WEEK 8. AM I A CLOTHES HORSE?

Unfortunately, I really 'fell off the Kondo wagon.' Last night I took a discarded skirt out of my give a way pile which was still waiting to be given away. I wanted to wear it to a special restaurant and thought it would look good. I'm sooo bad. Decided not to wear it after all, but now I don't know whether to keep it, just in case, or truly discard it. I'm taking discarded clothes to Salvation Army in two days, so have to make final decision by then.I also slept in as I always do when I have important plans for the morning, and this was the day to get to the big item clothes—dresses and suits. But I did get through the next step in my project.

I piled all my dresses and suits (from three closets!) on the two beds in our guest room.
There were thirty-one items and I discarded only seven—about 23%.

A pile of dresses that no longer bring
me joy or don't fit.

I kept five of seven floor length dresses. When I first moved to the desert, women wore long dresses to house parties, lots of fun and we felt so glamorous. Now we don't do that much, but I kept some because I love them and I do feel special when I wear them. One is a dress I wore to two of my children's weddings and it still fits! But I don't have room in my regular closet for these long items. I guess I should work on getting all my clothes in one closet but that's going to take some time. So now they are in the guest closet.

The other five dresses and suits I'm discarding because they no longer give me joy or frankly, they don't fit anymore and it's time to admit that ship has sailed as far as achieving a smaller waist. One is a beautiful peach suit that I wore to special work related occasions. But it doesn't fit and I no longer have special work events. Others are two deep purple suits—does anyone really need two of them. I also discarded a beige linen shirt and pants suit that I love but it's linen and I don't iron. Finally, I discarded an old, and much loved black silk 'funeral' dress which no longer fits and I had already replaced with another black silk dress I had made in Thailand. Young people may think it's amusing to have a dress for going to somber occasions, but unfortunately the older I get the more of these I attend. And of course, you can never go wrong with a little black dress wherever you go.

Dresses I kept, note
LBD

All the suits and dresses I kept really do bring me joy when I wear them and they fit well. Whenever I read how French women stay chic, the importance of good fit and using a tailor, if necessary, to alter clothes for a better fit is stressed. I haven't used a tailor yet, but perhaps that's the next step after my tidying-up project.

Now that I've finished Marie's first category: clothes, I need to store them. In her book, she discusses why it's best to keep all in a category in the same place. But one closet isn't big enough for all my clothes. I'm not really a clothes horse, but I need more than one location. Most of my clothes are in my closet. I have two six-feet rods for short items (blouses, skirts) and a two-foot rod for long items (pants and dresses). I also have two thirty-inch shelves where I keep my boxes filled with tee shirts and tank tops. In my bedroom I use four drawers: socks, shorts/yoga pants, scarves/belts, and sweaters. I guess I have to admit that I also keep wool cardigan sweaters in a cedar chest during the summer.

But wait, there's more. In the bathroom I have a drawer with underwear and sleepwear. And that's it, except for the long dresses still in the guest closet, and a few jackets in the hall closet.

Now that I'm done with tidying-up my clothes, can I look forward to what Ms. Kondo foresees?

“Tidying brings visible results... When people revert to clutter no matter how much they tidy, it is not their room or their belongings but their way of thinking that is at fault. Even if they are initially inspired, they can’t stay motivated and their efforts peter out. The root cause lies in the fact that they can’t see the results or feel the effects. This is precisely why success depends on experiencing tangible results immediately. If you use the right method and concentrate your efforts on eliminating clutter thoroughly and completely within a short span of time, you’ll see instant results that will empower you to keep your space in order ever after. Anyone who experiences this process, no matter who they are, will vow never clutter again” pp.16-17, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up.  

A well organized closet leads
to a well organized mind.

It really is pleasant and inspiring to see only clothes that fit and I enjoy in a tidy order. In fact, I have carried over some of her precepts into traveling. I recently stayed in a motel for three weeks and actually put my clothes in the available dresser drawers—usually I just live out of a suitcase. Not only did I put my tee shirts in a drawer but they were all neatly folded and stacked vertically ala the Kondo method. And they stayed neat the whole time, including through two wash days. Her method seems to be working for me. But the next category is going to be even harder.