Beltane to Memorial Day Countdown: The Tale of Two Tanks

There are moments when I feel really connected to my creative partners, and this is one of them. I spent my whole morning dog walk musing over which tank top I wanted to share with you today, and decided on, after much contemplation, what follows. So imagine my surprise when I found that Ms. Laurie Marman already beat me to the punch! Two tank tops! Well, my take on the two tank post is a bit different, but I wanted first to recognize that there is really something to be said about how creative energy works between people, even if it is across the country, and through the internet.

So, that aside, I present you with The Tale of Two Tank Tops!

Now, as I have often lamented, thrifting can have its dark side. For me, it becomes a bit dangerous when it plays too much into my hoarding tendencies. In particular, I have found myself accidentially thrifting pieces that, as it turns out, are pretty much identical to something already hanging in my closet. When this happens, and I realize that I truly am becoming a hoarder, I momentarily suffer a panic attack and shame myself for being greedy in my consumption.

The fix? Easy—eliminate one of the pieces.

Here you have two tanks. Both are flowy, darkish teal and slightly boxy in shape. I do not need two flowy, darkish teal, slightly boxy tank tops. No one does. So here comes the challenge of deciding which of the two tops will be of better use in my wardrobe, and which one should be let back out into the wild marketplace.

Witness Tank #1:



Purchased during our Black Friday Thrifting escapade of 2010, I was immediately drawn to the sweetness of this top. The embroidered floral detail on the bust was a bit much for me, but I thought it was simple enough to be able to wear without feeling like a 12-year-old. I am a huge fan of blue and green shades, especially teals, so I often find myself thrifting items in this color palette. As I have mentioned before, when I find a flowy, cute tank I almost always buy it, so with this one, I did.

Witness Tank #2:



Jump ahead two months to my special trip to Forest Lake, when it was twenty below outside. In two months we had been hit with snow storm after snow storm (one which blessed the Twin Cities with 18 inches) and had been enduring weeks of zero degree temps—hardly tank top weather. I blame this for why I did not remember my #1 teal tank when I found this number.

Like my first teal tank top, I was drawn to the #2 tank because of the color and cut. It is also silk, which I have a major affinity for in tanks (and life). I may or may not have also been swayed by its Casual Corner origins, because that store always reminds me of the first time my mom and I went shopping together on a "girls day out."*

Upon realizing this slight duplication in my wardrobe, I had to make a decision. Which tank would be on the chopping block? Which would stay and become my prized teal tank?

After much deliberation, I chose to part with my first tank. While there were extenuating circumstances that lead to my forgetfulness about its existence when I purchased the second tank, I do believe that if a piece really meant something to me, it would surface in my mind as I came across a piece similar to it. In the end, the floral detail was too much for me, and the darker shade (and silk) of the second tank won out. Logic aside, I also had to listen to my heart. Did it want a youthful, 90's teal tank or did it yearn for something a bit more sophisticated that a 70's college art professor might wear? The answer was clear: the number two tank is now my number one.

*I came away from my first girls day out with a small potpourri stuffed cat and a denim Blossom hat. I still have both.