To All the Clothes I've Loved Before

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

The other day, I got to thinking about some of the clothes that I used to own that I wish I either a) still had the body to pull off, 2) could still find, iii) Hi Opal!, or D) still had the body to pull off if I could only find it. A lot of them made me feel confident or sexy or just all over awesome. Sadly, most of these I don’t even have pictures of anymore.

One was a body suit that I owned. All black, long sleeved, floppy sheer cuffs at the end, rounded scoop neckline. I’d pair it with black jeans and it made me feel like I could conquer anything. I think I lost it in a move in around 1994. Never quite found it’s equal.

The next was a pair of white denim shorts. A lot of times, I would wear this with a ribbed flowered shirt and strappy sandals. I’ve got short legs so it usually takes something special to not look like a fire hydrant. These did that. Sometime in the mid 90s, I gained too much weight to wear them anymore. I held on to them for several years in the hopes of losing weight, but finally realized that’s not going to happen (at least not to get back into that size!) and let them go to Goodwill.

The last was around 20 years ago. Black lace sleeveless top with a denim shirt unbuttoned used as a jacket over it. Denim miniskirt with a small American Flag on one side, black hose, a black fedora and black zip-up heeled ankle boots. It was my common DopeFest garb, and it made me feel like I was on fire.

As I think about it, though, I don’t really have anything from the last twenty years. My wedding dress was gorgeous and I loved it, but I do still have it and I don’t see wearing it again at any point. Most of the rest of the time, I was in full Mom Body/Mom Clothes mode, where what I wore didn’t really matter as long as it covered my body and wasn’t too terribly stained. I had/have some cute shirts - mostly geek shirts, like my Amber Quote or my “The Physician Unknown” shirt - but those are just my t–shirts. Though, thinking as I’m typing, I do have one that I wish hadn’t gotten so damaged: My Polygamy Porter shirt that I bought on my honeymoon. I tried looking for a new one but they just don’t seem to have these 20 year old shirts for sale anywhere.

As I’m approaching middle age, I’m finding that I want to get those feelings back again. I’m not going to be buying exactly those items again - some I could never pull off at 50. But I am hoping to find some that bring back the confidence I had when I wore those other outfits long ago.

What clothing makes you feel nostalgic? Or confident? What brings out your best you?

2

I was just ruminating on this the other day. I have the absolute cutest pair of white capris with flowers sewn on them and I want to wear them again. They are inspiring my current attempts to take off a few pounds, but I’m pretty sure I’m just fooling myself. The only way those are ever going to fit again is if I’m too ill to eat, in which case, pajamas will be all I’m good for.

I do have several boxes of things I’ve saved, but they’ll no doubt just go to goodwill when I die. (sigh)

3

When I think of favorite clothing items, I always wonder where the heck did they go? I’m not it the habit of throwing clothing in the garbage can, I never used to bring clothing to Goodwill (I do now), and it’s just been in recent years that I’ve sold some clothing in rummage sales. That leaves a lot of clothing that I have no idea where it would be! :woman_shrugging:t4:

4

It’s been a long time since I had that “kapow!” feeling when I got dressed. Lately I’ve been on a minimalism kick, so I’ve at least got rid of most of the dreck, and I don’t need to make many decisions when I go to my closet, just grab the next garment in line. However…
I did make one purchase recently, a T-shirt I really wanted, and with the money going to a good cause. I get a lot of compliments on it.

5

I have a pair of jeans that are black on one leg and white on the other. I still dream of being able to fit in them again.

I used to LARP. I had leather bracers that were fun to wear. Haven’t been able to find them for years now.

6

I got this white long-sleeved Harley Davidson tee one year when my cousins and I went to the auto show (or maybe it was a motorcycle show). I wore that shirt as much as possible, under my 90’s band tees. I even have a set of senior pictures in that tee.

It eventually just disintegrated and I guess I had to throw it away. I rarely wear long-sleeved shirts now. I think I got more hot (temp-wise) as I aged and if I wear long sleeves I’m just too hot.

7

I had a Cheech Wizard shirt that I just loved. Grew out of it but kept it anyway. Finally threw it out during the Great Move clearing. Would love a replacement but I can’t find one at all like the one I had.

“… I going to demonstrate the relativity of time. … Gomph!”

Along opposite lines, I have a really great Netscape sweater that I got as swag*. I never wear it so I can …? not wear it someday??

* So guess how far back that was.

8

Vaughn Bode shirts

9

Oh my. I have a huge list of clothing I have loved, and sometimes loved to death.

The cotton ticking oversized shirt. A friend was scandalized that I would pay so much for a shirt ($40 in 1982) but as we were moving me about 10 years later, she manhandled a bunch of hangared clothes into the back seat of her car when the the beloved shirt (on top) literally ripped from the strain of the hangar pressing on the back of the shirt. We both laughed whe she said “I take it back about this shirt being too expensive. You haven’t worn anything else in summer for years. But, umm, time to seek a replacement.”

So many others. Some, my mother made disappear. Some, like the shirt above gave their last gasp in the wash or in other tough situations. Many, I outgrew due to weight gain. Some were recycled, upcycled, given away to friends, or donated. Lots and lots of memories there.

10

Shortly after I quit smoking I bought me a nice leather jacket. The leather jacket I wore when I smoked reeked of tobacco, I tossed it. The jacket fit great and was very comfortable. One night my then wife and I were at a restaurant and I went to use the rest room. While I was gone a woman came up and distracted my wife and someone grabbed my jacket, it was hanging over the back of my chair. I noticed it was gone when I came back from the rest room. My wife told me about the woman and I went looking for her. She, whoever she was with and my jacket was gone.

11

I had a 3/4 sleeve jersey years ago and was helping the woman I was seeing at the time move to a new location. I got sweaty and, while it didn’t reek, it was still musky. When I changed shirts at the end of the move, the jersey disappeared and I never saw it again. She admitted to keeping it because she liked to take a big inhale every once in awhile. :nauseated_face: The shirt had a San Francisco cable car iron on and looked snazzy.

12

I LOVED my hypercolor T-shirt. I don’t care what folks said, nor about fashion, I just absolutely loved the fact it changed colors with heat. AND it was comfy.

I also had an army trenchcoat that was wonderfully warm, fit well, and seemed to regulate temperature. I wore it for about a year until someone let me know that it was offensive to wear army clothes when I wasn’t military, and I just stopped wearing it.

13

I find this to be hogwash. Not aimed at you but at those who choose to be offended by others wearing well-made practical clothing that was originally made for the purpose of keeping a soldier warm and dry. If anything, it’s a compliment to the military’s planning and sourcing such good clothing. If this were the case, we should all ditch anything that is camo-patterned or has a plethora of pockets.

14

I would wear black sleeveless tanks and black leggings 24/7 if people wouldnt ask if that was all I had. I do have 3 pants and 4 tops but still.

15

I gave away the black velvet cocktail dress with the white off-the shoulder sleeves/sash and the black-with-white-polka dots halter dress I loved because I’m too old for that kind of clothing any more and I really wouldn’t have anyplace to wear that stuff nowadays anyway.

All the jeans I’ve ever really liked I wore until they fell apart. I also wore out the lining on a great black pinstripe suit that I wish I still had/could find a replacement for. It would probably only be good for funerals these days though.

I have a long black London Fog trenchcoat that has traveled all over with me and is getting to the point where it needs to be replaced, but the new London Fog full-length coats are both heavier and longer than the one I have, and not suitable for travel - just too bulky. It’s going to be a pain to find a replacement and it won’t have the memories connected to it this one does, either.

I also bought a beautiful leather jacket in Italy last fall that I love and wear every chance I get. I might need to be buried in that.

16

Tons of them out there. None are like the one I had. And I doubt the silkscreen T-shirt shop I got it from in the 70s is still in business. (That’s right, I picked out the screen and the T-shirt and watched them make it.)