My plan was like a well-oiled machine.

In trying to select what to wear to the Los Angeles Press Club Awards dinner, I made a decision to recycle a dress I bought 20 years ago. For years, it’s been hanging in its original plastic bag in my closet.

You may want to reread that last sentence.

I had actually forgotten about it until I was looking for something else in the closet and happened upon it. I love when that happens because I get to feel like I bought a new dress without having to spend any money.

The only catch was how it would look on me now that I’m 20 years older. I held it in front of me on the hangar and looked in the mirror. The pale lavender color hadn’t faded over the years. If it fit, I would wear it. Lark kitty gave it a two-purr approval. My decision was made and it hadn’t cost me a penny. At least not yet.

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A week later, I took the dress out of the closet to show daughter Sara. As I pulled up the plastic bag, we both gasped.

“What is that!” we chorused.

What looked like grease, and felt like heavy oil, was dripping down the skirt of the dress. It was almost like it had sprung a leak.

“You didn’t notice this when you tried it on?” Sara asked.

The dress was perfectly fine, and dry, a week before. How could this have happened? The possible answer came from an internet search. Several sites stated that mold deposits can form from the plastic storage bags and interact with the clothes.

It seemed to make sense to me, sort of. Not so for the dry cleaners I approached. All of them were willing to try cleaning the dress for a hefty fee with no guarantees. If I had found anyone who even pretended to know about the plastic bag theory, I might have chanced it actually if I had found anyone who didn’t look at me like I was crazy.

But that doesn’t mean I have given up on you, lavender dress. Hang in there

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