list six: clothes I loved to wear as a kid

1. red and white striped tee-shirt, circa 1981. as pictured above.

2. maroon stretch velvet pantsuit with creamy lace trim and gold threading, circa 1982. normally reserved for holidays, natch. although I remember it most as the thing I wore to the emergency room on christmas eve, thanks to the worst ear infection ever.

3. hot pink dance costume crazy with fringe and sequins, circa 1975. my mom picked it up at a yard sale for 25 cents and thirty years later, it still manages to bring the house down.

4. little cotton red and white gingham romper with matching hat, circa 1975. witness.

5. esprit muscle tees, circa 1982-84. in grey and fuschia. witness.

6. calvin klein jeans, circa 1980-83. with chic jeans a close second and jordache a distant third.

7. shiny red lycra leotard with matching gold chain belt, circa 1980. worn only when rehearsing solid gold dance choreography or acting out imagined scenes from fame.

8. white jersey tee with a rainbow that stretched from sleeve to sleeve and across the chest. three quarter length sleeves, circa 1982. does anyone remember these? I want one for ava so bad I could cry.

9. cotton paisley print halter top, circa 1977. my childhood summers defined.

10. red satin jacket with baby blue corded stripes down the side of each sleeve, circa 1981. repeatedly worn to the local roller rink.

11. white esprit trousers covered in black splattered paint, circa 1983. very jackson pollock. in the small southern illinois town I lived in, nobody had ever seen anything like them. my friends? so jealous they wanted to spit.

12. red tee-shirt with john travolta on the front, circa 1978. I refused to put posters of any boy on my bedroom wall (because what's the point if he can't really love you back?) but I wore john travolta around til he was spotty and faded.

13. I Dream of Jeanie pajamas with sheer, billowy pink pants that gathered at the ankle and reddish-pink satin top (billowy sleeves to match), circa 1976. my absolute favorite thing to wear, maybe ever. I wore them until there was practically nothing left, til they nearly evaporated into thin air.

(six down and forty-six to go)