Imagine this. It's 2017 and my cousin, whose highschool years consisted of the late 2000s and early 2010s, drops off a large Victoria's Secret duffle bag full of hand-me-down clothing for me. In the present, I would consider this a gold mine. Abercrombie low rise jeans, cropped sweaters, tanks upon tanks covered with lace applique and beading, ugg boots, juicy couture and coach bags, bangle bracelets, and more. It was the epitome of the 2000s teenage girl stuffed into one duffle bag. I remember so vividly from my childhood her room having a black and white bedspread, bright teal accent pillows, and all white furniture with crystal drawer handles. She was everything I wanted to be when I grew up, and yet, when I received that duffle bag, I slightly shifted through it, picking out a top or two, maybe a pair of lowrise jeans to have as a keepsake, and then completely donated the rest to goodwill without a second thought. You can't blame me, I was a 13 year-old middle schooler whose wardrobe consisted of leggings, sweatshirts, and slip-on vans. I had absolutely no desire to wear anything in that bag that would make me stand out.
Another instance. Just about a year later, my mom had asked me to help her go through her closet and get rid of pieces that were no longer trendy. At age 14 fashion had become my obsession, so I gladly offered to help. It started with us simply getting rid of pieces that no longer fit her, but as my so-called “expertise” on the fashion trends of the time kicked in, the closet clean out session became intense. She was in her college years in the late 90s/early 2000s, which meant she had a lot of what she called “party pants” (low rise, wide leg, bedazzled button jeans), long sleeve tops in muted tie dye colors, platform sandals, Calvin Klein dresses, and shoulder bags that were just big enough to fit a, a lipstick, a pager (what they had before phones I guess), and maybe a tampon if you were lucky. She made me a pile of clothing that I could pick through if I wanted any, and again, I vetoed nearly everything and donated it to my local goodwill. I had yet again given away precious hand-me-down items. How was I supposed to know that they would be trendy once again, my style consisted of brandy melville tops, mom jeans, and converse. I couldn’t appreciate anything she offered- to a 14 year-old, everything felt dated, and although the clothes fit me nearly perfectly (I have come to the conclusion that clothes back then just fit better) it wasn’t “in” to wear low rise jeans. It wasn’t “popular” to wear platform shoes.
It wasn’t until I was about 16 when I discovered the world of vintage clothing. I had always admired vintage clothing and past trends of the fashion world, but it wasn’t something that I ever desired to own- I had viewed vintage clothes as mostly costume pieces. My nonna cleaned out her closet and passed down numerous leather jackets to me, and my obsession with vintage clothing and thrifting just escalated from there. The more I went thrifting, the more I realized I was buying the same pieces my cousin had passed down to me just a few years before and the same pieces I helped my mom to donate. I had become an animal on the prowl for the best fitting low rise jeans or for the perfect pink cropped sweater- both items that I could have easily found in hand-me-downs I had received just a few years before.
At 17, I finally understood- Fashion is a cycle. Trends come and go, and everytime they are reborn they are slightly different. If I had decided to keep all of the items in that duffle bag from my cousin or all of the pieces my mom gave to me, I would have been sitting with my closet stuffed to the brim for years with clothing that I wouldn't wear until later in the future. I probably wouldn’t have thrifted my favorite pair of jeans I own or curated a collection of vintage bags or even explored the antique stores that I passed by everyday. I probably wouldn’t have felt inclined to go thrifting with my friends over and over and over again until we found exactly what we were looking for. If I had just taken all of the hand-me-downs, I wouldn’t think of the lives that my clothes had lived before me (a silly concept. . .I know). So now, everytime I get ready in the morning, I am grateful for the new life I am giving each piece of clothing I own. I am grateful for the story behind where I found each piece, who I was with, and why I wanted it in the first place. And yes, if I were able to go back in time and keep all of my hand-me-down clothes I would in an instant, but also knowing that they have a new purpose and a new person to style them, makes me excited for what else there is out there for me to find in the world of vintage fashion and clothing.
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