veiled

i’ve never had any article of clothing professionally altered.  like, ever.  so on the advice of a friend with experience in such matters, i visited aiko’s alterations late yesterday afternoon. 

aiko greeted me with a loud ”heh-row!” as i entered the door to her crowded shop.  short, round and very japanese, aiko has the spunk of a teenager mixed with a heady dose of business woman savvy.  she pointed me toward the dressing room and i put on “the dress”.

“where you wearin’ dis dwess”, aiko asked. 

“oh, this is my wedding dress”, i responded.

aiko: ohhhhh!  my, my.  how plitty.  plitty, plitty dwess. we take it in dis spot and pin dis pwace.

me: wow. i didn’t even notice that little pucker along the bodice.

aiko:  know what you need?  you need veil.  i show you one!

me:  um, well, i’m not really wearing a veil.  the wedding is very non-traditional.

aiko:  oh, no.  veil make dwess more wedding.  make you more bride. 

me:  uh, i can try it on but i really think it will make me look too -

aiko:  here!

at which point aiko shoves a few feet of stiff tulle attached to a cheap plastic hair comb into my scalp.

and she was right.  it was magical.  it was the first time in my life that i actually felt like a bride.  i’ve heard this from other women – that the veil adds a feyly quality to the wedding day attire – but i’m not the type of bride that wears a veil, right?  right??