Closet Confessions…

February is that in-between month…the festive season is over,  and all remnants have been put away, and spring is still weeks away.  Other than Valentine’s Day and the award season it’s a not much happening time.  I realized that if I was “to live in the present” ( last week’s blog), I would make the most of it.

Last year at this time I wrote a blog about Marie Kondo titled “The Edit”.  Doing a thorough spring cleaning of my bookshelves and pantry was a rewarding experience.  I confess that I didn’t follow Kondo’s methods to the letter,  but she did set me onto the right path.  I’m happy to report that the pantry is still well organized…the books, well that’s another story.

This week I’m in my closet.  It looks a little like Carrie Bradshaw’s (left from Sex and The City) in that it’s small, and crammed, however, whereas hers was fun and colourful mine is like looking down a dark alley of black!

Since I have stopped working, I’ve been in a wardrobe rut.  I’m one of those people who wear 20% of my clothes all the time.  On any given day I will be in black pants, a black or white T-shirt and a black cardigan or jacket.  This is my uniform!  When I’m feeling really adventurous, I will throw on a printed silk scarf!  If I’m getting bored with this look, I can only imagine how tired my friends and family are of seeing me in it!  Cleaning out my closet was challenging, to say the least…

It’s not that I didn’t know how to weed through the muddle facing me as I opened that door into darkness!  The question was, “am I really ready to commit to the job ahead?”

Firstly, brighter light bulbs were in order.  It’s no wonder I could never find what I was looking for!  Next was removing everything, and then came the ruthless part of clearing the clutter.

Shoes are my biggest challenge…not because I’m a shoe person but because I can’t seem to find shoes that I can actually wear.  Since I broke my ankle wearing heels is no longer an option.  Even fashionable flats are a problem.  Wearing what I call my “uglies” is what I have to consider before I even get dressed.   Although I’m no longer guided by what’s featured on the latest pages of Vogue magazine, I’m not prepared to present myself in the image of what I remember of my grandmothers!  Many of the pieces that were hanging in my closet didn’t suit the casual look that wearing trainers dictates.  I have tortured myself for years now by having beautiful designer high heeled shoes and boots right under my nose reminding me of what will never be.  These, unfortunately,  are the first to go…

Another weakness I have is for velvet and lace…two fabrics that I have very little opportunity to wear.  A good portion of my closet space is allotted to after 5 apparel.  I don’t go to many functions anymore that would require dressing up so it makes no sense to keep all of this evening wear.  This was a really hard purge…

Cashmere sweaters are another obsession.  I did, however, donate many duplicates and I feel good knowing that someone else will appreciate the warmth and comfort only cashmere brings.

Round one is complete.  I will go through the process again after winter and remove some questionable well-worn pieces.  There is plenty of room for my clothes to breathe in the closet now.  I’ve loaded 2 large bags into my car to donate, tossed one bag and have a pile that requires attention, either hand washing or repair.  Now that it’s done I wondered why I waited so long to get at it!

All I have to do now is add some of the fun and colourful drama that Carrie had in her closet…for me, that means more white and maybe some grey!

xox Judy