Yari's Baby Clothes: Object History

Yari's baby clothes had a long history before Yari. Textile manufacturers, clothing designers, factory workers, truck drivers and retailers all influenced the life cycle of this ordinary onesie. Its owner changed multiple times and each altered the path of the object without knowing that it would eventually reach a young mother and her newborn baby girl.

While tracing the life cycle of the clothing would provide interesting insight into the multitude of factors that contributed to the production and distribution of the onesie, I prefer to examine the more specific biography of the clothing and its owners. A certain amount of this analysis is speculative, as I do not know the details about Yari's acquisition of the onesie. However, even a limited story unveils questions about the role of ownership in the life of a mother and her baby.

The newborn-sized onesie might have been purchased or gifted. Its receipt, however, indicates preparation for a baby. When Yari took ownership of the clothing, the role of the clothing changed from being a product to a possession. It lost significance as a commodity for the retailer, but gained practical and sentimental value to its new owner.

When Yari's baby was born, she gave the clothing a new owner. Yari's daughter was, perhaps, the only owner of the object who did not choose to own it. At this point, the onesie was subject to a shared ownership by both Yari and her daughter. To the daughter, it had (albeit unknown to her) utilitarian and comfort value. To the mother, it provided utilitarian and emotional value.

Yari's daughter has since grown out of her first clothing and, effectively, has relinquished her share of ownership in it. Yari, however, chooses to keep the clothing as a fond reminder of her daughter's first days. As the object will probably not be used again, it has lost all utilitarian value for Yari and, yet, is increasingly precious as her daughter grows.

When the clothing enters the museum exhibit, along with Yari's story, it will once again become a shared object as a multitude of viewers appreciate its value as a sentimental object.

There is a fantastic synchronicity with the timing of this post as I recently learned that my dear friend, Brooke, is currently at the hospital awaiting the birth of her own daughter. I have no doubt that, several years from now, Brooke will have a onesie of her own tucked away in a closet, signifying this day.