Cages

Cage Clutch and Evening Bag by Anndra Neen

Photography by Santiago Vanegas

When I thought about what I wanted to say about my cage clutch and evening bag, a story about my sister immediately sprung to mind.  In second grade, my sister’s class put on a Christmas pageant.  Half of the class were soldiers and the other half were flowers.  It never occured to my sister that she would be anything other than a soldier.  Well, as you can probably imagine, the teacher had other ideas.  The boys would be the soldiers and the girls would wear the flower costumes complete with tutus.  My sister was not happy.  All the while that she was smiling through rehearsals, she was forming a plan.  On the day of the performance, decked out in her tutu, she went on the stage, sat down with her arms folded and refused to perform.  Eventually she was jerked off the stage by a very angry teacher.

I love this story.  It’s a favorite among family members and we tell it over and over.  I was in the audience that day and I remember so clearly that mixture of embarrassment and pride I felt watching her take a stand.  But the reason I’m telling the story now is that it really speaks to how uncomfortable we can feel when we are made to wear something that doesn’t suit us.  And we all have those times–an interview, a wedding, a funeral–that we are required to wear something appropriate.

I remember watching my artistic and unconventional mom get dressed for business meetings.  She is an artist but she is also an only child, therefore many responsibilities of the family business fell to her.  She dressed appropriately but somehow she always managed to add some element that expressed her true self, whether it was funky boots or southwestern jewelry.  It’s a strategy that I now employ myself.  So when I’m wearing a formal dress or a business suit or, heaven forbid, heels, all I have to do is carry one of these cages, and there I am, left of center, a much more comfortable place for me to be.