Waxing Nostalgic through the Closet - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

shesus · 03-27-2009, 07:07 PM

Tonight I decided it was time to go through my clothes and make some room in my dresser and closet. It's time to update the wardrobe.

I hate getting rid of clothes so I have a lot of old ones around that I never or rarely wear anymore, but always think maybe one day I'll wear them or they remind me of days in the past.

I have a pink halter top that's knitted with crocheted flowers along the top that I got at least 7 years ago. The sides are starting to come apart so it is definitely beyond its time, but I hate throwing it out. It was what I considered to be one of my coolest shirts to show off my, at the time, new tattoo.

Then I think of all the other clothes that have gotten tossed and sometimes wish I still had them even though they most likely are past their style expiration date and/or wouldn't fit correctly anymore. I had an awesome pair of red pleather pants (I'm slightly allergic to real leather) that I wore to my first Dandy Warhols concert and about froze my ass off waiting in line. I also had a pair of thin velvet-type paisley pants and a gauzy floral skirt with a lace hem.

My mom even has a couple of outfits from when she was dating my dad that she won't throw out because she enjoys looking at them and thinking about her 'good ole days'.

I know my mom and I can't be the only weirdos that have emotional connections to clothing. Are there any clothes that you are keeping or wish you still had from the past?

Grasshopper Green · 03-28-2009, 07:21 AM

I have several dresses that I've kept for sentimental value. I kept the dress I got married in - we got married at the courthouse and the dress came from Sears. It's ugly and I can't believe I used to think it was nice. I have another dress that I still think is pretty and would wear if I were thin enough. It is a navy blue column with a floral pattern. I only wore it once - to The Phantom of the Opera when it played here in SLC. I went with a friend and we had a very good time. I also have the dress I bought for my brother's funeral and while I can still fit into it, I will never wear it again. I have one other dress I used to wear quite frequently - a brown, flowy, long empire waist dress that was so comfy. My husband thought it was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen and would tell me never to wear it again whenever he saw it. I bought it just after I graduated high school and the first time I wore it was on a date with a guy I had a crush on. I retired the dress after I had my son, which was 7 years after I bought it. Out of all my dresses, this one got the most use by far.

Ironically enough, I don't own a single dress that I actually wear. All of my dresses are from my past. I haven't ever kept shirts, pants, or anything else for sentimental reasons.

little_tippler · 03-28-2009, 10:14 AM

That's sad about your brother Medusa.

I too get nostalgic about my clothes. I have a few items I keep as mementos. I have my prom dress, which I can still fit in and still like. It's blue satin and it's very simple but has a beautiful cut. I have some jeans I used to love that are now baggy and looking a bit worn that I can't throw out because they are covered in little crystals in a unique pattern and I thought they were really cool when I got them. I wore them a lot. I have a favourite shirt that is coming apart in threads but I can't throw it away. It has stripes in a rainbow pattern. Then I have some things that remind me of others. My grandmother's gold dress from when Portugal held a ball for the British queen, that she attended, I think in the '50' s - it has a '50's cut and is pretty. My aunt's white lace dress from her first ball. I have some of my dad's old shirts as keepsakes.

I also have trouble throwing out favourite clothes that are old or I can't fit into anymore, or that I associate with certain people.

Recently though I have got better at it. Mainly because, unlike you shesus, I never think back to the clothes once I manage to get rid of them. So it was pointless to hang on to them really.

genuinegirly · 03-28-2009, 12:24 PM

My mom saved every formal dress that she made for herself during high school and her early 20's. I wore them a few times myself.

I am prone to such attachment to clothing. Unfortunately I tend to wear things until they're completely destroyed. When they get to a point where I can no longer mend them, they're gone. If I have a photograph of me wearing the shirt/jacket/sweater/pants, I'm usually ok with moving on.

I still have my prom dress, wedding dress, going away skirt/blouse, baptism dress (age 25), cristening dress (baby), and my maid of honor dress from my sister's wedding. Those I will never wear frequently enough to wear out.

shesus · 03-28-2009, 12:29 PM

Medusa, the story about the dress your husband hated made me laugh. I've had a few of those and still have a couple. The worst was a patch-work hippie dress I bought at a community fair. The dress was quite horrendous I admit. But it was hand-made and had a great story behind it.

I am notorious for always having to go to the bathroom as it is and when I drink it is worse. JJ and his daughter wanted to listen to one of the bands, so I ventured off with one of our friends to browse and drink. Needless to say, I had to *go*. The line for the porta-potties were huge and I was just drunk enough to lose a bit of modesty. I had our friend stand watch as I went behind a dumpster. I came out laughing hysterically (ok, I was quite tanked at this point). I had not squatted correctly, sometimes I wish I were a guy. Well, I had to buy some new clothes and there was the hippie-dippy tent with dresses. Never shop under the influence because I ended up with the 'ugliest dress ever' according to JJ. When we met back up he was horrified and then just laughed at the state I was in. I wore the dress a few times after that because it was about $40 and I wanted to get my money's worth. Then I kept it for awhile because it made me laugh every time I saw it. I think JJ threw it out during one of our moves or strongly urged me too. Either way, it's long gone, but the memory still lives on. I don't think I'll ever live down the piss that ended in bad fashion.

alicat · 03-28-2009, 09:32 PM

Shit, it figures I check into TFP just before going to bed and am quite tippsy, only to find a topic that is near and dear to my heart! Please ladies, forgive any spelling, grammer, etc. mistakes.

I have alot of thoughts about this but tonight I'm just gonna address my current closet status and I'll post tomorrow on the rest.

I was born into a family of packrat's on my Mom's side. I was infected as well. I was skinny until 18 (1989) and for about a decade after I bought whatever "in style" clothes I could afford but couldn't wear because of my weight (ever hopeful, not much overall due to finance's).

After renting for 17 1/2 yrs. in multiple houses and through many moves, we finally bought our first house a year and a half ago. I'd been working on thinning my huge stockpile of crap in the basement for a year. Hubby, sis and BIL filled the 16 ft. U-haul with crap while I kept packing (in the end, LITERALLY just shy of a TON of shit, .98) went to the dump.

It turned out that we had packed every last little thing in the house, EXCEPT the closets! Doh! In every single one was my dirty little secret, hanger after hanger of clothes (both mine and hubbies) from the late 80's till then.

We couldn't afford another trip to the dump so I STILL have one closet full of the clothes and bags of them in the basement. The reason they're still around is too much other stuff happening and "out of sight, out of mind" (lazyness too!).

I really have emotional connections to clothing and multiple garments/examples, but I will post about them tomorrow.

Great topic shesus!!

ngdawg · 03-28-2009, 09:45 PM

My attachment is to shoes more than clothes.
I have a pair of very high wedge baby blue sandals that I bought strictly as a joke for a trip to Niagara Falls with the car club I belonged to. We had some chat convo about "fuck me" shoes or something.....I brought them to the event, put them on and a (newly met) chat friend took a picture of them. I wore them the rest of the day even though I could NOT walk in them very well, but my feet looked goooooood....a year later at another event down south, the same friend whipped out that photo of my fuck me sandals and proceeded to try to auction it off. They're still in the closet 8 years later. I have probably about 20 or so pairs of shoes, many out of style, but I can't get myself to toss them. I did toss out about 10 pairs of boots several years ago and it took a while for the garbage bag to make its way downstairs.
I do have a problem letting go of clothes that don't fit. If I gain weight, I want to keep my "skinny" clothes. When I lose weight, I don't want to toss my fat clothes without agonizing. I did keep some (I lost the weight in 1999) and now they fit again.

I once had 64 sweaters and got into a mode of "WTF am I doing with 64 sweaters?" and gave away all but maybe 15 to a women's shelter.

Grasshopper Green · 03-29-2009, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shesus

Medusa, the story about the dress your husband hated made me laugh. I've had a few of those and still have a couple. The worst was a patch-work hippie dress I bought at a community fair. The dress was quite horrendous I admit. But it was hand-made and had a great story behind it.

I wonder if the dress was the reason we only went out once?

Your story reminded me of another dress from my past. A friend of mine bought me a hippie-esque dress for my 18th birthday - dark green with tye-dye looking brown suns and moons and wooden buttons. It was fairly loose but rather short, even on my 5'3 frame. I worked at a downtown mall at the time; I was in college, carless, and always worked evenings. I was walking to my bus stop one evening and was wearing this particular dress. A car cruised up next to me and asked if I wanted to "take a ride to somewhere quiet". Having grown up in an ultra conservative area, I was totally freaked out and had no idea how to respond, and just took off running. Now I just think it's funny, especially because the dress was the epitome of unsexiness.

Thank you for the sentiment, little tippler.

shesus · 03-29-2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medusa

Your story reminded me of another dress from my past. A friend of mine bought me a hippie-esque dress for my 18th birthday - dark green with tye-dye looking brown suns and moons and wooden buttons. It was fairly loose but rather short, even on my 5'3 frame. I worked at a downtown mall at the time; I was in college, carless, and always worked evenings. I was walking to my bus stop one evening and was wearing this particular dress. A car cruised up next to me and asked if I wanted to "take a ride to somewhere quiet". Having grown up in an ultra conservative area, I was totally freaked out and had no idea how to respond, and just took off running. Now I just think it's funny, especially because the dress was the epitome of unsexiness.

Why is it always hippie dresses? Your story reminds me of another hippie dress I had. It was tie-dyed too, but purple instead of green, and also super short. It sounds very similar to to the style of yours. I was walking home from school and had two guys behind me giggling. I ignored them and kept walking. Finally, one of them shouted at me to stop. I turned around and they stammered a bit and told me that my ass was showing then burst into laughter. My backpack had pulled up the back of my dress. Luckily, my panties were purple so I wasn't clashing.

I ended up engaged to one of the guys right after graduation. Talk about a strange first encounter story.

Shaindra · 03-29-2009, 02:27 PM

I'm pretty ruthless about my closet. If an item of clothing has sentimental value, I might keep it. But not hanging in my closet. I'll put it in a memory box or something.

In fact, I'm looking forward to getting rid of a bunch of stuff when I swap out the winter stuff for the summer stuff.

03-27-2009, 07:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
shesus Fancy Location: Chicago	Waxing Nostalgic through the Closet Tonight I decided it was time to go through my clothes and make some room in my dresser and closet. It's time to update the wardrobe. I hate getting rid of clothes so I have a lot of old ones around that I never or rarely wear anymore, but always think maybe one day I'll wear them or they remind me of days in the past. I have a pink halter top that's knitted with crocheted flowers along the top that I got at least 7 years ago. The sides are starting to come apart so it is definitely beyond its time, but I hate throwing it out. It was what I considered to be one of my coolest shirts to show off my, at the time, new tattoo. Then I think of all the other clothes that have gotten tossed and sometimes wish I still had them even though they most likely are past their style expiration date and/or wouldn't fit correctly anymore. I had an awesome pair of red pleather pants (I'm slightly allergic to real leather) that I wore to my first Dandy Warhols concert and about froze my ass off waiting in line. I also had a pair of thin velvet-type paisley pants and a gauzy floral skirt with a lace hem. My mom even has a couple of outfits from when she was dating my dad that she won't throw out because she enjoys looking at them and thinking about her 'good ole days'. I know my mom and I can't be the only weirdos that have emotional connections to clothing. Are there any clothes that you are keeping or wish you still had from the past? __________________ Whatever did happen to your soul? I heard you sold it Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

03-28-2009, 07:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I have several dresses that I've kept for sentimental value. I kept the dress I got married in - we got married at the courthouse and the dress came from Sears. It's ugly and I can't believe I used to think it was nice. I have another dress that I still think is pretty and would wear if I were thin enough. It is a navy blue column with a floral pattern. I only wore it once - to The Phantom of the Opera when it played here in SLC. I went with a friend and we had a very good time. I also have the dress I bought for my brother's funeral and while I can still fit into it, I will never wear it again. I have one other dress I used to wear quite frequently - a brown, flowy, long empire waist dress that was so comfy. My husband thought it was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen and would tell me never to wear it again whenever he saw it. I bought it just after I graduated high school and the first time I wore it was on a date with a guy I had a crush on. I retired the dress after I had my son, which was 7 years after I bought it. Out of all my dresses, this one got the most use by far. Ironically enough, I don't own a single dress that I actually wear. All of my dresses are from my past. I haven't ever kept shirts, pants, or anything else for sentimental reasons. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

03-28-2009, 10:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	That's sad about your brother Medusa. I too get nostalgic about my clothes. I have a few items I keep as mementos. I have my prom dress, which I can still fit in and still like. It's blue satin and it's very simple but has a beautiful cut. I have some jeans I used to love that are now baggy and looking a bit worn that I can't throw out because they are covered in little crystals in a unique pattern and I thought they were really cool when I got them. I wore them a lot. I have a favourite shirt that is coming apart in threads but I can't throw it away. It has stripes in a rainbow pattern. Then I have some things that remind me of others. My grandmother's gold dress from when Portugal held a ball for the British queen, that she attended, I think in the '50' s - it has a '50's cut and is pretty. My aunt's white lace dress from her first ball. I have some of my dad's old shirts as keepsakes. I also have trouble throwing out favourite clothes that are old or I can't fit into anymore, or that I associate with certain people. Recently though I have got better at it. Mainly because, unlike you shesus, I never think back to the clothes once I manage to get rid of them. So it was pointless to hang on to them really. __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

03-28-2009, 12:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	My mom saved every formal dress that she made for herself during high school and her early 20's. I wore them a few times myself. I am prone to such attachment to clothing. Unfortunately I tend to wear things until they're completely destroyed. When they get to a point where I can no longer mend them, they're gone. If I have a photograph of me wearing the shirt/jacket/sweater/pants, I'm usually ok with moving on. I still have my prom dress, wedding dress, going away skirt/blouse, baptism dress (age 25), cristening dress (baby), and my maid of honor dress from my sister's wedding. Those I will never wear frequently enough to wear out. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy Last edited by genuinegirly; 03-28-2009 at 12:27 PM..

03-28-2009, 12:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
shesus Fancy Location: Chicago	Medusa, the story about the dress your husband hated made me laugh. I've had a few of those and still have a couple. The worst was a patch-work hippie dress I bought at a community fair. The dress was quite horrendous I admit. But it was hand-made and had a great story behind it. I am notorious for always having to go to the bathroom as it is and when I drink it is worse. JJ and his daughter wanted to listen to one of the bands, so I ventured off with one of our friends to browse and drink. Needless to say, I had to go. The line for the porta-potties were huge and I was just drunk enough to lose a bit of modesty. I had our friend stand watch as I went behind a dumpster. I came out laughing hysterically (ok, I was quite tanked at this point). I had not squatted correctly, sometimes I wish I were a guy. Well, I had to buy some new clothes and there was the hippie-dippy tent with dresses. Never shop under the influence because I ended up with the 'ugliest dress ever' according to JJ. When we met back up he was horrified and then just laughed at the state I was in. I wore the dress a few times after that because it was about $40 and I wanted to get my money's worth. Then I kept it for awhile because it made me laugh every time I saw it. I think JJ threw it out during one of our moves or strongly urged me too. Either way, it's long gone, but the memory still lives on. I don't think I'll ever live down the piss that ended in bad fashion. __________________ Whatever did happen to your soul? I heard you sold it Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

03-28-2009, 09:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
alicat Baffled Location: West Michigan	Shit, it figures I check into TFP just before going to bed and am quite tippsy, only to find a topic that is near and dear to my heart! Please ladies, forgive any spelling, grammer, etc. mistakes. I have alot of thoughts about this but tonight I'm just gonna address my current closet status and I'll post tomorrow on the rest. I was born into a family of packrat's on my Mom's side. I was infected as well. I was skinny until 18 (1989) and for about a decade after I bought whatever "in style" clothes I could afford but couldn't wear because of my weight (ever hopeful, not much overall due to finance's). After renting for 17 1/2 yrs. in multiple houses and through many moves, we finally bought our first house a year and a half ago. I'd been working on thinning my huge stockpile of crap in the basement for a year. Hubby, sis and BIL filled the 16 ft. U-haul with crap while I kept packing (in the end, LITERALLY just shy of a TON of shit, .98) went to the dump. It turned out that we had packed every last little thing in the house, EXCEPT the closets! Doh! In every single one was my dirty little secret, hanger after hanger of clothes (both mine and hubbies) from the late 80's till then. We couldn't afford another trip to the dump so I STILL have one closet full of the clothes and bags of them in the basement. The reason they're still around is too much other stuff happening and "out of sight, out of mind" (lazyness too!). I really have emotional connections to clothing and multiple garments/examples, but I will post about them tomorrow. Great topic shesus!! __________________ 'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun, The frumious Bandersnatch!'--Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll "You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

03-28-2009, 09:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	My attachment is to shoes more than clothes. I have a pair of very high wedge baby blue sandals that I bought strictly as a joke for a trip to Niagara Falls with the car club I belonged to. We had some chat convo about "fuck me" shoes or something.....I brought them to the event, put them on and a (newly met) chat friend took a picture of them. I wore them the rest of the day even though I could NOT walk in them very well, but my feet looked goooooood....a year later at another event down south, the same friend whipped out that photo of my fuck me sandals and proceeded to try to auction it off. They're still in the closet 8 years later. I have probably about 20 or so pairs of shoes, many out of style, but I can't get myself to toss them. I did toss out about 10 pairs of boots several years ago and it took a while for the garbage bag to make its way downstairs. I do have a problem letting go of clothes that don't fit. If I gain weight, I want to keep my "skinny" clothes. When I lose weight, I don't want to toss my fat clothes without agonizing. I did keep some (I lost the weight in 1999) and now they fit again. I once had 64 sweaters and got into a mode of "WTF am I doing with 64 sweaters?" and gave away all but maybe 15 to a women's shelter. __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

03-29-2009, 02:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
Shaindra Psycho Location: Massachusetts	I'm pretty ruthless about my closet. If an item of clothing has sentimental value, I might keep it. But not hanging in my closet. I'll put it in a memory box or something. In fact, I'm looking forward to getting rid of a bunch of stuff when I swap out the winter stuff for the summer stuff. __________________ "Never regret something that once made you smile."