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Hard Times and Beauty
Monika Stanzel
A new dress to put on is something that all women love. Nowadays, it’s easy - the shops are full of beautiful clothes. But, as Monika Stanzel explained, things were much different just after the war. Getting a new dress meant making it yourself, and everyone knew how to sew. And, the material? That was no problem. For, in every home there was more than enough. It was hanging from ceiling to floor. Curtains! And curtains were perfect for dresses!
And, so it was that every time Monika Stanzel needed something new to put on, she went up the ladder and took down a curtain. And then, with the help of her mother, she turned it into a beautiful dress.
And, Monika Stanzel and her mother were two very imaginative people.
Sometimes, they made the front of a dress from a living room curtain, and the back from a dining room curtain. This was not only clever, but practical, too. Monika Stanzel, instead of only having one new dress had two! And, because of their simplicity, the dresses could be worn either way. Sometimes, the living room curtain was the front, and sometimes the other way round. But, when ever Monika Stanzel went out, she looked great.
But, of course, as everyone knows, great looks can be expensive. But, all they cost Monika Stanzel were some holes in the curtains and a needle and thread, and Monika Stanzel always looked super. Curtains were not only for drawing, but for wearing as well! And, what could be better?
Maybe, your curtains would look great on you, too! Just try it and see.
Vocabulary
-
curtain – Vorhang
drawing - ziehen
dress – Kleid
either way- entweder oder
even – sogar
for – weil
imaginative – einfallsreich
ladder - Leiter
material - Stoff
meant – mean/meant/meant – bedeutet
(to) put on – zum anziehen
sew – sew/sewed/sewn – nähen
those days – Damals
took down – take down/took down/taken down – abmontiert
turn into – turn/turned/turned - umwandeln
which ever way – wie auch immer
worn – wear/wore/worn - tragen
Questions -
Why do women love new dresses?
From what did women make dresses after the war?
What was the main advantage of making dresses from curtains?
Would you make a dress from a curtain?
What is your favourite colour?
How often can women wear the same dress?
Can you remeber yout first dress?
