• Home
  • Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed

Growing up, my mother’s closet and jewelry box were the ultimate treasure chest for costumes. I could dress up and be ‘just like mom’. The neighbors still tell stories about how I would parade around the neighborhood wearing my mother’s lace nighties. I’m sure my mother was mortified that I was baring her unmentionables for all to see. When I grew older, I recall a particular brown sweater that I had ‘borrowed’ for a prolonged period of time without permission. You would think World War III had begun.

Now that my daughter is approaching my height, and her feet are the same size, the inevitable has begun. It started with a pair of boots, expensive ones, which I had only worn a few times. Those boots haven’t seen my feet in over a year. They are on what I like to refer to as the extended borrow, where you never get it back.

When I couldn’t find my favorite ball cap after looking everywhere, I finally discovered it at the bottom of my daughter’s closet, flattened. This after she had pulled the old deny and imply borrow, where I was told I was losing my mind. Also during this search, I unearthed a pair of my leggings she swore she did not have, the three mismatched socks that I have been cussing out the washing machine for eating, and my absolute favorite David Bowie t-shirt that I’ve had for over thirty years. These were the victims of the hunt and gather borrow

I get it, I’m cool, and she wants to be just like me, right? Not likely. I’m Gen-X and she’s Gen-Z. The fashion that was popular when I was a teenager is trendy again. So essentially, my closet just became an accessible vintage clothing store. The challenge is that we both wear the same styles for different reasons. She’s wearing them to look older and trendy, while I’m wearing them to look younger and hipper. This mother-daughter rite of passage is new territory for us but can be less frustrating for both of us if we implement boundaries and guidelines on all things borrowed. 

Janet Smith is a proud mom of one daughter and a marketing professional who is grateful for her rural roots in the London area. Follow Janet’s funny and honest journey at IG & TT | @re.marketable.janet or FB | @janetsiddallsmith

 

Questions? Comments? Contact us today!

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

News Letter