Of Corn Fields and Polyester

voltee ♦ September 4, 2010 ♦ 2 Comments

Item:  Blouse    Color/Fabric:  Grey print polyester   Designer:  Lux    Where Purchased:  Urban Outfitters   Years Owned:  9?

This was a difficult choice, mostly because I was short on time to begin with and running late in addition, due to our trip to Ohio.  Yes, I am in the heartland amongst the waving corn stalks once more.  It’s nice to be home, even if it’s only a few days.  I think that I’ve finally been away long enough to appreciate how much beauty there is in this perfectly flat corner of the world.  And the sweet smell of autumn harvest is just starting to permeate the air here.  It’s something I never realized how much I missed.

Anyway, I had to choose the third blouse of the triad on the chopping block, and I was rushed and grabbed this one, reasoning that its past was rich enough to inspire a tale of some sort.  Which is true.  What I’m disappointed in is the fact that yesterday’s blouse was also from the UO $1 rack, and I already told that story.

Upon contemplation, I realize that this piece’s story is quite different from its predecessor.  It’s completely opposite, actually.  This blouse has been worn many multiple times.  I loved this from the first moment I saw it.  Instantly I knew that there was no chance this blouse would go the way of the Ebay sale.  I know that it’s no fine material; it’s just polyester, but it has a very light and feminine feel to it.  It’s just the right amount of sheer.  It reminds me of a vintage blouse one might unearth on the bottom of an old trunk.

For many years, this was one of my few “fancy” shirts.  It was saved for special occasions.  I once wore it to a party with a denim skirt that I’ve since worn to shreds, and I felt quite fabulous.  It was a party with many of my fellow La Senorita employees.  My manager Rob, who was a very close friend that I miss, had a saying that he was fond of and I should have listened to.  It went something like “Managers should avoid fraternizing with their employees!”  The night ended with tears, some vomit, and the realization that I was ready to move on from MSU’s party scene.

Today, at my parents’ house, I found a family photograph where I was wearing this blouse.  I don’t remember what the occasion was, but it was my grandparents, my mom and dad, my sister and her husband, Nate and me.  We were all in my grandparents back yard, which is one of the places in the world I am most fond of.  It brings back endless memories of easter egg hunts, steak cookouts, hide and seek, and cherry picking.  The house now has new owners, since my grandparents have both passed away.  This was the last picture taken where we are all together.

I’m not sure how that makes me feel about this blouse.  I think that picture was the last time I wore it, and I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth out of it!  Yet I may still love it.  After all, polyester lasts forever, right?

**This one was hard, but it went to one of my friends.