Buttons and Bows

Let's Go Shopping

“Whenever I look at a gathering of MAGA fans, all I see is fire engine red. It’s a disturbing sight because I’ve come to associate that color with anger, conflict, and outrageous behavior. So when I started thinking about what I might design for women to wear at political events, red wasn’t on my radar. Then I came up with the design above, which gave me a chuckle, and put red back on my color palette.” - The Proprietress

So let me ask you, what’s a smart, sassy, childless, cat lady - who wants to be both fashionable and comfortable (two words that aren’t usually compatible) supposed to wear to fundraisers, watch parties, rallies, and ZOOM calls?

Let’s Go Shopping!

I want you to imagine that a cadre of fearless, fashionable women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors is going on a shopping spree. Our goal - find tees that make political and fashion statements, are cool and comfortable, and don’t break the bank.

Due to our monetary restrictions, we choose to avoid Rodeo Drive, Madison Avenue, and the Las Vegas Strip. Instead we wander down side streets into tiny boutiques and thrift stores, spend time at flea markets, and peruse the displays at street fairs while enjoying snow cones and giant pretzels.

Finally we come to a small shop called Buttons and Bows Boutique. It’s located on a street that’s seen better days - the kind of street that used to be at the center of most small towns with metered diagonal parking, sidewalk benches, and a hot dog cart in front of the library. Street musicians used to play in the park on weekends, but have moved on to the multi-story shopping mall at the edge of town where tips are better.

A few of the specialty and family shops remain - Sally’s Crumpets and Coffee, Handyman Hardware, and Buttons and Bows Boutique whose sign proudly states (all in caps) that it offers clothing for DISCERNING women. It’s the word discerning that makes us stop. “We’re definitely discerning,” says Rosalyn our braided hair diva with red, white, and blue flags on her inch long nails. The display in the front window says the boutique carries “Savage Voices: Smart and Sassy Tees.”

“That us!” says Annie, a petite Asian woman with purple hair and a nose ring. “Let’s check it out.”

Inside, we’re greeted by the owner - a older woman with white hair and pink plastic glasses that make her brown eyes look enormous. She’s wearing navy yoga pants and a tee shirt that reads, “I Dissent.”

“My kind of woman!” Melissa exclaims. “Got any more of those?”

“Sure,” the owner says with a smile. She leads us to a rack near the front of the store. “I’ve been designing Savage Voices tees ever since Roe V. Wade was overturned. Each design is based on someone’s story.”

“That’s awesome,” says Dakotah. “Can we hear some?”

“Sure, just pick out a design you like. There’s a list of all 14 on top of the round rack. I’ll be over here behind the counter when you’re ready.”

As you can probably guess, the cadre and I have a great time picking out our design. Here’s the one we chose and the story the proprietress told us.

“Once upon a time there was a young woman named Shyamala Gopalan living in Mumbai, India. Shyamala dreamed of becoming a scientist. After completing her undergraduate work in India, she applied to and was accepted by the University of California, Berkeley in 1958. There, she earned her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology and went on to became a world-renowned breast cancer researcher, political activist, and beloved teacher.

“Now here’s my favorite part,” the proprietress said. “Shyamala married a Jamaican graduate student named Donald Harris, and they had two daughters. The first she named Kamala - which means lotus flower in Sanskrit - a symbol of purity, rebirth, and strength in Indian culture.

“I don’t know how much you know about the lotus flower,” the proprietress went on to say, “but lotus seeds plant their roots in water-covered soil, then send up stems and flower stalks that produce stunning flowers like the one in my design. I just love that a plant born in mud is able to blossom into something so strong and beautiful. Kamala said, and I quote, ‘My mother taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people - to believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility.’ When I read that, I knew I’d be voting for her.”

Each member of the cadre purchased a couple of shirts and promised to come back for more shirts and more stories. “Oh I hope you do,” the proprietress said. “It was so much fun sharing them with you.”

If you or someone you know has a story they’d like to share about one of the 14 designs mentioned above, I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be featuring one or more stories (like the one told above) each time I share a design with a goal of helping us build community by getting to know one another better. Questions? You know where to find me :-)

---