If you can't find it, make it

That's always been my fashion mantra.  But before I get into palazzo trousers, I want to say a few words about the passing of former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed......... 

PC Premier from 1971 to 1985, Lougheed was also known as "the blue-eyed sheik" for his development of Alberta's oil industry.  Under his leadership, Alberta went from a have-not province to a have, thanks to oil.  For that he was revered and almost worshipped here. 

Nevertheless, he was a true-blue Canadian and was very conflicted when the hated Pierre Trudeau introduced the National Energy Strategy.  "As a Canadian, that was the hardest day policy-wise of  my 14 years.  It really was confrontational.  I didn't enjoy that," he said later in an interview. 

Unlike so many people here, he was not simply a unidimensional Albertan.  "I am truly sorry the federal government does not have annual, open federal/provincial conferences, as we used to in the 70's and early '80s.  As a country, Canada needs open, transparent fed/prov meetings for the benefit of the federation," he said last year...(or words to that effect.)  Trudeau led these conferences, although I believe more to show the country he was "in charge" than to allow the provinces to shine. 

The irony is that it was Lougheed who turned Alberta into another Quebec.  B, with his hands-on PCO fed/prov background, has always maintained Alberta and Quebec are very similar.  "Both are very demanding in promoting provincial jurisdictions and agendas.  The Western premiers at the constitutional conference of 1978 were by far the most impressive at advancing sound provincial positions.  One couldn't help, however, feeling that Lougheed was the most 'Canadian' of the three," said B this morning. 

Classy to the end, the family announced a couple of days ago that he was "gravely ill", code for he'll be gone in a few days, giving the media ample time to get the obituaries ready so reporters and editors would not have to be up all night. 
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But back to palazzo pants.....
    
I get an idea in my head about what I want to wear to a certain event -- always starting with the accessories and shoes, never the dress.  I then branch out.  I have always loved palazzo pants; they hide a multitude of sins.  Having owned a few pair, I know how versatile and go anywhere they are.  But do you think I could find them?  No.  They are apparently not currently "in fashion".  But then, neither am I.     

So, off I trotted to "Fabricland".  Settled on emerald green rayon -- because rayon drapes beautifully -- and started to search for a pattern.  "Simplicity" had one that only called for one pattern piece and an elastic waist.  That's the trick, buy a pattern without pockets, zippers or complicated waistbands.  Afterall, you only want the pant draping under an overtop, so who cares about anything else!?

Another cheap and easy fashion tip when you are out of outfits?  Make an evening shawl.  I do that every year at Christmas...hit a fabric store, buy a fancy bolt and presto-chango, with nothing but straight sewing and 10 minutes, you have a fabulous new outfit.  Girls, you gotta learn how to get the most bang for no bucks.   

 By the way, wondered what the history of palazzo pants was?

"Palazzo pants for women first became a popular trend in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The style was reminiscent of the wide-legged cuffed trousers worn by some women fond of avant-garde fashions in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly actresses such as Katherine Hepburn, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.  During the 1960s, some upscale restaurants resisted modern fashion trends by refusing to admit women wearing trousers, which were considered inappropriate by some proprietors. This posed a problem for women who did not want to wear the skirt styles that were then in fashion. Some women opted to circumvent restaurant bans on women in pants by wearing palazzo trousers as evening wear."  That's what wikipedia says. 

So, now I am set for the closing party at the tennis club.