What Would Cissy Do?

Do you remember them?  They are the Davis family from the sitcom Family Affair.  Naturally, I aligned with Cissy, the eldest sister.  Family Affair was one of those shows that I only saw in reruns when I was home sick from school.  Twins Buffy and Jody were adorable and Mr. French so very debonair, if a bit put out by his new charges.  But it was Cissy whom I studied carefully.  Her colorful mini-dresses were neatly tailored with Peter Pan collars and trimmed sleeves.  I loved her striped skirts, chain belts and bouncy flipped hair.

As for a big sister, Cissy was benevolent and loving to her siblings and tried to explain their new world to them.  The Davis’ landed on Uncle Bill’s doorstep when they became orphaned suddenly.  I clearly remember the night Cissy went to the mother/daughter dance in a beautiful chartreuse gown on the arm of loving and stoic Uncle Bill, her tawny hair attractively piled on the top of her head.

Thankfully, the Davis’ were well-to-do because the family resided in a toney New York City penthouse that had nickel doorknobs in the center of its doors.  And Cissy had a splashy mod bedroom with daisy wallpaper. 

I was a pre-teen when I watched Family Affair and it was at that time that I began to be drawn to youthful muses to emulate.  I was also experiencing a passionate and blossoming interest in clothes and Cissy had plenty of them, all with that quintessential late 60’s vibe I still find so appealing.  Her pale tights, small boxy handbags and pastel spring coats made my heart leap with joy and the fact that she was just so nice.  There was a soft ladylike vulnerability to her face and I imagined she was my older sis too.

Our heroes and icons give us blueprints for living and help us hone in on the kind of women we want to become, not just in appearance but also in grace.  “What would Cissy do?” was something I asked myself often and then acted in a way I thought she might, which always seemed sunnier and more pleasant.  Cissy taught me that it was ok to be soft-spoken, considerate and that it was also ok to love and wear clothes that were unabashedly feminine, with hues plucked from summertime.