Waged War on My Closet and Won-The Sequel

[geocruiser]

Just found this thread & my local Dressed for Success organization is thrilled that I did. I was a protocol officer (event coordinator) for USAF for 30 years, wore a suit & heels every day to work. I love good clothes & took care of them. I knew I had many suits (we turned a guest room into my "closet"), but I'd never really counted them. This thread inspired me & I went on an almost total suit purge. I brought 72 suits to Dressed for Success, only one had tags on it. I kept 1 black, 1 white & 1 navy suit. They gave me a rather large donation slip for taxes (didn't expect that)

 

Next up is the formal wear purge (I have even more formal outfits than suits, lots of formal events in protocol) & shoe (heel) purge. My girls are already discussing who gets the (32 pairs) of Ferragamos (all 3 of us wear the same size shoe). Melody

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Happy to hear that you clear out your closet and donated them. You have made others very happy with your suits.

[Gathina]

32 pairs of Ferragamos..gasp..keep those in the family!

 

Bless you for being so generous to make a difference n someone's life. You'll reap back in some way in your life, no doubt!

 

The formal dresses-in my area there is an association that deals with foster children and they take formal dresses and use them for prom dresses,etc. for teens who are in foster care, there may be an option like that in your area. I have seen quite a bit of formals in consignment stores too-in fact my Maid of Honor in my wedding 2 years ago bought Cache gown worn only once for $50, had it altered and it was the perfect MOH dress.

 

Just found this thread & my local Dressed for Success organization is thrilled that I did. I was a protocol officer (event coordinator) for USAF for 30 years, wore a suit & heels every day to work. I love good clothes & took care of them. I knew I had many suits (we turned a guest room into my "closet"), but I'd never really counted them. This thread inspired me & I went on an almost total suit purge. I brought 72 suits to Dressed for Success, only one had tags on it. I kept 1 black, 1 white & 1 navy suit. They gave me a rather large donation slip for taxes (didn't expect that)

 

Next up is the formal wear purge (I have even more formal outfits than suits, lots of formal events in protocol) & shoe (heel) purge. My girls are already discussing who gets the (32 pairs) of Ferragamos (all 3 of us wear the same size shoe). Melody

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[magandab]

One of my goals for this weekend is to go through my gowns/dresses and then give most, if not all, to our local free prom boutique organization. They have an event once per year where girls who can't afford a dress for the prom can "shop" for their entire outfit. I honestly don't see myself cruising much more, if at all, and really will be quite happy in black flowy pants and a few sparkly tops.

[Lois R]

One of my goals for this weekend is to go through my gowns/dresses and then give most, if not all, to our local free prom boutique organization. They have an event once per year where girls who can't afford a dress for the prom can "shop" for their entire outfit. I honestly don't see myself cruising much more, if at all, and really will be quite happy in black flowy pants and a few sparkly tops.

 

Hi Amy:).....sorry you won't be cruising anymore:(.....hope you are ok.

Sounds like a good organizaton to donate to though.

[magandab]

Lois, thanks for your concern. I'm fine and all is well. I have mostly cruised with my mom and she is feeling ready to stop cruising, at least the long travel cruises which we have loved.

 

DH and I would like to do Alaska again and maybe Canada/New England, but he does not care for the MDR experience or dressing up. So, just a new, more casual vacation for me. I realized on this last cruise that the dressing for formal nights, and all the planning and packing involved, was more work than I want out of a vacation!

[Lois R]

Lois, thanks for your concern. I'm fine and all is well. I have mostly cruised with my mom and she is feeling ready to stop cruising, at least the long travel cruises which we have loved.

 

DH and I would like to do Alaska again and maybe Canada/New England, but he does not care for the MDR experience or dressing up. So, just a new, more casual vacation for me. I realized on this last cruise that the dressing for formal nights, and all the planning and packing involved, was more work than I want out of a vacation!

 

Oh...ok....but just so you know, if you love cruising, there are alternative

options to dressing up.:D:);)......(not getting into a dress code debate)

just letting you know.:)

[magandab]

Yep, and those venues are what DH and I enjoy!

[Lois R]

Yep, and those venues are what DH and I enjoy!

 

Ohhh...so you can cruise if you want:D...I am sailing again in

November and not sure I am bringing any formalwear this time as

I am thinking of doing a dining package of all Specialty Restaurants.

The only dress code they ask for is smart casual......and I try to

look nice for dinner anyway;) just not formal stuff.:)

[awhfy]

Most of my formal wear from work are cocktail suits, long & short. I don't think they'd work at a prom type shop, maybe a bridal type (Mom). I'll check it out. I loved my Ferragamos, but after 12 foot surgeries I'm not wearing heels any longer 😞. I collected suits & shoes for many years from all over the place, it's rather liberating not to any longer

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[JanineM]

After reading this thread earlier in the year, I decided that I needed to begin to at least THINK about getting rid of a massive amount of clothes.

 

So at the beginning of July I took all of my tops (that's my danger zone) and hung the hangers backwards. If I wore an item (actually WORE it - not tried it on), the hanger was turned around.

 

Now about 10 weeks later, I have actually worn about 15% of my tops (that's about 12 tops in total).

 

I am trying to gather strength to clear out everything I didn't wear this summer. It would be so nice to open up the closet and just see things that I love (and fit).

 

Encouragement/suggestions welcomed :)

[Gathina]

Ask CowPrincess about her detox from the Cashmere sweaters!

 

No suggestions but for me it was disgust at how much I was being wasteful, added to the harsh reality I had gained a disgusting amount of weight and there was nobody to blame but me. When I saw the crap for clothes they were selling at Kohls, etc. and the crap prices the issue wasn't having anything to wear, the issue was me.

 

I can tell you having a clean, organized closet reduces a lot of stress and taking care of the clothes I do have-like actually caring for them the way the labels say to-repairing shoes I once loved and replacing only with quality-it frees up a lot of time for other stuff. It's easier to get ready for work, less frustration, etc. For my clothes I even bought all the right "care products", better quality detergent, fine washables bag, a good iron, magic sizing, using a clotheline,etc.

 

 

After reading this thread earlier in the year, I decided that I needed to begin to at least THINK about getting rid of a massive amount of clothes.

 

So at the beginning of July I took all of my tops (that's my danger zone) and hung the hangers backwards. If I wore an item (actually WORE it - not tried it on), the hanger was turned around.

 

Now about 10 weeks later, I have actually worn about 15% of my tops (that's about 12 tops in total).

 

I am trying to gather strength to clear out everything I didn't wear this summer. It would be so nice to open up the closet and just see things that I love (and fit).

 

Encouragement/suggestions welcomed :)

 

[CowPrincess]

Gathina, the detox continues, but I am working on it :D

 

JanineM, I couldn't bear to part with so many of my cashmere sweaters, even though some of them had sat unworn for years and years. What has worked quite well for me is I pulled all the ones that I knew I hadn't worn, and put them in storage tubs in a "spare" :rolleyes: closet. And ID'd 5 (I think...) that were to be donated RIGHT NOW. So the tubs of sweaters have been unseen, stored away (and actually forgotten!) for months. I found them on Tues, I think. I feel no emotional attachment to them at ALL now, and they will be finding new homes through ebay and Etsy and friends who can wear them. I think there are 16 now that I have ZERO hesitation about releasing to the universe. (plus the 5 that left immediately).

[Gathina]

Wow-that's progress! Congrats!

 

CowPrincess I fear I may have to do another shoe detox again-not that I have many at the moment-but for the work I do I get to go to Italy (Bologna) and Austria (Salzburg). The trips are about a month apart and I'm thinking, "hey, I have a computer and a phone" why not hang at my friend's house in the UK for the month in between and save $$??" I've been to Italy before but didn't buy any shoes-and seeing I'm only trying to buy really decent shoes now- ya know.

 

My next detox is going to be accessories-as in a ton of purses-and odds/ends of jewelry and watches, sunglasses, etc. I have some perfumes too-which will go to my office mate's teen daughter. I had a tiny coach purse out when she was helping me organize stuff one day and I saw her eyes bug out but she was trying to be so polite. She kept saying "oh my this is such a cute purse, so practical" etc. When she was done helping me I told her "You know, I was going to just throw it out, why don't you just take it?". Her jaw dropped open and she quietly said thanks. I'm sure her cell phone blew up as soon as she left me that day :)

 

Gathina, the detox continues, but I am working on it :D

 

JanineM, I couldn't bear to part with so many of my cashmere sweaters, even though some of them had sat unworn for years and years. What has worked quite well for me is I pulled all the ones that I knew I hadn't worn, and put them in storage tubs in a "spare" :rolleyes: closet. And ID'd 5 (I think...) that were to be donated RIGHT NOW. So the tubs of sweaters have been unseen, stored away (and actually forgotten!) for months. I found them on Tues, I think. I feel no emotional attachment to them at ALL now, and they will be finding new homes through ebay and Etsy and friends who can wear them. I think there are 16 now that I have ZERO hesitation about releasing to the universe. (plus the 5 that left immediately).

 

[geocruiser]

Wow-that's progress! Congrats!

 

CowPrincess I fear I may have to do another shoe detox again-not that I have many at the moment-but for the work I do I get to go to Italy (Bologna) and Austria (Salzburg). The trips are about a month apart and I'm thinking, "hey, I have a computer and a phone" why not hang at my friend's house in the UK for the month in between and save $$??" I've been to Italy before but didn't buy any shoes-and seeing I'm only trying to buy really decent shoes now- ya know.

 

My next detox is going to be accessories-as in a ton of purses-and odds/ends of jewelry and watches, sunglasses, etc. I have some perfumes too-which will go to my office mate's teen daughter. I had a tiny coach purse out when she was helping me organize stuff one day and I saw her eyes bug out but she was trying to be so polite. She kept saying "oh my this is such a cute purse, so practical" etc. When she was done helping me I told her "You know, I was going to just throw it out, why don't you just take it?". Her jaw dropped open and she quietly said thanks. I'm sure her cell phone blew up as soon as she left me that day :)

 

 

 

 

The story about your office mate daughter is so cute. I bet she just loves the purse.

[CowPrincess]

CowPrincess I fear I may have to do another shoe detox again-not that I have many at the moment-but for the work I do I get to go to Italy (Bologna) and Austria (Salzburg). The trips are about a month apart and I'm thinking, "hey, I have a computer and a phone" why not hang at my friend's house in the UK for the month in between and save $$??" I've been to Italy before but didn't buy any shoes-and seeing I'm only trying to buy really decent shoes now- ya know.

 

I cannot help you with shoe detox. I have awful problems with my feet, and absolutely must have comfy-from-the-moment-I-try-them-on shoes. H*ll or high water, if those shoes are comfortable, I will buy them. Italy is the place for gorgeous, well make shoes. You know that. I know that it is NOT about the money, it is about the self-imposed limit. Personally, every project I've ever been involved in with business, there's been a 10 to 20% contingency. ;)

 

If you give yourself permission to buy two pairs of PERFECT shoes, without having to offload two pairs you already own, you will not feel deprived. You may also not find the PERFECT shoes, and you STILL won't feel deprived.

 

I truly think 10 pairs is too few.

 

I too love the story about the purse :)

[Gathina]

Oh no doubt there-she kept trying to "play it cool" and be polite when she was making all the comments-I just "knew" it was the right thing to do.

 

Which reminds me for all those waging war on closets-I have a lot of teens in my life and I'm learning they love the opportunity to take stuff off your hands-there is a consignment store just for teens in our area and it's a huge hit so don't overlook purging to some of the fashionista teens out there. Someone had also recommended donating some of my old school fur coats to the local drama group from the college for costumes,etc

 

The story about your office mate daughter is so cute. I bet she just loves the purse.