In praise of hoarding and procastination (sort of)
I am not a fan of the thought that one should get rid of anything not used or worn in the past year. The past week, I have been reminded of why I dislike that rule:
I own a bunch of small upholstery samples from the mid-1990's. I used a couple of the samples to decorate a t-shirt several years ago. This week, I used one of the samples to make a pin/brooch. And in between all that time, the samples have just sat in a drawer (in space that I did not particularly need for something else).
Last week, I noticed that another pair of my jeans was developing holes, which was bad news because I have the hardest time finding pants (more specifically, modest pants for a person not blessed with long legs -- it seems that they shorten the rise when they shorten the legs). I made a half-joking threat to myself that I would just switch over to skirts, rather than go through the agony of another search for pants.
Now, I wear skirts in the summer, but I have resisted wear skirts in the winter. I have bad childhood memories of being in a cavernous church wearing Mary Janes and kneesocks (that were always falling down) or tights (that were always developing holes as I played before and after service) and how awfully numb my feet were.
I started thinking over how women of the 19th and early 20th century kept warm in their skirts. I also considered how I could use the clothes I already had.
I already own a collection of leggings and long underwear (that I had been wearing under pants), a long poly/cotton slip (purchased several years ago at Goodwill), and some skirts that were a little oversize and came almost to my ankles. Well, you guessed it, the leggings and the slip fit quite well under the skirts.
Then I got to thinking about the fact that I had cleaned out my closet a little a few weeks before, but I couldn't remember if we had ever donated the clothes to the shop, which is about 30 miles away. A little digging around located the bag, and yes, there were three skirts in the bag (one of which had lost its elastic, but I think I can repair it; one which probably won't work at all; and one that should work nicely if I remember to take small strides as there is not a lot of leeway for walking).
So, because of keeping things around, I was blessed with new jewelry and a new way to wear old clothes. (There is a time, of course, to bless other people with things and circumstances when one needs to get rid of the old in order to make room for now. Moderation in all things, though.)
I own a bunch of small upholstery samples from the mid-1990's. I used a couple of the samples to decorate a t-shirt several years ago. This week, I used one of the samples to make a pin/brooch. And in between all that time, the samples have just sat in a drawer (in space that I did not particularly need for something else).
Last week, I noticed that another pair of my jeans was developing holes, which was bad news because I have the hardest time finding pants (more specifically, modest pants for a person not blessed with long legs -- it seems that they shorten the rise when they shorten the legs). I made a half-joking threat to myself that I would just switch over to skirts, rather than go through the agony of another search for pants.
Now, I wear skirts in the summer, but I have resisted wear skirts in the winter. I have bad childhood memories of being in a cavernous church wearing Mary Janes and kneesocks (that were always falling down) or tights (that were always developing holes as I played before and after service) and how awfully numb my feet were.
I started thinking over how women of the 19th and early 20th century kept warm in their skirts. I also considered how I could use the clothes I already had.
I already own a collection of leggings and long underwear (that I had been wearing under pants), a long poly/cotton slip (purchased several years ago at Goodwill), and some skirts that were a little oversize and came almost to my ankles. Well, you guessed it, the leggings and the slip fit quite well under the skirts.
Then I got to thinking about the fact that I had cleaned out my closet a little a few weeks before, but I couldn't remember if we had ever donated the clothes to the shop, which is about 30 miles away. A little digging around located the bag, and yes, there were three skirts in the bag (one of which had lost its elastic, but I think I can repair it; one which probably won't work at all; and one that should work nicely if I remember to take small strides as there is not a lot of leeway for walking).
So, because of keeping things around, I was blessed with new jewelry and a new way to wear old clothes. (There is a time, of course, to bless other people with things and circumstances when one needs to get rid of the old in order to make room for now. Moderation in all things, though.)
Labels: fashion
posted by A Woman of Letters at 12:21 AM
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