The seniors organized a dance with a local rock band for grades nine through twelve. During the mid-60s it was still cool to attend school dances and I couldn’t wait. I had a new dress. And it wasn’t handed down to me from my cousin.
A few days earlier Mom visited my Aunt Sophi and returned with a surprise from her. Aunt Sophi was my favorite of Mom’s sisters. Next to Mom, I thought she was the prettiest and most stylish. She and Aunt Mary K were each thin, so I identified more with them.
As a young teen I walked like a clod-hopper with my toes pointed outward. My Aunt Sophi tactfully showed me how to walk with one foot in front of the other, toes straight ahead instead of East and West. Once boys finally noticed I was alive they often complimented my graceful walk.
Yearbook photo of my dress while holding a Future Homemakers of America banner.
I called immediately. “Thanks Aunt Sophi. I absolutely love it. I’m wearing it to our school dance this Friday.”
“You’re certainly welcome, Dolly. I’m glad you like it.”
Mom dropped me off at school a few days later. I stood in line, paid my entrance fee, and got my hand stamped.
The normally bright lunch room/auditorium/old gymnasium/dance hall was transported to another dimension with muted lighting and crepe-paper decorations. Folding chairs ringed the perimeter.
I looked for Marcia and crossed the dance floor to sit by her.
“What a pretty dress,” she said. “Is it new?”
“Thanks, my Aunt Sophi bought it for me.”
“I wish my aunts bought me dresses.”
We got up and walked to an adjoining hallway where home baked refreshments were sold.
Martha, Nancy, and Stephanie intercepted us.
“See, I told you it was the same,” Nancy announced to the other two girls.
“Oh my gosh!” said Martha. “You’re wearing the exact same dress as Bonnie (name changed to protect the innocent).”
“Where is Bonnie?” asked Stephanie. “I can’t wait to see her face.”
Marcia and I scanned the room, no Bonnie. We bought our soda, cookies, and brownies. Re-entering the auditorium, we spotted Bonnie on the edge of the dance floor surrounded by several friends. I walked over (with straight feet) to show her my look-a-like dress and laugh with her.
Bonnie didn’t laugh. She was not ecstatic to have me as her twin.
“I can’t believe you wore my dress,” she accused.
Your dress? Hmmm.
“They aren’t exactly alike,” I pointed out.
Her dress had short sleeves; mine had long. She only had a ruffle around her neckline. Mine had ruffles around my neckline and cuffs. No one needed to tell me I just won my first ruffle-off.
Bonnie and her friends went into a corner, where she pouted. Marcia and I enjoyed the dance. I silently sent extra thanks to Aunt Sophi for choosing the version with long sleeves and extra lace.
Fast forward: I’ve encountered many other duplicates over the years. At an office Christmas party in the 80s, Nora and I were the two senior supervisors of customer support. We showed up in identical new dresses; hers was red and mine was green. We laughed it off and said dressing alike was a new requirement for our position.
Why, oh why did I wear this dress to a second wedding? Once was one time too many!
Mary#2 and I once bought the same navy and white shoes, and stopped at Aunt Ann’s on our way home. Aunt Ann loved our shoes and tried a pair on.
“Would you mind if I bought a pair?” she asked.
“Of course not!” we replied.
The most memorable twin occasion was my cousin Ed Jr.’s wedding in the early 80s. I showed up wearing a short version of the bridesmaid’s silk fuchsia dresses, complete with poofy Princess Diana sleeves. Their matching fuchsia shoes were silk, mine suede.
Lesson learned: If you unexpectedly find yourself with a twin, get over it, have fun, and be grateful you aren’t both accidentally naked.
Now it’s your turn: Did you ever find yourself with an unexpected twin?
Related posts: Chapter Ten: Girly Boys
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1950 Memories of Suburban Adventures 
Yes, indeed. Twice. On one occasion, we both laughed it off and stuck together for the rest of the evening. On the other, my twin left early 🙂
Mimmy, she probably left early because you wore it better! Movie stars actually have stylists to try to prevent twin-ism, yet it still happens.
That was a wonderful sign-off to an entertaining post, Mary! Psst – I still walk (waddle?) with toes pointing East and West 🙂
Thanks, Suresh. Despite my best efforts, my oldest son walks that way. Perhaps it means you like to travel.
Quite often at work. One of my colleagues has the exact same poncho like top except that mine is cream and hers was black. Then there were the days that all of the office staff simultaneously turned up wearing black and white. We laughed and called it our new staff uniform.
Of course living in a small town where there are only one or two clothing outlets, you are bound to have twin occurrences. 🙂
Suz, I live in a small town, too. Mary#2 and I often bought the same things. My two sisters and I have similar taste and figures so its not uncommon for us to be twin sisters.
I wish you’d taken an office photo that day.
It was quite funny actually. I wish we had as well. 🙂
Such a great story, thank you for sharing. ajm
Thanks, Ann.
When I read your posts Mary I am so reminded of “The Waltons” or “The Little House On the Prairie”. Your stories would make a fantastic TV series. xox ❤
Ha ha, Ralph. I probably would have been more like nasty Nellie Olsen. My youngest sister, Paula, looked a lot like Laura Ingalls.
Can’t say I ever did – more a girl thing, I guess. As a rep. in London home counties in my twenties I was told I was the spitting image of another in my chosen calling. The customers we shared frequently claimed it was difficult to tell us apart. Now that would have been OK, but the other guy was called Mr. Duck, and – wait for it – he came from Aylesbury! If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck…..
Yeah Fred, I wouldn’t want to be confused with Mr. Duck either.
And you’re right, definitely a girl thing. Guys don’t seem to give a hoot if they have the same shirt or slacks. I can just imagine a bunch of guys at a wedding reception – “Oh no, we all wore white shirts. I’m going home to change.”
At a wedding reception? No, we’d just take off the shirts…
Ha ha!
Even though I think your schoolmate, Bonnie acted like a spoiled brat, I tried hard not to have the same dress in my closet, let alone on my person, as someone else. Because my mom liked sewing, I didn’t have to worry about it too much. Even if some other girl may have the same pattern of dress as mine, the changes of her having it in the same fabric was very slim.
Your attitude towards the incident was right on. Make it a positive instead of a negative. ❤
Thanks, Glynis. Truth be told, it wasn’t so much that someone had the same dress as her, it was the fact that the someone was an unpopular girl – me.
Enjoyed reading this. Funny that folk like Bonnie have that reaction. I saw it once from the mother of a kid who turned up dressed exactly like my son. She had this look of having been violated in some way and muttered something like ‘how could you’ as if it had all been planned in advance. 😀
Spunky, I’m trying to imagine what kind of outfit both a woman and your son would both be wearing. Each possibility brings a smile. And if it was within your power, I do think you might have done it on purpose.
I didn’t say “…mother of a kid, who …”.
I said “…mother of a kid who…”.
Maybe I should have said “…mother, of a kid, who turned up…”
😀 😀
Oops! Well, I sure did have some funny pictures in my head for a while.
Nope! And like you I never did see the problem with it!
Elle, I understand duplicates of a nice outfit, but can’t believe someone besides me wanted to wear that ugly fuchsia dress.