finished reading that article mentioning this savvy trend, I said, “Hush my mouth! Don’t my Mama know it!” As I tossed the newspaper into the recycle bin, I thought back to my dear, sweet precious Mama and a recent visit I’d made to her home, where she modeled her very own brand-new pair of hibiscus capris.
Let me back up here and say that no one would consider Mama a “flashy” dresser. Oh no. Even now her closet is mostly full of black, khaki, brown and navy — dignified, though subdued — with just a sprinkling of red for when she’s feeling spunky.
Still, Mama has always had a flair for style, even if it didn’t include psychedelic colors.

Now, me? Well, that’s a whole different story — the brighter the better. On my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, 10 years ago, I wore this darling Carole Little outfit with tight black fruity-patterned leggings and a totally precious oversized black top. (Remember that hideous wacky style that flattered no one?)
The size XL top — it could wrap around me twice — featured eye-popping bold embroidered watermelon, cherries, and pineapples. You could see me coming a mile away, and that’s about how far Russell, my husband, stayed. He detested that outfit, calling it (and me) “tootie-fruity.”
When my two sisters and I were growing up, Mama sewed all our clothes: poodle skirts, shifts, shirt-waist dresses, Madras blouses with Peter-Pan collars, wrap-around skirts, even two-piece bathing suits.
She was so creative that she often used one pattern, and altered it to make different styles. She was talented in other ways too.
She sewed Barbie doll clothes. The latter is truly unfathomable to me. Can you imagine the patience involved with that craft — the intricate measuring and cutting, the resultant sore fingers, crossed-eyes, and aching back from sewing those tiny scraps of material? No thank you!
But here’s where Mama’s hibiscus capris came into the picture, getting back to my visit and the morning we were packing to leave. Mama disappeared into her bedroom, getting ready for the day. I’ll never forget her sheepish grin when she opened her bedroom door and stepped out, looking like a million dollars: Tah dah! — shall I say, in living color?

I did a double-take. My Mama was a fashionista (though I didn’t know it at the time because I hadn’t read that article). Not only was she a fashionista, she was a visionary!
I’d dare anyone to match her beauty that day. Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t have a thing over her; unless you consider the fact that Gwyneth is taller. But y’all, my Mama was styling! “If you don’t believe it, just ask me!” an old friend named Vickie from Wilmington used to say. The rest of the morning Mama was strutting around like a peacock, dressed in her turquoise, fuchsia and yellow-hibiscus capris!
Her ensemble was complete with a solid turquoise V-neck cotton T-shirt and her comfy Sesto Meucci sandals. Though I lavished praise upon her, I was puzzled. I asked her why she didn’t wear that snazzy outfit the day before when we went out to lunch at Chili’s (a tradition that I’ll explain momentarily). She said, “Because I was afraid this outfit was too loud.” I said, “Mama, that’s the point. Loud is good!”
She just blushed and said innocently, “Are you sure?” She is so darned cute. I swear the older I get, the younger she looks. Her skin is so smooth and soft, and she has no wrinkles. I mean it. None. I hope her youthful genes have been passed down to me and my family.
I told her the next time we come home, I am going to insist she wears those funky hibiscus capris and blue top when we dine at Chili’s. We always have lunch there on Saturday, and now know many of the waitresses by name.

Our routine rarely varies: We split an order of fajitas — Mom chooses chicken and I choose steak. When the waitress brings out those steaming hot fajitas in that sizzling cast iron skillet, I spread out Mom’s chicken and cheese on the warm “flour” as Kelly, my oldest daughter, calls it — so it’ll melt in a hurry. Then Mom adds the other ‘fixins’, while I prepare mine. I love this dish because I certainly can’t duplicate the flavor at home (nor would I want to make that big of a mess) and I’m a huge fan of anything with a charcoaled flavor. Plus the dish, or presentation, if you will, is beautiful — almost as colorful as Mama’s capris — with the red tomato, green guacamole and purple onion. Even if it didn’t taste good — just kidding, it always does — it sure looks good!
After lunch, we usually visit unique shops not found in my area. Sometimes we tour historic Swansboro. On one visit, we even had a pedicure.

Meanwhile, the guys are doing their thing. Dad and Russell start their day with a big breakfast at the local country club, then play a round (or two) of golf. Sometimes Mom and I find them chair-napping when we make it home later in the day.
Then we four regroup, freshen up, and you guessed it: Go out to dinner. What a life, huh?
We’re planning another trip to see my parents in a few days and as usual, we’ll enjoy these special traditions that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. But this time, when Mama starts perusing the clothes racks, I’m going to be stuck to her like glue. If I want to make a fashion statement, what better trendsetter to follow?

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