Over the weekend, Terry and I noticed that we were starting to get some breaks in the non-stop downpour we’ve been experiencing for the past few weeks months. At first we were afraid. What did it mean, this end to the rain? What was that bright light in the sky that would appear for a few, fleeting seconds, and then be switched off, plunging us once again into miserable darkness?
Well, we waited it out for a while, not trusting the dry spell to continue, but after a few hours without any sign of rain, we decided to chance our luck, and attempt one of our favourite summertime activities: exploring old houses and, well, drinking champagne. So off we went to Hopetoun House, which is an old mansion house which also serves afternoon tea: score!
Unfortunately for me, although the weather was dry and warm(ish), it was also very, very windy. What’s the LAST thing you should wear on a windy day, folks? That’s right: a big-skirted dress with lots and lots of fabric, which will fly up at the slightest breeze.
So, naturally, that’s what I wore.
The dress in question is from River Island, and had actually been on my “to be eBayed” pile up until last week, when I decided to go through said pile and try a few of the things on before selling them/donating them. So I did that, and then… I put all of them back in my wardrobe again. Whoops.
It was only as I stepped out of the car, and immediately flashed two innocent bystanders, that I remembered WHY I had decided to part ways with this dress. Remember this post? The one where I flashed a bunch of people while wearing a big-skirted dress? THIS was that dress. And now it has struck again.
Obviously the dress has a plan. And obviously it’s a plan which mostly revolves around forcing me to flash my underwear as many times as possible. Actually, scratch that: the plan doesn’t revolve around that. That IS the plan. It’s simple, yet powerful in its ability to cause the maximum amount of humiliation in the shortest amount of time. The two people I flashed in the car park, for instance? Got to see my underwear twice. Because first the dress flew up at the front, then, as soon as I grabbed it and pulled it down, it instantly – INSTANTLY – flew up at the back. Mortified.
At least the house was pretty, though.
(Yes, we took too many photos. The place was just too picturesque not to. “It must be nice in the summer,” I said to Terry at one point. He had to remind me that this actually IS “summer”, and not Autumn, which is what it felt like…)
Alice
07/24/2012This dress is lovely, even if it does have occasional mishaps, sometimes I think skirts in general are a terrible idea in Scotland. I’ve not been to Hopetoun House since I was little, I used to hate being dragged round National Trust houses when I was little but now I absolutely love it xo
Amber
07/24/2012Haha, I think you’re right: midi skirts always seem like such a demure choice, too – until the moment they go flying over your head!
I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d actually never been to Hopetoun, despite being almost on its doorstep. It was really lovely, but I do want to go back on a sunnier day to see it at its best!
Roisin
07/24/2012That dress is ever so pretty and I have had more than one such mishap myself – including once when my skirt blew over my head when I was crossing a street in front of traffic! The poor, unsuspecting drivers of Leamington Spa. Hopetoun House looks fab too, you’ve got to love somewhere that serves a cream tea 😀
Amber
07/24/2012Oh, no! Well, I bet you were popular that day, at least 😀
I would like to say I’ve learnt my lesson now, but obviously I will continue to wear big dresses and flash people. Oh, and this dress is actually doubly embarassing: it has a boned corset, which, although hidden by the cardigan in this instance, sometimes travels downwards, creating a strange, “travelling boobs” effect: awesome!
Aaron via Facebook
07/24/2012Amazing as always!
Katie
07/24/2012I actually have a theory that some skirts actually cause the weather. One of my old skirts certainly did that; it could be perfectly calm outside but the second I put on that particular skirt and stepped outside, the wind would pick up and we would immediately enter Flashville, population: me.
Your photos of your day out are just gorgeous. I love the way you’ve managed to make it look as though you were just wandering about your estate or something. It’s such an amazing place.
Amber
07/24/2012Oh God, yes, I have clothes like that too – the second I put them on, the weather is instantly cursed!
It actually felt a bit like we were wandering about our own estate: I guess one of the good things about the gloomy weather is that The Others don’t tend to go out in it, so we had the grounds more or less to ourselves most of the time!
Erika
07/24/2012Looked like a beautiful day. I even saw a bit of blue sky in one of those pics! I would love to have old houses like that around where I live to walk though, very cool!
Amber
07/24/2012Ha, that was the ONE bit of blue sky we got all day – luckily we managed to immortalise it on film!
Catherine
07/24/2012Well the wind did make for some beautiful pictures! You’re such a natural model. I always feel like it’s blatantly obvious I’m not comfortable having my pic taken. And seriously that house. Reason enough to jump the pond and move to the UK! 🙂
Amber
07/24/2012You should see the out-takes 😉
Kerrie
07/24/2012You look fab Amber!! I love the dress!! But I do have a question, how did you manage on the swampy grass with your heels?
Amber
07/24/2012I just didn’t stand on any swampy bits of grass 🙂
Jaynie
07/24/2012This happens to me all the time. I have taken to calling the incidents of skirts-flying-up-quick-hold-it “Marilyn Monroe Moments”, or “Monroements”; the fact that I have a name for them probably indicates how often I’ve dealt with this! (I have — finally — started to wear short leggings under such skirts, so at least I don’t have to share my undies with the world anymore, but it is still not the best way to spend an afternoon).
Amber
07/25/2012“Monroements”! I LOVE it! I just think it’s so unfair that Marilyn somehow managed to look gorgeous while her skirt was flying up – I just look like my clothes are trying to kill me!
Tracey
07/26/2012The dress may be crazy, but it is pretty. AND your hair looks AMAZING in the first picture. Yes that required caps.
Becca
07/27/2012I just wanted to say, you remind me so much of Karen Gillian, from Doctor Who…
That is all.
Amber
07/27/2012Oh, that is such a compliment! I actually found out last year that the little kids who live in my street all thought I was her… I’d noticed them all looking at me strangely when I was in the street, but people often look at me strangely, so I didn’t think much of it. Anyway, one day I was out digging up the weeds in the garden and a woman from across the street appeared carrying her little girl: she said she hoped I didn’t mind, but her daughter was convinced I was Amy Pond, and they’d explained I wasn’t, but she still wanted to meet me. I don’t watch Doctor Who, so I actually had to Google her when I came indoors: when I did, I was very, very flattered, and also totally mortified at how disappointed the little girl must have been to have been confronted with sweaty-faced, makeup-free me, when she was expecting Amy Pond!