Unassigned
Spring is in the air. Well, maybe not in the air, but in the air’s future.
I hope.
And like we all know, with the spring comes clean slates, new beginnings, fresh starts.
This weekend, my fresh start began in my closet, and it’s continuing right here.
You see, I’m looking for accountability in the wardrobe department. Every year around this time, I begin the daunting task of switching out my sweaters for my sundresses, my boots for my flops. In the midst of this process, inevitably I come across items that no longer have a place either in the actual closet or in storage.
Most of these items are either out of date or out of style. But because I have a difficulty saying goodbye to anything, there are also items that shouldn’t have made the cut last year, or the year before.
I have decided to use this forum and the help of you lovely cheeky chicks to list this year’s rejects, so that there is no chance that I can keep them. Part of a new start involves coming clean, right? This certainly applies to confession. Here goes nothin’ (be gentle):
- A red silk blouse that I wore to an office party three years ago. (Sounds harmless enough, but if you saw the cut, you’d understand.)
- One pair of goucho pants (‘twas a dark, dark time for us all).
- Four pairs of jeans that never fit in the first place. (I swore I was going to lose those five pounds!)
- A kimono-style top from Forever 21 circa 2004. (Forever 21 items don’t last five washes, never mind five years!)
- A halter top that I acquired from my friend when she was cleaning out her closet last year (talk about enabling).
- An olive green, V-neck from – gosh, this one hurts to confess – Abercrombie. My scientific research dates this blouse to at least 2001. (The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.)
As I piled these articles into bags for donation, I found myself grinning at many of them. In fact, to help me realize the impact of my hoarding problem, my roommates tried a few of the pieces on for me so I could see with my own eyes that I was never, ever going to wear them again. So what is it about hanging onto things that appeals to us? Why is it that we struggle to be discerning with what we keep? I think the lesson here is to remain open-handed with the material things that we have. Not only are they unimportant and fleeting, but they can often steal our focus from the larger and more significant issues in our lives. Now more than ever, we need to rediscover what really matters. And I promise you, you won’t find that anywhere near your closet. Here’s hoping your closet can be a symbol of not just a new season, but of a new beginning and new priorities.
So, what about you? What items do you refuse to get rid of? What’s the most shameful piece you discarded this year? Comment below! Make me feel better, ladies!
