So, Desi has been asking me for weeks to contribute to her blog, but i've been pretty piss shy about the whole thing because i don't know where to start and am overwhelmed by my lack of anything to say. I feel, however, that the best way to overcome this blockage is to post any old random thing and stop thinking about it too much, so... here's one about the premise of placing value on broken-in clothing:
Any one who spends any serious time in thrift stores knows that the genuinely broken in piece of clothing is a rare and exciting thing- be that because you enjoy the find, or because you enjoy selling off the find, finding a properly super beat down t-shirt means a good day. But what is the appeal of these faded jeans and these crackled soft leather boots? Despite the fact that "fashion" is intrinsically a purely aesthetic being, the appeal is not necessarily because these items look good (although it is arguable that broken-in gear does fit better and hang better, there is still a marked difference between a genuinely worn t-shirt and an equally aesthetically pleasing factory made burnout t-shirt). No, the appeal is, more likely, due to something that is less sensual and more sensitive. The attribute that is exciting about pieces of broken-in clothing is the love that they possess. Think of it like this, personally, i can't ever manage to wear down a pair of jeans that never made me feel good to begin with, because something has to be worn fairly often for a fairly long period of time before it becomes threadbare or broken down. It has to be loved. Wear and tare is directly proportional to the number of days that someone opens that closet door and reaches for that one specific item out of the entire selection; that one thing that is comfortable and familiar and induces a sense of confidence and well being. Favs, people. Inanimate objects that were showered with someone's love and good vibes, maaaaan for years (if i wanted to get really hippy about things i might mention the possibility that the physical matter that the clothing is composed of could hold on to some of positive energy that it was showered with for all of those years, but... eh...) . Basically, these items meant something to someone at some point and now they have somehow managed to find their way to you. Items like this are rare and wonderful finds because long lasting love doesn't happen all of the time and it doesn't end as often either. That is why these items shine. That is their value.
