As a young girl, at my yearly dance recital, my dance instructor would award trophies to her most deserving students. Out of several hundred dance students only a handful would be singled out each year.

I remember waiting expectantly on stage hoping my name would be one of the names called. And finally, finally, after three years of lessons and daily practice, I walked home with a trophy that was worth only a few dollars but was worth everything to me because I had worked so hard to earn it.

So imagine my dismay when I attended a dance recital for a friend’s child recently and watched patiently as every single dancer — every single child of the hundred on stage — received a trophy! Just for showing up and paying for their lessons every week.

So I ask: What ever happened to earning your stripes?

You know, that old-fashioned concept whereby you put in the hours, do the grunt work and pay your dues to show you deserve the next rank, position or reward you’re aiming for?

Could something like handing out trophies to everyone be one of the reasons why so many of the young people I interview think success is something that should just magically happen to them because they want it instead of something that will happen to them because they earn it?

Of course many of you ladies are more than willing to work hard and go the extra mile to earn your next promotion or meet your next goal, so why not celebrate your victory with today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1930s gown knows a little something about earning its stripes, too, with a bold blast of color, stripes in both horizontal and vertical directions, and lots of ruching to soften the look.

It’s a fitting reward for a hard-working vintage fashionista!

Available at Sheila Cook Textiles.

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