Growing up as the youngest child in a neighborhood of close-knit families meant my closet was full of hand-me-downs. My older sister also contributed extensively to my closet. As a 5-year-old, I was a true fashionista and always had my eye out for what my sister and older neighbors were wearing to snatch off of them someday. Some of the most coveted pieces were Gap sweatshirts. You know the ones: fleece, solid-colored, perfect for an early 2000s fall day with jeans and tennis shoes. I was the envy of my first-grade class in my red Gap sweatshirt, and no one could tell me otherwise.  

When I grew out of my last neighborhood Gap sweatshirt, my mom took me to GapKids to pick out a jacket for the upcoming school year. By this time, I was nine years old. I took the opportunity to branch out from the Gap hoodie and try something new, bold, and exciting. I settled on a brown zip-up with “GAP” written across the chest in pink, polka-dotted letters. I adored this jacket. I adored it so much that I took it to school nearly every day in case I got chilly.

One of my classmates pointed it out to me one day. “Is that the only jacket you have? It’s not even cool.” I was heartbroken. Since when did Gap sweatshirts become uncool? It wasn’t the only sweatshirt I had, but it was my favorite and softest. I reluctantly hung up the sweatshirt and moved on to wearing other jackets to spice things up. But I never forgot that trusty jacket. And I still wore it, just to spite that rude classmate.

Eleven years later, Champion became the new Gap, charging way too much for a cotton sweatshirt that will certainly go out of style soon. However, scrolling through Twitter the other day, I noticed Gap sweatshirts trending. This resurgence can be linked to Gap vowing to put more energy into their Gap apparel amid disappointing sales in previous years. Kanye West’s promised collaboration with the brand also made stock prices skyrocket.

People were ranting about online thrift stores and sellers charging $75 for “vintage Gap sweatshirts” from the ‘90s and early 2000s. Sellers posed in the same exact sweatshirts I wore and got made fun of for, zip-up and everything. I suddenly felt an extreme yearning for my fleece sweatshirts again. These sellers were exploiting my nostalgia for their gain. I’m sad to say it worked.

This type of thing happens in fashion frequently. After all, fashion is just a vicious cycle of styles throughout history. Ten years ago, if I would have worn high-waisted, baggy jeans, I would have certainly been scrutinized. Now, I adore mine and feel the most confident in them. The Gap sweatshirt phenomenon is no different. But seriously, $75? Even Gap stores are only charging $50 for their classic hoodies and zip-ups. I’ll take mine for free, for the emotional damage your taunting caused me all those years ago.