KEEP PILE

WRITER AVA SHAPIRO GRAPHIC DESIGNER MARGARET LAAKSO

As the last bit of summer slips away, I sit in my childhood bedroom amid mounds of clothes that I need to either bring back with me to college or get rid of. My sentimental nature makes this task difficult to stomach, but since my brother got a “grown-up job” in a big city and my parents decided that it was time to leave the home where I spent my adolescence, I know that there is no better time to sort through my belongings, and therefore, sort through the passed down clothing of my youth.

As I sift through my never-ending jean collection, I stumble upon one of my favorite pairs of what I like to call my “going out” jeans—perfect for nights filled with dancing and spilled drinks. The faded Abercrombie and Fitch label suddenly whisks me back to a time when my favorite pair of jeans were from the same brand but about 10 years older. While I don’t have this particular pair of jeans anymore, they were undoubtedly a staple piece in my wardrobe as a child. Given to me by my best friend Lexi, I wore them every chance I could. She gave me her hand-me-downs for most of our childhoods, especially since she was two years older than me and grew out of clothes more quickly than I did. While I was supplied with various Justice t-shirts, training bras, and camisoles, I was always drawn to wearing and re-wearing those jeans, right up until they couldn’t fit me anymore. As I put my going-out jeans in my “keep” pile, I laugh at the thought that Abercrombie and Fitch have made their way back into my closet, and my heart, once more.

Since Michigan is bound to freeze into a tundra while I am back at school, I know that I need to cram as many warm and cozy clothing items as possible to fit in my car’s trunk. In going through my rather large—and, in my opinion, impressive— sweatshirt collection, I came across several high school football sweatshirts given to me by ex-boyfriends of my teenage years. One of the best parts of dating someone is stealing their clothes, right? Well, at least in high school, that was true for me. Although my relationships came and went, I always kept one thing from every one: their sweatshirts. Whether they were from their football teams or given to them for Christmas, they always ended up with me, shoved in the back of my closet until the statute of limitations after the break-up ended. Now, looking at them here, it feels like the perfect time to let the sweatshirts go, just as I had let go of their previous owners years before.

Continuing on my quest for outerwear suitable for Michigan winters, I look to

Keep Pile

my coat closet in search of a classic fall transitional jacket, a necessity for Ann Arbor’s chilly October weather. Flipping through the puffy coats and parkas, my brother’s letterman jacket catches my eye, bringing with it all of my memories from when we were in high school together. My older brother was always the most popular kid at school. He was voted “Most Outgoing” in his class, he was the captain of the basketball team, and he was class president. I spent all of my middle school and teen years looking up to him from the sidelines. Even though I sometimes felt like I was in his shadow, he always knew how to bring me out and let me stand in the light with him. One way he did this was by giving me his letterman jacket once he graduated since I didn’t have one. For my last two years of high school, I got to feel as cool as my brother every time I wore his jacket. Now, though he has since moved away and made it on his own, I still see him as the coolest kid in school, letterman jacket and all.

As I move on to my jewelry case, I find countless strings of pearls and all of my most-worn gold rings, but my favorite item is an old watch of my mom’s that she gave me. If you know my mom, you know that punctuality is not her strong suit. She can show up to any event, dinner reservation, or appointment looking effortlessly cool and with the brightest smile on her face, but you will rarely catch her showing up until 15 minutes after the set time. That doesn’t stop her from always having a watch on her. Although she rarely uses it for its intended purpose, it sits on her wrist, serving as an accessory to her amazing outfits. I, on the other hand, can’t stand the thought of being late, constantly checking my phone for the time to ensure that I am always where I need to be at all times. Knowing this, my mom bestowed upon me her beautiful silver Michele watch that she has had since her college days. I wear this watch every day now to keep track of the time, but it also serves as a reminder of my mom’s incredible ability to be fashionably late yet always there when you need her.

With my endless amounts of clothing shoved into boxes and stuffed in the back of my car, I feel as though it is the right time for me to leave the rest of my belongings behind and head back to the place that I’ve called home for the past year. And even though I am going alone, I never feel lonely, because I carry the people that I love with me, folded and packed away for when we get there together.