by Brenda Roger
The New Year is a time for cleaning out –and throwing out. Closets (and kitchen junk drawers) are the worst offenders of harboring the unwanted and the unused. My own closet is no exception. I’ve heard and read the rule: if you haven’t worn it for a year, throw it away. I disagree. For the truly stylish, this rule is unnecessary.
I have a friend who attends most of the social events in the city. She has always purchased very expensive clothes, and she almost never throws anything away. You’re thinking that they are stodgy clothes. Think again. She went to a party with a sixties theme and wore her original go-go boots and hot pants! When asked, “where did you get that?” her reply is always the same, “on the third floor.” She keeps all of her treasure on the third floor of her house, and when in need, she does what I refer to as closet diving and comes up with a winner. She has a distinct style that is all her own. Bravo!
In my attempt to be one of the truly stylish, (my don’t we have lofty goals for ’08), I will weed out the closet but no follow “the rule.” That will apply to my shoes in particular. The closet contains many pairs of shoes I have not ever worn, but 2008 might be their year. This might be the year that the perfect shoe for my outfit is a black brocade slingback with feathers on the toe. Yes, that’s right, feathers. Instead of just visiting my Betsy Johnson floral platforms, I might actually work up the nerve to wear the beautiful paint job off of the soles by donning them in public. Besides, it isn’t that I haven’t worn them around the house with my pajamas while I’m ironing in the morning. A girl has to do something to lift her spirits in the morning.
So, if you see someone teetering to the St. Vincent DePaul donation box in floral platforms today, that will be me.
What will you throw away or keep today?
9 comments:
I never throw anything away!
What a timely blog!
I cleaned out my closet and dresser on Saturday and filled two huge trash bags full of stuff for Goodwill. A sure sign that I had way too many clothes: I got rid of 13 t-shirts and you can't even tell if you look in that drawer. I also ditched all the clothes that too big. I'm on a downward trend and have no intention of wearing that size again. I kept my skinny clothes--just in case.
There were a few things I couldn't bear to part with though. I have a brown suede-like pant suit that's still too tight, but I'm determined to wear it again someday. Unfortunately, it doesn't match the pink sandals I also kept.
As someone who lives in a small house with very limited closet/storage space, I must toss out the old if I want to add anything new. However, I rarely get rid of shoes until the insides of them have curled and deteriorated to the point where I can't wear them any longer. Last year when I was doing my big closet re-organization, I pitched a pair I'd had since high school. I loved those shoes. They were the first really "sexy" shoes I even bought.
This year, my closet is still fairly organized and I just de-cluttered my office while my Internet was down, so I'm in pretty good shape going into the New Year.
Very timely, indeed. I was just looking around here, thinking I need to clean up and declutter. Of course, there's no guarantee it will get done.
I would never, under no circumstances, ever throw out a black brocade slingback with feathers on the toe. Wise choice, Brenda.
While my house was under construction, I couldn't write. So I spent a couple of weeks thinning out closets. I gave 9 bags of stufff to the Goodwill---and the closets are still stuffed!!! But I gave away a pair of paisley pumps (pink, orange, lime green) that I'm already regretting. And I HAD NEVER WORN THEM. So put on those Betsy Johnsons, girl! We want to see them!
Nancy
Hi guys. Sorry, but this has nothing to do with the blog topic.
Happy New Year!
Lee, do you mean to tell me you don't have any shoes you want to tell us about???
I have two large closets full of clothes I don't intend to throw out any time soon. Like Joyce, I'm determined to fit in them again.
But shoes? Mostly in shoes, I admit, I go for what's comfortable. Nothing paisley in the bunch!
I've decided to weed out my old, negative thoughts for the year. I'm telling everyone this is my lucky year. And I mean it, too!
Nancy,
Ten Toes in Shadyside has a very nice pump with a patchwork thing going on that has some paisley in it. Get down there and replace those shoes! Hurry!!
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