So, I was pounding away on my treadmill this evening watching a really fun movie from 1965, “That Funny Feeling” starring the incomparably adorable Sandra Dee and her real-life (albeit temporary) honeybee Bobby Darin. And next thing I knew I passed by forty-five minutes in a blur.

One of the reasons I prefer to watch the old boob tube while exercising is, given the right viewing choices, it can transport me right out of the “I am hating my sweaty life right now” mode to an utter zone out of epic proportions. Sounds safe, doesn’t it? So far I’ve managed to avoid any major missteps on the treadmill but I haven’t yet meandered into the horror flick genre. I actually prefer highly-entertaining romantic comedies and musicals to any other type. I sound amazing singing along to “Grease” while hoofing it along at 4 m.p.h, believe you me.

This cute little Sandre Dee movie surely fit the bill in the entertainment department. But what I found myself noticing, first and foremost, was the costuming. Ladies of that era were dressed to the nines. Practically from the onset of the film Sandra Dee is no exception. She hops out of bed wearing this floor-length pink confection and quickly dons a delicate white capelet for propriety.

Folks.

First of all, I don’t hop out of bed. I slither.

Second of all, I’m not sure what I wear to bed would even classify as clothing. And I certainly have never “donned” a capelet for propriety’s sake.

Oh, to be Sandra Dee with her smart pencil skirt and matching jacket, fashionable hat perched atop her perfectly coiffed head, carrying a lovely little handbag and a hatbox. It paints quite a picture, doesn’t it?

Well, I come pretty close in my Old Navy sweatpants, stained v-neck tshirt and stretched out Skecher tennis shoes. I have a little problem with hats given my frizz-prone curly hair and the fact that I can’t really pull off ‘hat head’. So, obviously, the hatbox wouldn’t be necessary. I’m all about the lovely little handbag, though, but have a slight problem with the “little” part. I’m more of a big ol’ handbag kind of chick given my need to carry lots of lipstick and the occasional extra pair of size 4T pants. (I also maintain that a large handbag offsets my, ahem, shapely backside.)

But a girl can dream, can’t she?

I find myself drawn to these old 1960’s flicks for numerous reasons. Obviously, the fashion is a big pull but there’s also something so compelling about the innocence of the times and the subtle naivety of the leading male and female relationships. And honestly, they’re just a whole lot of fun.

So, do yourself a favor and rent a Sandra Dee, Audrey Hepburn or maybe a Doris Day movie this weekend and lose yourself in the beauty of it all.

Mindy