When A Coat Is More Than Just A Coat

[kickingrad]

So, a while back on Jezebel, there was a post called When A Coat Is More Than Just A Coat, all about the way certain articles of clothing or shoes take on a special meaning, the way they become stitched into the fabric of our lives, the way they represent a memory or a discovery of self.

"The shoes I loved so much have since been discontinued, and

Comments

[bunniewabbit]

I still have the t-shirt that we all wore in high school for pep band. It's an ugly shade of light green, with the name of the high school and (in my case) a picture of a flute silk-screened on the upper left. I never really liked high school, and in fact was mildly depressed for much of it, but I loved band and the people in it, and it's my only remaining souvenir. I will never, ever wear it again, but I will never get rid of it

[harborshore]

Old stuff! I keep EVERYTHING. I have the t-shirt my mom wore when she tore with Chicago (the musical)--she was the arsenic murderess. It's soft and torn in places and it doesn't fit right anymore, but I still love it. I kept the Winnie The Pooh shirt that was like a short dress when I first got it (at thirteen, when we'd just gotten to the States for the first time), because it went with me every time I lived abroad and the picture might be cracked, but it still makes me feel safe. I steal other people's sweaters for the same reason, because wearing the clothes of people I love makes me feel steady and protected, held close.

[harborshore]

Ps. Didnt say so at the time but OH your brendon here.

[grendelity]

I wish I had known you when I was a kid. You would have been my hero. I don't have any clothes like that, I think because I was a coward. When I was ten, there was this little vinyl jacket that I wanted so badly--it was this bright, sharp blue and I loved it so much and it didn't really fit too well but I didn't care. I happily wore it to school and the god-awful girl who for some reason was my best friend from age 5-14 told me that it looked stupid, and I felt so bad that I never wore it again. I wish so badly that I could go back and tell my 10-year-old self that that girl was not my friend, was a fucking asshole, and to just wear the shit out of that jacket.

[justhush]

I LOVED my last pair of boots. They were great. Super cheap, pretty crappy 20-dollar Target boots (I don't know if you have Target! Just, like, Wal*Mart but less evil.) but they had these sweet little heels and they clicked when I walked. They had two buckles and they scrunched up at the bottom. They were comfortable but cool and they made me feel a little badass.

I had to buy new boots recently and all I wanted was another pair of those boots.

[covet]

You know, I've never had that with clothes. I wear clothes to hide me and as such I never actually feel pretty in anything, although I develop a bond with the things I can hide behind best and wear them into the ground. I love looking at clothes and imagining what I'd wear if I wasn't so scared or just looked better in general but I've never owned anything that really made me happy, just things that made me feel a bit safer. Sometimes I buy things - I bought a bright bright green satin dress with tulle underskirts. But I'd never get out of the house in it.