Jacket - USAF, vintage, second-hand (Mom via Gandma) | Cardigan - Axcess, second-hand (Grandma) | Top - XXI, second-hand (Grandma) | Jeans - Old Navy | Boots - Restricted (Burlington Coat Factory)
I wore this jacket to work one night and met a man who called himself a "reader." He asked when I was going to heal my relationship with my mother, and I laughed. I enjoyed our conversation and enjoyed trying to figure out if he really did have a gift or if he was just really good at bullshitting, or some combination of the two (who's to say bullshitting is not a gift itself?). This is my mother's Air Force jacket, with all the pins, medallions, patches she placed herself when I was no older than Mads is now. I'm the same height and build as my mother, mostly. The jacket fits me nicely.
I've already seen it once on Facebook or maybe Pinterest, as I always see it this time of year. Some helpful human has this tip for ladies in regards to their closets: (1) Turn all your hangers backwards at the beginning of the year (2) Every time you wear a garment, turn the hanger around (3) Any garment still on a backwards hanger by June is one you don't wear often enough to keep--relinquish it to your charity shop of choice. Bah Hum Bug. If I followed that advice, I would not have this lovely jacket to wear on this lovely day. In fact, there are a few outrageous, bedazzled and be-sequined hand-me-down and thrifted jackets I have indeed gotten rid of, during moves, and in fits of "simplifying", and let me tell you--I mourn their loss. Keep your capsule wardrobes to yourself. I'll be over here in my once-a-year silk jacket.
Sweater - Christopher & Banks | Tunic - Christopher & Banks | Leggings - Steve Madden, second-hand (Grandma) | Boots - 1883 by Lucchese, resale (Butterfly Exchange)
I have a friend, Selena, whose signature color is red. She wears other colors, of course, but red is her color--her purse is red, her shoes are often red, she will choose the red dress on the rack before all others. I love her and her color and the idea of having a signature--color or style, whatever. My closet looks like a rainbow threw up in it, and that's just the way I like it. No signature color for me. I went through a hoop earring phase, followed by a chandelier earring phase. I do have a nice burgeoning collection of Western-style boots. These I bought for $30 at my shop, but they're easily worth upwards of $200 (and that's a conservative guess). Why does anybody buy anything new, like, ever?
Jacket - Silk Dragon, thrifted (GCF) | Top - H&M, resale (Butterfly Exchange) | Jeans - Rock & Republic, resale (Butterfly Exchange) | Shoes - second-hand (Grandma)
That jacket is the coolest thing I've seen since Top Gun, kudos to you for hanging on to it! I'm a magpie when it comes to clothing and this is just the kind of thing I'd snatch up if I saw somewhere and wear it until it was falling apart.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I appreciate that you were gracious about your "reader's" opinion about healing your relationship with your mother. As someone who is estranged from her father (a decision made in adulthood and not without attempts at repair on both parts) I'm always flummoxed when people encourage me to forgive and try to get along with him. I know they mean well so I appreciate the gesture of concern but it would never occur to me to have an opinion about someone's relationship with their parent unless they asked me, and even then I'd hesitate. We humans are funny creatures.
Anyway, happy holidays to you and the family!
My distrust of people and communities who encourage Forgiveness reaches conspiracy level theories. I think mother and father are words people get hung up on. I've met a lot of people who've let bad relationships with mothers or fathers weigh them down and poison them, when the truth is that you can let go of that need. I believe in accepting people for what they are, not trying to fix them, or waiting around and exposing myself to abuse (in whatever form) hoping they'll change, you know? People are what they are: bad mothers, bad fathers, fake readers, ungrateful daughters, et al.
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