Priceless Clothing

Kenyon sweatshirtI was going through my clothing, and I pulled out what remains my all time favorite sweatshirt. It’s falling apart. Most of the neck is ripped out. It’s stained. There are holes around it. The elastic at the wrists has long failed. And I absolutely refuse to get rid of it.

I got this sweatshirt when I was a freshman in college. In a weird way, this beat up sweatshirt represents independence, adventure, new beginnings and an absolute belief in the positive possibilities awaiting me. I think it means no less now than it did then.

Oh, I could say that I keep it because I need an old sweatshirt to paint or clean in. I could claim that it is the perfect sweatshirt for lounging on rainy afternoons (which we rarely have, but it is comfortable). But really, I keep it for the person I was when I bought it. I like to channel her now and again: an 18-year old me, full of hope.

How about you? Do you have anything in your closet that you’d never get rid of (even if it doesn’t fit anymore, or is so out of date you can’t wear it) simply because of the memories or sentiments attached to it?

2 comments on “Priceless Clothing”

  1. Dee Murray

    I have the exact replica in UCLA form!!!!! I adore it – even though it looks a sloppy mess. But every sweatshirt season, I pull it out and put it on and pretend that it wasn’t too long ago when we were both shiny and new and I used to think that “someday this will look old and well worn and I will be a grown up” and that made me feel VERY cool. I also have my old Oingo Boingo concert t-shirt that is in even worse shape. But that, too, I can’t part with. Because that shirt represents cool and fun and spontaneous and Halloween concerts screaming “Everybody come and leave your body at the door…” at the top of my lungs and I am 20 again.

  2. KateDating

    LOL! I read that, and immediately started hearing “It’s a dead man’s party…” in my head.

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