Jessie

Two years ago, I bought a light tan jacket with large gold buttons on it. It’s beautiful and intact; the gold buttons have an insignia and markings that make it resemble laurel wreaths from afar. I bought it from Buffalo Exchange during a time when I was building a wardrobe. I was excited to find the jacket because it had a cool, yet timeless look, and was from a high-end designer I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. However, I left the jacket unworn for along time because I was in a position of low self-esteem and was worried that wearing the jacket would bring attention to myself.
About a year ago, in an altered state of consciousness, I decided to get rid of my clothes, mostly donating or selling them except for four jackets I had never worn, including this one. As I had also gotten rid of many possessions in my apartment, I had very little left of my stuff by the time I came around, which wasn’t a good feeling. Having this jacket helped me feel like I still had something left.

This story was written for Emily Spivack’s workshop at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia on May 6th, 2015.

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