nostalgic appreciation
What can I say? I'm in a nostalgic mood. Back when this Alexander Wang blush streamer dress came out I was so enamored with it that I stalked it on the runway, in street style shots, and on sale racks. But alas, my financial situation at the time was not as #blessed as it is now (I work a lot and freelance a ton on the side) so I made the right decision to not pursue something I couldn't afford. So cut to me circa now, browsing The Real Real, just bored in my office taking a break from a project and what do I see? The one and only Alexander Wang blush streamer dress from the collection I loved, on sale, with tags. It was on sale for $180 on The Real Real and I ended up adding a 20% coupon to it to seal the deal.
I loved it as soon as it arrived as well because it is just the loveliest muted pink in the most fluttery silk fabric. Is it exactly on trend right now? Probably not. Do IGAF? Nope. Wearing this dress makes me happy because I feel like I've dressed myself up in it for years before I had it, and now that I own it the dress it feels like a testament to working hard to afford and buy what I want. First world problems, people. I'm not preaching that material things will always make you happy, but that maybe sometimes materials things can signal more of a milestone, which can be lovely too.
This nostalgic appreciation is the relationship I have with certain pieces of clothing in my closet, especially older ones from when I didn't have as much. The rest of my closet functions as daily armor I put on my body to make me feel ready to face the day and other people.