Clothes to Make You Smile: "Clothes to Make You Smile" by Eric Darnell Pritchard

by Eric Darnell Pritchard
This vibrant and heartwarming work is an ode to Patrick Kelly, one of the most accomplished fashion designers of the 20th century who said "I want my clothes to make you smile."
15 words 44 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mismatched
    not paired, suited, or going together well
    But the new buttons never matched. Patrick told Mama he worried other kids would laugh at the mismatched buttons.
  2. fashion
    the latest and most admired style in clothes or behavior
    Every Sunday, their trip to church was a fashion parade.
  3. parade
    a ceremonial procession including people marching
    Every Sunday, their trip to church was a fashion parade.
  4. majestic
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    Patrick adored seeing the sea of gorgeous women in his life—Mama, his mother (who he called Mother Dear), aunties, neighbors, and friends—in all shapes and sizes, elegantly dressed in skirt suits, sharp dresses, matching gloves, and majestic hats.
  5. quilt
    bedding made of layers stuffed and stitched together
    Mama explained whether clothes, curtains, or quilts—whatever families needed—people made it all themselves.
  6. fabric
    artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting fibers
    Normally, Patrick didn't like to read, but he lay on Mama's porch for hours leafing through them. Each page was joyful. A world of fabrics, shapes, and colors come alive. It made Patrick alive too!
  7. imagination
    the ability to form mental pictures of things or events
    Mother Dear showed him how to begin...with a pencil, paper, and his imagination.
  8. patience
    good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
    Patrick wanted to quit, but Mama and his aunt just laughed some more and told Patrick to have patience.
  9. design
    a decorative or artistic work
    His designs became the talk of the town. People asked him to make them outfits for proms, parades, and school plays.
  10. sparkle
    reflect brightly
    Pretty soon, all of Vicksburg sparkled and shined with people dressed up in Patrick's dreams!
  11. vibrant
    (of colors) bright and striking
    But store owners said his designs were "Too vibrant!"
  12. exclaim
    utter aloud, often with surprise, horror, or joy
    Patrick wanted to help his new friends, so he designed costumes for them, and Patrick's friends exclaimed: "They're PERFECT!"
  13. costume
    the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
    The theater at the most popular nightclub in Paris hired Patrick to make costumes.
  14. outrageous
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
    Every week, the stage was filled with the biggest, wildest, most outrageous costumes Patric could imagine.
  15. career
    the particular occupation for which you are trained
    All the places that had ignored Patrick before asked him to put on the most important show in any fashion designer's career—a runway show!
Created on Wed Sep 30 11:38:08 EDT 2026 (updated Wed Sep 30 14:12:02 EDT 2026)

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