Happy Birthday, Allyson!

Happy belated, Allyson!

Timelies all!

Happy Birthday Allyson!

I keep meaning to go through my wardrobe to purge the stuff I haven't worn in a long time and have no intention of ever wearing again. I end up feeling like I would be a bad person for giving such stuff to Goodwill, since the items are all waaaaay out of fashion.

That would not be anything new for Goodwill...

Happy belated birthday, Allyson!!

Goodwill's out of style clothes are next decades' vintage clothing finds. (Think of it as the Circle of Life Apparel.)

(Think of it as the Circle of Life Apparel.)

That's hysterical.

I was thinking the same thing. One person's out of style is another person's hipster glory.

Makes me think of the part in Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point about how Hush Puppies made it back from the brink. You just never know who wants what.

At a clothing exchange last year, someone brought an enormous, purple fleece...thing. It's sort of a cross between a long swing coat and, okay, a snuggie. It even has an attached length of fabric that could arguably be called a scarf.

Everyone laughed at it. But, you know what? That thing saved me this winter. I'm warm all the time and I even get compliments on the street. Maybe people comment because they are appalled. Who cares! I'm warm.

I guess the moral is: Old and odd could save a life. You never know.

Clothing organization:

- storage things out of season
- storage anything too big or too small (really unless very basic pieces, these should be tossed)

For me, dresses, skirts, jackets, button up shirts, and nicer pants hang in the closet. All other shirts, sweaters, jeans, exercise clothes, pjs, all forms of underwears, and socks go either in one big dresser or on shelves in the closet.

Friends sometimes marvel at my closet. It's small, but super organized by type and color. From left to right...evening wear, dresses, trousers, skirts, then black, green, red and purple shirts. Lastly, sweaters. (Coats are downstairs in their own closet)

I have wired drawers in the closet that are also organized by type and color. Top to bottom left: scarves, pjs, green tops, exercise wear. Bottom to top right: tshirts by color, grey tops, black tops, socks by type and color, undies by type and color, bras and hosiery (pretty mixed up)

I have a short hallway that doubles as a storage area with a rack that holds specialty clothes, business wear, small stuff. Then three bins for too small/hopeful stuff I really like, seasonal tops, intimates and trousers. I have one more bin with stuff I really should get rid of that I classify as 'costumes.' That's just me being weak.

I started putting my clothes back in the closet in the order I wore them, so I see what I'm really wearing AND don't wear the same 6 things all the time. It's working pretty well.