Now don’t get your knickers in a knot! This title may be a little misleading. I’m certainly aware this is PRIDE month, so it’s probably mischievous of me to give you the wrong idea. My topic is – literally speaking – getting clothes, shoes and items such as hats, scarves, socks, and undies out of the closet. In other words, my closet is a mess – and needs attention!
I wish I could get someone to do this for me. Why is it so difficult? How many times have I piled a bunch of items in a large plastic bag and taken it out to the garage for disposal or distribution of some sort – only to go out a day or two later and bring it back in. No, I didn’t put the clothes back in a drawer – or hang them up. I actually left them in the same plastic bag and stuffed it in a corner somewhere! How ridiculous is that?
Some years ago, my son and his wife cleaned out my closet at my request. In no time at all, they selected a few items of clothing for charity. Most everything else was exiled straight to the trash bin! It kinda hurt my feelings, but all in all, it was a relief! After they finished, the closet was quite empty since so much of my former wardrobe had been tossed. I thought with abject horror what I must have looked like wearing all those discarded items! And all this time I thought they were very stylish and looked georgous on me!
One time, I helped my sister clean her closet – much better than cleaning her clock – which had to be done occasionally as a kid! Wow, I thought, she sure has lots of clothes and shoes – and expensive ones at that. Despite the number of items she had, it was fairly quick for me to determine what should stay and what should go. I felt smug about my decisiveness – and it showed. Then I looked at my sister’s face. She was crestfallen. What’s one to do? I said, “I was probably too hasty. Let’s just put it all back.”
“No,” she whimpered. “I’ll get a few big plastic bags and put everything in them.” She did, but immediately stashed the bags in a corner of her closet! (Could this be a hereditary disease – or is it just a female thing?)
So I decided to take the bull by the horns. Organize my closet! The first thing I did was Google it, of course. I want to keep up with the latest word on all things. The advice on how to organize one’s closet was amazing.
Begin the project by making three piles: Keep, Donate, Trash! Okay, that seems like a good idea. Now down to the nitty gritty:
Select items that have stains or holes. If you no longer love it – Trash it!
Outdated – no brainer! If it hasn’t fit in a year or you haven’t worn it in a year Donate it! More than a few of my items matched that criteria!
Does it no longer fit your style? That’s a tough one for me. I don’t really have a style – so I didn’t ponder that very long.
Get rid of anything uncomfortable. Wouldn’t that sort of go along with it doesn’t fit?
One article advised solemnly that you should change your wardrobe every two or three years. Workout clothes, swimwear and underwear should be tossed yearly. Casual and formal wear should only be worn five times. I immediately stopped reading that article! Yup, something tells me the author is in the clothing business! An article I liked much better claimed you should wear something at least thirty times. Great, but who wants to keep track? How would you even do it? Please don’t pass this advice on to anyone with OCD – obsessive-compulsive disorder!
Supposedly, the average person throws away 81.5 pounds of clothing a year! I don’t think Hubby and I own 81.5 pounds of clothes between us! Of course, we’re both retired – and that definitely makes a difference.
It’s estimated that 100 billion garments are made worldwide each year. Landfills get 92 million tons of these garments. Only about 20% of clothing can be recycled. Why is that? Because most clothing is made from many different materials, and separating the fibers is too difficult. Also, if clothing has been laundered many times the fabric is pretty much worn.
Because I still wasn’t up to tackling my closet, I did more research. One article stated you should have at least seven pairs of shoes. Tell that to someone who lives in a third-world country. Another article said when selecting clothes, always abide by the four “C”s – Cute, Chic, Classic, and Comfortable. Although the article didn’t say, it must be talking about women. I asked Hubby, and he assured me he doesn’t aspire to look cute! Also, my research says fashion styles change about every 20 years. If that’s true, why did the previous article say your wardrobe should be changed every two or three years? Who writes this stuff anyway? It’s probably just a greedy apparel company trying to get us to spend money.
Another dilemma we face in getting rid of clothes is dealing with its sentimental value. If that’s the case, it’s said, you should put all your sentimental items in one box and store it away somewhere. Definitely not the best advice for a pack rat – or a hoarder!
I have a few sentimental items. They definitely tug at my heart. The oldest item is a shirt I bought while shopping with my dear sisters more than thirty years ago. What’s the big deal? That was the first time the three of us all shopped together. I was visiting them in Minnesota and we decided to go shopping – though only baby Sis really likes to shop. Our goal was to shop until we dropped and that’s what I did! I jokingly dropped down to the floor to rest. I suppose I embarrassed them, but since I no longer lived there, I didn’t care. I still like the shirt even though it isn’t flattering on me. Its memories always bring a smile to my face.
The other sentimental outfit I have is one I wore on my first visit to meet Hubby’s family in Texas. That makes it very dated, of course. I really liked it and wore it a lot – especially when I used to work. I always got numerous compliments. It’s a long sleeve black polyester top, a black mid-calf pleated skirt and a denim jacket. It still looks nice and actually fits too. I looked online – and lo and behold – some department stores still sell similar items. Then why should I get rid of it? Because that style is not suitable where I now live. I recall wearing it to our clubhouse a few years back. I got several looks of scorn from the, “red hot desert mamas” who live here. Cowboy boots and fur coats aren’t popular here either – not that I have those things – but I just wanted you to get the picture.
The only sentimental clothing item Hubby has is his letter sweater from high school. It still carries the various medals he won while participating in track! He wore it to a few early reunions when it still fit.
Then there’s the sentimental value of a pair of shoes. I bought this particular pair in Minnesota while caring for Dad during his last days on this earth. They are heavy leather shoes suitable for both Minnesota and Bay Area winter weather. I can’t remember what they are called, and the name has since worn off the shoe itself. I haven’t worn them since moving to the desert, but I do dust them off occasionally, admiring their quality.
Finally, what should I do with all my golf outfits? Some still fit – but not many. It will be easy for me to shed the tight ones – certainly easier than shedding the weight! The other golf outfits have me in a quandary. I have many coordinated shirts and short skirts – but I haven’t worn them in years. Now that my rotator cuff surgery and the Covid pandemic are ancient history, I have no excuse. But comfortable, everyday shorts with roomy pockets seem far more practical to me now – and I don’t have to worry about mooning anyone when I bend over to tee up the golf ball.
One item I definitely won’t throw away is a thirty-year old pair of denim shorts. They still fit if I suck in while putting them on – and they stretch as I wear them – as is the case with denim. The best part is – since they are now full of holes – they’re very fashionable!
Okay, closet here I come! No, wait! Maybe I better see what kind of advice I get from you readers first! Help!
Any advice to offer? What do you do about cleaning your closets? Your comments are welcome and appreciated and will never be published outside this website.
6 Comments
I loved your column about getting rid of our precious stuff. I look around our house, and see everything we have stored here and there… and the closets! Well, I struggle with it, too. I can find the energy to clean out my clothes occasionally. I tried the trick of throwing out a garment every time I bought a new garment. Sometimes I remember to do that. My big problem is Hubby. He wants to keep everything. When he was laid up with a broken knee, I took all kinds of stuff to the dump or Goodwill. He never missed any of it. You reminded me about cleaning out the drawers, too. Now those are also a problem. I have 4 bathing suits and beach coverings stuffed in there, not to mention all the sweatshirts with logos of places we’ve visited. I finally threw out my old negligee from my first honeymoon (1975) only a few years ago. For some reason, I thought I could use it on the second honeymoon forty years later. Ridiculous! I think it comes from our childhood and being raised by people who lived through the Great Depression and WWII. Nothing was thrown out unless it was beyond repair. Thanks for the joy you share with us!
Good episode Roberta! Sounds like Dr. Google wasn’t much help, lately has been falling down on the job of advising. I used to have a friend I would trust to help me with closet cleaning. She loved to shop & probably would chuck everything I own! Sadly, she died a few years ago. And, like Joyce, I also like denim and now it comes in all colors! And denim shorts are a must! Yes, they do stretch thankfully & now there’s a bit of lycra in them!
I really don’t need much anymore either since retirement & find myself wearing the same few outfits I like over & over again. I also don’t need all those work-out outfits, since I can no longer go to the gym, but hate to part with a whole drawer full. They’re just so comfortable. And hubby has gotten rid of all his U of M clothing, just wouldn’t look right in low country, don’t want to advertise that we’re Northerners! I still have a pair of those chunky-heeled black suede square toe shoes from the 70’s & I’m hanging onto a pair of my m-i-l’s vintage, wedge navy blue suede, open-toed shoes that are just darling. So there’s the sentimental few things I am keeping – even chucked my wedding dress!
I move my winter clothes to the spare bedroom in spring & in the fall I reverse the process. But all those items I’ve been saving in case I get really sick & lose 20-30 lbs. had to go when we started packing up to move to S. Carolina!
I also organize by long sleeve, short sleeve & sleeveless blouses, then by dressy & casual. Same with pants (capris, ankle and full) and dresses. But since the purging you can hear an echo in our spare bedrooms. Haven’t quite gotten there in our bedroom yet. I call it the Swedish Death Cleaning after watching one episode of the TV show on, Peacock I believe.
Another option is to organize clothes by color and what works best for work, socializing and in-home activities.
I used to transition my khakis and work shirts for weekend purposes.
That worked well until I wore grass stained khakis to work by accident.
I have several t-shirts and sweatshirts I bought in the 80’s that I still wear. I was wearing them in AZ but I wasn’t real comfortable so I decided to finally retire them. They looked like something a grandma would wear. I do have a weakness for buying denim shirts and jackets but I don’t have all that many anymore as I bought all of them at the thrift store and it was closed a few years ago. And they do wear out. Holes in the elbows
Loved today’s column. It made me laugh! I try to rotate my clothes from summer to winter. But it’s a big job and I have too much. I should never buy another piece of clothing but instead go shopping in my closet.
When I buy something new, I have to give something away. Also, I find after travelling alot in my career, I put together capsule wardrobes. It is super easy now that I am retired. I just don’t need much anymore .