Black, leather (yes, leather) bootcut pants from Gap, circa 2000. Still with the tag on them. Apparently, I couldn't muster up the teenage courage to squeeze into these for a Friday night football game. I vividly remember standing in Gap and begging my mother for them; I just had to have them. Embarrassing. And as teenagers, we think our parents embarrass us? I can only imagine how badly my poor mother wanted to walk out of Gap and pretend she didn't know the 16 year-old practically throwing a tantrum for a pair of tacky, black leather pants.
And here it is eleven years later, and I have this pair of black leather pants in mint condition that for some reason, I have never gotten rid of. Until now.
This gal turned over a new leaf this weekend with the help of a friend who shamelessly told me what pieces of my wardrobe needed to find a new home. It's not that I want to keep hoarding clothes from the past decade in the attic, I just didn't want to take the time to weed through them all. And plus, how thoroughly disappointed would I be if one day, maybe one day, black leather pants were all the rage, and I had to fork out some Benjamins for a pair, when I used to have some in my closet, just waiting to be rocked out. I am placing my bets that day will never come.
So, I spent a weekend rummaging through all of my clothes (both the old and the newer) and deciding what to keep and what had to go. And you know what? It was exhilarating! Cathartic, I tell you. I feel like a new person. Like I just finished a 7-day cleanse or a half-marathon.
If you are needing to perform a little maintenance on your wardrobe, here's how I did it.
I made 4 piles with my clothes:
1) Keep
2) Keep But Needs Alterations (I found that I have an abundance of skirts, pants, & tops that I like, but don't wear because they need alterations. Season after season, I put them in my closet and never take them to be altered, so they never get worn. This year, I am not putting them in my closet until they are back from alterations.)
3) Goodwill
4) Consignment Shop (nicer labels that I know I won't wear again, but that I think someone else may enjoy)
The trick to creating your piles is that you have to be completely objective and brutal. This is where a trustworthy and candid friend comes in handy. While there was absolutely no question which pile the leather pants were being tossed into, I did hesitate on a few other items. It helped for her to ask questions that brought me back to Earth. "When was the last time you wore those?" "Do you really think that is still in style?" "I know you are holding onto those jeans in case you lose 75 lbs, but is that realistic here?" And the more blunt statement: "Honestly, that looks like something my mom would wear."
Monday, I made a trip to alterations and to the shoe repairman, and all my goods will be ready by this coming Monday. My closet is actually manageable, and now, I don't have to shuffle around for 3 minutes trying to find the cardigan I want to wear because it is being strangled by an army of argyle sweaters.
In order to keep my closet up-to-date and orderly, the clothes are hung in sections, which I actually have been doing all along. Pants, Skirts, Dresses, & Tops. Within each category, I have them further categorized. Pants are hung by "work" and "non-work". Dresses are hung by sleeve-length and the end of the dress section is "cocktail". Skirts are color-coordinated, as are cardigans and sweaters. Tops & Blouses are hung by "solid" or "patterned" and by sleeve-length. It all sounds very ludicrous, but I swear, it really does help to have everything so organized.
Also, I currently have all of the hangers currently hung from behind on the rack. As I wear something, I will put it back in the closet hung the normal way. That way, at the end of winter, I can easily see which clothes were not worn, and it takes the guess work out of what needs to go. Or atleast, that is the plan...
The days of Wardrobe-Pack-Rat-Leather-Pants-Sara have come and gone.
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