“I don’t understand why I can’t wear my blue dress!” Caroline complained loudly to herself as she pulled on the dress that she had labeled as 'the red monstrosity.' It wasn't nearly as monstrous as Caroline thought it was and had made with fashionable leg-o-mutton sleeves, a cinched waist, and a flowing skirt. A miniature of her mothers' dress in style Caroline hated it with a passion and she thought it was highly impractical because it seemed designed to limit her movement as much as possible.

And it was still stiff with newness.

She had been told that new clothes symbolize fresh beginnings and a leaving behind of all the past year’s hardships.

Caroline had advised that particular person that it would be more correct to say that new clothes meant she was starting the year with hardships however Caroline's opinion had not been warranted on this particular matter and as such was ignored. She'd also tried to argue the point that being new didn't mean that it had to be brand new and an outfit that was simply new to her should do the job well enough and did well enough for most people and she had been told to stop arguing and to be grateful for what she was given.

Caroline did not feel particularly grateful.

She felt like somebody had made the sleeves extra poofy to spite her and that she looked like a bird, or a type of balloon and one stern breeze away from taking flight.

It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she be like Wes? All Wes had to do wear was pants and a new jacket whilst she got the red monstrosity. She resented it and the fact she had to wear it - or any new clothes in general and she much preferred Louisa’s handmedowns, because Louisa had done the hard work and broken them in, or at least Louisa was good at making the fabric less scratchy.

Fabric wasn’t supposed to scratch.

Even now as she pulled on the sleeves she could feel it scratching against her skin.

"The blue dress looks nicer on me." she whined, and then realised that she could not reach the buttons and let out a grown of frustration as she went to find assistance.

She did not need assistance to put on the blue dress.

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