Cleaning out my closet brings me joy because I can take things I thought useless and give them meaning.  All of those things I thought I’d use that just go to the back of my closet, yesterday; I’ve given new life, by bringing them to the front.  Yes, even the untrendy stuff I’m planning on wearing more often than the things I’ve just recently bought because I believe everyone deserves a fair chance.

                Most of my stuff is from Eddy Bauer.  I remember the first time I stepped into that store in sophomore year at Loyola, right before I almost went insane (I still shop there because it’s the only trendy place that carries my size- the creepiness eludes me- I try to keep it into the back of my mind, while passing flip flops and water bottles that this type of atmosphere can cause high schoolers to go crazy).  Right away it had a hunting-camping-wilderness feel to it, and I never thought that it would one day produce cool clothes.  I remember seeing this really cool yet ridiculously simple messenger bag that I just HAD to have to survive that was from Eddie Bauer, and for some reason my Mom bought it for me.  Now that I think back everything that was instyle and was cool then (1998-1999-2000) at expensive prep schools was actually really boring and was only cool because it was expensive.  Nowadays and back then at other schools the thrown-together-just-out-of-bed- bun-hair-do look sweatpants-hoodie look where you can buy your whole outfit for less than $20 is a lot more accommodating, and, I hate to say it, a lot less snobby.  If you stuck a rich kid from Loyola around that time into Resurrection, with pajama pants and messy hair, and take away their Abercrombie and other insanely expensive brand wardrobe, they would probably skip their first period health class to go to Old Orchard or Water Tower to buy everyone at Res a new Abercrombie wardrobe, so that they would feel like they would fit in.

                Then again, Resurrection was an all-girl high school that required uniforms.  Each class had different styles and colors.  This doesn’t mean, however, that the girls didn’t get original with their appearance.  The pen-stuck-through-the-messy-hair-do was highly popular.  Didn’t want to carry a pen to class? No problem!  Just stick it in your hair and take it out when you need it.  A lot of girls wore knee high socks too, which complimented the “Catholic-school-girl-look” very nicely.  Also, even though there weren’t any guys in the picture (during school hours) a LOT of girls wore makeup.  I didn’t, but maybe that was because I couldn’t care less because I was doped up on drugs from just being hospitalized for weeks when I transferred there.  Anyways, there was lot of eye shadow, eyeliner, etc., and the teachers and staff new better than to get involved in it because you do NOT mess with adolescent girls and their self perception.  Makeup makes girls feel grown up, pretty, cool, etc., and that is why many spend half an hour before the mirror in the morning putting it on.

                Wherever you go in high school, there are cliques.  Some schools are more exclusive and stuck up about the whole process than others.  I remember when I first started at Loyola, I was amazed at how friendly everyone was.  Everyone wanted to be friends with everyone.  At grammar school it was the exact opposite.  At Loyola I felt like I had an opportunity to meet tons of new people, and honestly, it was kind of overwhelming.  Of course there was drama, and when something happened, the whole class knew about it.  As time passed and I got into soph/junior/senior year, other schools mingled with each other, and everyone really found out who their true friends were, once they got through the “rush” of meeting each other, and all of the fake stuff was over with.  It’s just a fact of life- once you stick around somewhere for a while, you figure out who’s genuine and who’s going to be your true friend-and who’s not.