Too much stuff and sacred cows

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Despite the fact that we donated, gave away and tossed a lot of our stuff before we moved, we still have too much for a downsized house. There was extra furniture, artwork, kitchen things, garden/pond supplies and of course clothing. My current clothes closet is a microscopic version compared to my last one.

I’ve always been good about doing the “Marie Kondo” with clothing and shoes but there were some sacred cows. Almost all my work clothes are gone which is as it should be. I’ve been retired ten years. Who wants old clothes that I don’t wear.

Then are those categories – wedding, funeral, and prom. I kept clothes for the first two occasions. I tossed all the “prom” stuff a few years back. That would include any long dresses or sparkly ones. If I can’t wear it to the grocery store, out it went. I haven’t gone to a formal event since I retired. Clothes go out of style. If I get invited someplace special, I’ll go out and buy something new.

Next came the funeral-wedding clothes. Funerals are much more casual than they used to be. You can wear black exercise pants and dress them up but I have some dresses too.

I looked them over and tried them on. I’m embarrassed to say that two had shoulder pads. Do you remember shoulder pads? When was the last time you wore them? Me too. Out they went. At the end of the day I am left with four dresses. More than enough.

Two are nice ones (silky fabric with beautiful prints and a perfect fit) and two more casual ones that can be dressed up for almost any occasion. They are LL Bean dresses which are my favorites (along with Lands End). The have one universal style that is very flattering for my body with a wide range of sizes. Pop on some fancy jewelry and you can wear them most anywhere. Use more casual accessories and shoes and you can wear it to a picnic or park. Cool, stretchy and attractive. What more can you ask for in a dress that is well under $100.

I have one more category to tackle. Although the bulk of them went a long time ago, I kept some blazers/jackets from my working days (ten years ago) that I haven’t been able to part with. They are classic styles (double-breasted navy jacket by Ralph Lauren among others) that work with jeans or dress clothes (that I never wear). These are my true sacred cows. Giving them up is like giving up my memories. Maybe today I will take a happy pill and go through them. If I’m lucky some won’t fit right or will be so sadly out of style that it’s an easy decision. Maybe I’ll give up the happy pill for a margarita and put on island music. That always makes it easier.

Really, I’m good at getting rid of things except for a very, very few sacred cows and no I don’t want to take pictures of them to keep.

Maybe I’ll need a pitcher of margaritas.

Author’s note: None of the retailers mentioned gave me anything but I’m always willing to accept something. They are brands that work well for my body shape.

 

67 thoughts on “Too much stuff and sacred cows”

  1. Loved this idea “If I can’t wear it to the grocery store, out it went. ”
    I’m getting close to “if I can’t wear it walking the dog….” But will have to retain a couple of “real clothes” haha
    (And clinging to those wool Ralph Lauren blazers that go with everything…even in the semi-tropics here…I have hopes of cooler climates!….not quite as cool as here last year, please)

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  2. You’re retired for 10 years and I’ve not worked on site for 12 years, yet I’ve hung onto dresses, skirt suits and pant suits all this time. I always thought “well what if I go back to work, Robb shuts the office – gotta keep them.” Sigh. I remember padded shoulders and I had padded dress shirts as well and so had double shoulder padding in some instances. Where I needed the padding – um, up front … so underwires and padding helped out in that department.

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  4. I still remember a dress that I gave to a friend when I was 18 because I gained those freshman 15. It has been a big regret. I felt fabulous in that dress, and I makes me smile just to think of it. It was the last dress I bought for fun instead of work and it brings a different feeling than all the others. Oh well. I hope she loved it as much as I did. There are few clothes since then that I loved the same way. I can understand your dilemma though. I wish you well as you parse though it all.

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    • I had one dress like that. It didn’t have an event but I bought it anyway. Eventually I was able to wear it but a few years back I gave it to my granddaughters to play dress up. I was ready to give it up but it took a long, long time.

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  5. Ugh. You’re reminding me to go into my closet and do the same. I weeded all my suits right after I retired but still kept more than I need. I’ve only worn sports coats to the occasional restaurant, and even then only a handful of times. I really don’t need the six or seven suits I kept. Thanks for the extra work you’ve given me now! 😉 – Marty

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  6. It’s hard to toss them when you spend a lot of money on classic suits! Even though pant styles are completely different now (and way more comfortable!) I have a hard time letting go.

    It was easier to let go of the gorgeous dresses from our dance competition days. Mainly because I didn’t fit into them anymore. 🙂

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  7. I used to love clothes, casual clothes. Nice jeans, cool shoes and paddock boots and nice tops. I always tucked in and wore a belt. All I have now are sandals, one pair of jeans, long shorts and short capris. A few nice tops and a lot of 3/4 length sleeve shirts. Nobody better die or get married because I’m not shopping for clothes. The only things I have purchased lately are bralettes (purchased online) after years of not replacing old tired worn out bras. SSNS’s closet is full of men’s lululemon shorts, Life is Good tees and Teva sandals. I miss Fall.

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    • I think my husband has a 25 year old sport coat he bought for his daughter’s wedding and I’m not sure it fits. He’s lost weight over the past several years. He is butt-less. Hard to find pants for him.

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  10. I think I have a few “sacred cows,” too, and in my most honest moments I know I’ll never wear them again. I have a good friend who takes photos of her clothes and sells them on eBay. It sounds like a lot of work to me, but she has done this for years and there’s a market for almost everything in clothing. I suppose it’s possible shoulder pads will make another appearance? Must say, however, I hope not!

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    • I don’t mind the small pads that fill out your shoulders but these were the big football version. Sadly they were attached to nice clothes that were timeless in every other way. You just can take them out as there would be all the extra fabric at the shoulders.

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  12. I am impressed at your clothes purging. I have too many clothes and so many don’t fit, but I am an optimist and hope they will- by then they will be out of style. 🙂 Although none have shoulder pads. 🙂

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  13. I’ve never been a clothes horse so getting rid of fancy clothes is easy for me. It’s the “kind of nice, just in case we go out to dinner somewhere fancy” clothes that stump me. Do I need them? Will ever socialize like that again? No answer.

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    • Me too. I wear black, navy and blue jean color bottoms every day yet I have shades of green and khaki. I’ve gotten rid of all my khaki pants and am seriously thinking of getting rid of the greens. I have a few like purple and turquoise but I don’t wear them much either. I reach for the same old comfort.

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  18. “… but I’m always willing to accept something”. Hahahaha! Kate, you crack me up! 😆

    I too have been retired for 10 years (how did that happen so quickly?!), and admittedly I still have a few sacred cows haunting my closet. A few pairs of shoes, a dress from a black tie event about 15 years ago, and several other bits and pieces. And don’t get me started on jewelry of all sorts … fake, ‘good fake’, and good. I have way too much of each. I’m almost embarrassed. Almost.

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  21. This is a very timely post for me. I do go through my closet each season and cut several pieces from the team. I did this again two days ago, including shoes (go me)! But I too have many sacred cows and realize that there is much more in my closet that I am truly unlikely to wear. Thanks for the reminder!

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  22. I own one frock and two skirts, everything else is jeans (2 pairs) or joggers with a couple of easy wear trousers and some leggings. I have plenty of tee shirts, but not any tops to wear with said skirts, and blouses are well out of my wardrobe and have been for 20 plus years. I had to laugh as the wife of the couple who bought the cottage intended to make our third bedroom a walk in wardrobe. She would not have been able to have a door access from the adjoining bedroom as that was the only wall the bed could go against!

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  23. I tossed a lot of stuff too. But I kept one 3 piece outfit that I thought would be good for funerals…a sleeveless shell, skirt and cardigan combo in a sombre grey knit. Good thing, because I’m flying back east tomorrow for the funeral of my BIL – who made a point of always dressing formally when the occasion called for it, no matter what everyone else was wearing. Luckily I kept one pair of sensible black wedge heels (also thinking of funerals). My shoe wardrobe consists of Birkenstocks, Hunters, Tevas or Doc Martens, these days…Hah!

    Deb

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    • Shoes are a whole different post. I cleaned them out good. I have sneakers, boat shoes and some sandals. I used to keep a pair of “dress shoes” but I found that I have no use for them. They go out of style before I get much wear so if I’m invited to something super special, I’ll try sandals or I’ll buy something. I found a long time ago that it’s good to have a funeral outfit. People die at the most inconvenient times to get out shopping.

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