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“I don’t have a thing to wear,” is such an an often quoted phrase by women, that it has become funny. Usually it is funny because it is far from true. Women can look at a whole closet full of clothes and if things are a little outdated or worn they feel per fectly justified in complaining, “I can’t go, I haven’t a thing to wear.” For at least one Ottumwn woman, however, the phrase is justified and to her it is not very funny, because it is too true. She is Mrs. Harold Kent, bet ter known as Mary. Harold Kent hasn’t anything to wear, either. Mr. and Mrs. Kent op erate Kent’s Grocery and live at 1146 N. Elm. Fire, resulting from faulty wiring, destroyed a closet in their home Sunday, Oct. 15. Evidently the fire had been smouldering for some time and by the time it was discovered, the closet, the two adjoining rooms and the furniture there was a total loss. Black smoke covered everything else in the downstairs where they lived. The Kents were entertaining their children and grandchildren at a birthday party for Harold Kent when the fire happened. Mary was cooking and as she said, I had on the oldest pair of pedal pushers I owned and a white blouse that wasn’t new.” By Sunday night that and a sweater left at the store made up her complete wardrobe. Harold made a trip to town early Monday and got himself enough clothes to wear at work and they got a room at the Holiday Inn for a week. Clothes for women involve more shopping and aren't as simple or as easily found as they are for men. Just what does a woman do when she really DOESN'T have a thing to wear? Where do women start to build a wardrobe? Mary borrowed a pair of shoes and a skirt from Mrs. W. P. McWilliams. For three days Mary wore some shoes that didn’t fit and one blouse and skirt because she felt too nervous to shop. Mary wears glasses and hers were in the room next to the closet and they melted from the heat! She borrowed some glasses from Mrs. McWilliams but they didn’t fit too well, either. Fire loss is always sickening. Mary isn’t sure whether she feels worse about her old, fa miliar garments she liked or about a new three-piece beige suit and a $20 hat that were gifts and which she had never worn. Even worse, maybe, she thinks is the loss of a cashmere coat she bought for Harold, at the going price of cashmere coats. He didn’t really like it very well and had worn it only twice. The Kents have moved into an apartment on North Court. Mary is a naturally cheerful person and by now has decided they are lucky to be alive. So she is making a trip to town daily. She bought some brown shoes to go with a skirt that was given her that luckily matches the sweater that was at the store — there’s almost a complete outfit. And she bought the raincoat pictured, that covers up everything else, or the lack of it. In the closet in their apart ment she has the skirt and sweater, a white blouse, a print blouse and a black skirt and says proudly, “Take a look at my wardrobe.” to start? That’s something Mary Kent is learning. So if Mary Kent stays behind the meat counter at the store or misses the next meeting of St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary So ciety, there’s a reason. Believe her when she says she doesn't have a thing to wear! By Loree Roach women’s editor other things of great value to the Kents were lost and can’t be replaced, which they regret. But a woman's wardrobe, with all the matching and choos ing and collecting to be done, is a personal thing and it takes a long time to build one. Where Mary Kent’s closet is barer than Mother Hub bard’s Cupboard. She looked at the blackened rub ble, then with a characteristic shrug said, “Can't be helped now.” (Courier photo).
Newspaper Details
Ottumwa Courier
Ottumwa, Iowa, US
Tue, Oct 24, 1967
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Allie H.
USA 10 Sep 2026
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