Two weeks ago, I wrote about pairs and pairs of alligator, lizard and ostrich shoes that were up for sale at auction. The story and photos pricked the memory of one reader whose uncle’s wardrobe of skins was just as immense.
He was Uncle Jimmy – or “Jim” – as the emailer called him. He and his wife Evelyn were fancy dressers, and she was so gutsy in her attire that women in the church tried to imitate her.
The men’s shoes at auction were a lot of about 25 pairs in red, royal blue, yellow, tan and the natural black, gray and brown, all seemingly made by name-brand designers. My research showed that some of these shoes were being sold online for up to a thousand dollars.
And I have to admit that those in the natural colors were spiffy. (The shoes above are from the auction.)
When Lena, a retired social worker who is a friend of my sister’s, saw the story and the shoes, she thought instantly of her uncle.
“These shoes probably belong to my Uncle Jimmy … who passed about 5 years ago,” she wrote. “I’m just kidding. My cousin probably sold all of his things. He had shoes to match all of his suits. He also had the hats, handkerchiefs and ties to match or blend.
Jim (as we called him) was my uncle by marriage. He was married to my aunt Evelyn. They were both near 80 years of age and were some of the sharpest dressers in Atlanta.
They were not boogie dressers like some people. My aunt would start putting her outfit for Sunday together early in the week. She would redesign her shoes and bags if they were not flashy enough.
They were too sharp not to be needles (LOL).”
What a lovely story, I thought. I’m sure many of us have an Uncle Jim and an Aunt Evelyn in our families who were the most magnificent dressers.
I wanted to hear more about them and gave Lena a call. She had some fond and cheerful memories of her relatives. They are both now deceased, dying “right at the door of 80,” Lena said. Evelyn died first, in February about five years ago, and Jim died in the winter of the same year. They had been married for more than 40 years.
They had no children as a couple but blended her family of five children (he was her second husband) and his of one or two in South Carolina, where he had lived before moving to Atlanta, as Lena recalled.
“I wish you could’ve seen him,” she said right off the bat. “He and my aunt were the sharpest two elderly people.
“When my aunt was buried, she had her mink on and her flamboyant hat with stones and feathers.” Lena pointed out that the family removed the coat before her aunt was actually buried.
When the fashion style shifted to a mix of bold colors (like combining purple and gold in outfits, for example), Evelyn was the first to wear it. “I said the lady is losing her mind.”
“She’d put her accessories together for her clothes a week before (church on) Sunday. She dressed well for everywhere she went – Sunday, funerals, banquets. She would just dress, dress, dress. She’d buy shoes. If they were not dressy enough, she’d glue stones on her shoes and bags so they could match.
“Jim bought animal-skin shoes, hat, tie (and tie pin), handkerchief to match. He was just sharp.”
Evelyn bought her clothes at a department store and later ordered through catalogues. She and other women in the church also bought hats from a woman – the hat lady – who took orders at church. (The shoes above are from the auction.)
And some of the ladies in the church tried hard to copy Evelyn’s style. “Ladies tried patterning themselves after her in their hats,” Lena said. Even now, she added, her baby sister dresses up like their aunt.
“Everybody enjoyed seeing them.” She noted that although flamboyant, their dress was in good taste.
What type of people were they, beyond the dressing-up?
“They were fun-loving family members. They were church-going. She was like a favorite aunt. When anybody was down, they’d go see her and feel better. They weren’t partying people. Theirs was a place where you could feel loved and (be) comfortable.”
Lena described their appearance, and I tried to imagine them strutting into church, all decked out.
“Jim was not over 5-5 or 5-6. He was not a tall person. His waist was 38 at the most. He wore a shoe size of 8, probably. My aunt was taller, but not much, (maybe) three-four inches taller. She was a stout lady.”
Lena isn’t sure what happened to Jim’s shoes, but she’s checking with her cousin to find out. Did she give them away, like the family who disposed of the shoes at the auction? Did they go to other family members? Church members? Friends?
Regardless, it was great meeting Uncle Jim and Aunt Evelyn through Lena’s memories.
