For Crying Out Loud.

voltee ♦ September 25, 2010 ♦ 4 Comments

Item: Vest Color/Fabric: Tan Herringbone, wool Designer: Gap Years Owned: 12. Possibly more.

Here is a thing that I am ashamed of. I don’t know why I still have this vest. It has survived so much closet purging, year after year after year. I cannot let it go. Look at it. It is clearly ruined. There’s a blue stain on it that won’t come out. What on earth is wrong with me? I’ve never even worn this!!
How did it become stained if I’ve never worn it? That is the story I will tell this evening.
Let me take you back to the time when Nate and I bought our first house. Yes, it was just a ‘manufactured house’ (Read: double-wide on a foundation). But we had a completely lovely acre of land in Michigan that included lilacs, large rocks with fossils in them, a steep hill, a large oak tree with stones around it, and turkeys. We loved it! First a large hole was dug into the earth, then they put in the concrete that formed the basement, then they placed the house on top in two halves. The last step was to put windows into the basement.
We moved all of our belongings into the house before the windows were in. And one of us had the brilliant idea of putting our clothes into garbage bags to move them. It was fast and easy! We just flung the bags into the basement where we would worry about them later.
And then it rained. And rained more. It was like the Flood, Part Two. So our basement filled up with water, and the garbage bags did not prove to be water proof. Wow, was I angry. There were piles and piles of ruined clothing. Sweaters that shrunk. Garments that were not color proof and bled onto other garments. It was a clothing massacre.
This vest was one of the things that got bled on. But still I could not get rid of it!
I like the idea of the vest. I’m not sure really how long I’ve had this. I know it was before I got married. It is probably one of the oldest garments I own. I remember when I found it at the Gap, and was so thrilled. It seemed like I was buying a sophisticated piece of clothing, one that would elevate my wardrobe to a new level. It was menswear! I thought I would be all Katherine Hepburn, wearing this with a billowy silk blouse and wide-leg trousers. Or I could really push the envelope and wear it as a halter top with no shirt underneath and jeans.
I had such dreams for this vest. But I was never brave enough to accomplish them. And then it ended up with a big blue stain on it. I kept telling myself that no one would notice the stain. Blue and tan blend so well together, yes?
I guess I’ve just been waiting for someone to tell me how crazy I am and to get rid of this ruined vest. Plus, I don’t think I could even button it these days if I wanted to. Give me affirmation!

**I made up my mind to toss this.  I just haven’t yet.  Anyone want it?  The stain came out a little!