Pulp by Robin Talley

Author:Robin Talley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-09-04T14:07:11+00:00

12

Saturday, July 30, 1955

College of the Holy Divinity Freshmen Dress Code

Only dresses or skirts and blouses are permitted. No slacks, shorts or culottes. Skirts should be of sufficient length that no portion of a girl’s knees are visible when kneeling (staff will conduct measurements as needed). Shirttails must be tucked in and buttons must be appropriately fastened at all times. All girls’ clothing must be clean, pressed and mended where necessary.

Makeup, nail polish, bracelets and necklaces are not permitted. Earrings may be small studs only. Cross necklaces are permitted but must be worn under clothing. Fingernails may not extend past fingertips.

Hair must be kept tidy and off the face. Any ribbons must be small and nondisruptive. Hair scarves, curlers, clips or other devices for setting are not permitted outside dormitories.

Janet stared into her closet, trying to remember why she’d once been eager to start college.

Only a few weeks remained until her first day as a Holy Divinity freshman, and a lifetime of school uniforms hadn’t left her with many clothes that met the college’s requirements. All she had were church dresses, mostly, with lines of buttons running up to her neck and hems that stopped halfway down her calves. The wide skirts were meant to make her waist look narrow, but instead they made her resemble a spinning top turned upside down. They’d be fine for chapel, Janet supposed, but she’d feel awkward wearing them to classes. She could probably use some of her tip money to buy clothes for school, but the idea of trading those hard-earned fistfuls of dimes for a set of plain white blouses and nondisruptive hair ribbons made her want to curl up into a ball on her bedroom floor.

Paula and Elaine got to wear whatever they wanted. They strolled easily around Greenwich Village in slacks and tight-fitting skirts. Sometimes they even wore men’s-style button-downs.

Janet’s lips turned upward in a small smile. She wondered what the nuns at Holy Divinity would do if she showed up for class in one of those.

Marie would fit in perfectly at Holy Divinity, if she’d chosen to go there instead of secretarial school. Of course, Marie did wear makeup most days. And though she always looked proper, some of her skirts may not be quite long enough to pass the kneeling rule.

Janet smiled again at the thought.

Two weeks had passed since they’d visited Carol and Mitch, and in that time the two girls had barely seen each other. Marie had been terribly busy at the office, and at home, too, thanks to her father’s continued efforts to earn that promotion. Janet had asked to be assigned more lunch shifts at the Soda Shoppe so she’d be free to stroll through Foggy Bottom in the late afternoons and meet Marie as she was finishing work, but most days they could talk for no more than a few minutes before Marie needed to hurry off to some engagement with her parents.

So Janet returned each evening for dinner with her family, where she nodded along as Mom tried to keep the peace between Dad and Grandma.

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