We are all influenced by our family of origin.
I am the youngest of four, and when I look through memories of my childhood, tweens, teens, and young adulthood, there is a common theme for me, my sister's clothes.
I can look down at my outfit and pick out what items come from my eldest sister, and which items I have picked out myself.
My sister doesn’t understand my love of op-shopping as an adult but the issue is that my clothes have ALWAYS come from her and now as an adult I don’t know what it is to walk into stores every year buying a different season's latest fashions.
Why? Because either she dressed me in her clothes, I snuck into her wardrobe to ‘borrow’ items and then put them secretly back perfectly folded in the exact place she left them or she gave me the yearly supply of hand me downs in the black garbage bag. My sister dressed me for casual clothes days at school, job interviews, and parties.
I’m selling my big sis short, it wasn’t just clothes, it was sneakers, heels, boots, bags, bathers and more. Those Tony Bianco boots lasted from me at age 16 to 26, what a long life right!
This year I was going to a friend's wedding and I asked my big sister for a recommendation for a shop to buy a ‘new’ outfit. I thought I would give it a go. But hey, what was her reply, you can borrow something of mine. Here is my sister who can’t understand why I op-shop, still as adults providing me with outfits. Do you have this experience? Are you still sharing clothes with your sisters or mum?
I have to admit, I never want to stop. I love that we do this, maybe it’s because I win and get really amazing clothes and bags that have clothed me my whole life. Even as two adults, we are sharing our clothes and passing them down.
Family connection can come in lots of different ways, it’s not all trips to Disneyland and bowling competitions, sharing of clothes can be a family ritual and a treasured thing for families. Let’s look beyond the big things, and find the small rituals that help glue us together and show love in different ways.