Daily Cookie

Grover’s recovery forced us to stay home this weekend.  This combined with the sudden nice weather gave me the perfect excuse to finally clean out my closet.  I do this twice a year – in the spring and then again in the fall.  Coincidentally, these are the two times I shop  – well okay, I shop all the time, but I mean “wardrobe building” shopping as opposed to picking up a piece or two here and there.

The twice yearly ritual is typically a two day plus process for me.  I go through all the clothes in my closet and start making piles.  Piles are as follows: See Ya, New Shoes, Mom, Try Again, and Cape.     

Any clothes that I have not worn in the past two years or that need to go into retirement (those gray suede Prada boots for example) make up the See Ya pile.  This is the toughest one for me.  I hold up the piece of clothing and just stare at it for a few minutes.  Then I start trying to envision myself wearing it or making outfits.  I, like my Mom, have become a bit of a pack rat.  This trait does not fit in with my new simpler is better or quality over quantity motto’s.  Yesterday, I threw away a few pairs of shoes, some old tees, some 80’s looking belts and a couple of cashmere sweaters that not even Louis could weave back together for me. 

The second pile has basically the same criteria, but only pertains to my designer pieces.  This pile I bring to the consignment shop on Newbury Street and let them sell the shoes that never quite fit , or the many dresses or “two time” outfits I just had to have for a specific event, etc.  Such a vicious circle isn’t it? Anyway the cash I receive from these sales I use to buy new shoes.  Hence the name. This season that store will be receiving a few pairs of jeans (Paige and Goldsign  – the Paige never flattered my rear like they claimed, and the Goldsign are just outdated), some Clu dressy tees, a few shirts and pants from Louis and some Prada outfits that I have now worn two times in Boston and two times in NYC.  That explains the two time rule.  Twice in each city with different audiences is fine.  But after that,  the chance of running into someone in either city that has already seen you in that outfit is greater, and therefore, not recommended.  If they can be worn separately and can take on a completely differnt look, then they are worth stashing back in the closet for another season.  Great expample of this is a an Alexander McQueen outfit I bought for a client Roast in NYC a few summers back.   The top is a one shoulder shredded black tank and the pants are black satin with tiny silver skull pinstripes.  Fierce.  I wore it in NYC to the event, I wore it on vacation in Paris and I wore it to a Boston Common Magazine party here.  The top I sold last year, but the pants I can still rock with a simple white beater.  If you can not make any new outfits with your precious pieces, sell them.  They are done.  I plan on putting them towards the Marni patent leather platforms or the Christian Louboutin wedges I am currently craving.    

There are also few items that I know I will not wear again, but that someone else may want to adopt for their closets.  My friends and I sometimes share like this or I always fill a shopping bag or two for my Mom.  She just left my house with a great pair of Gucci slides and a caramel and black Gucci belt.  Mind you the shoes are a size 7 1/2 and she is a size 6.  Which explains why I never could wear them without getting a blister and she can make them work.  The belt I still like, but I am not wearing logos right now.  In fact, I try to stay away from the obvious ones.  Ask yourself, if it didn’t have the logo on it, would you still like it? 

The Try Again pile is really divided into two.  The first goes to the dry cleaners and the second to the tailors or cobblers.    I just dropped off 6 pairs of shoes to my cobbler Sasso for some TLC.  He loves when I walk in with a large bag.  He goes through them with a huge smile and has a comment for each pair.  Some he has seen before, some are new to him this season.  But they all need the same work – new heels.  That is what happens when you pound the pavement in two cities.  I also bring a boatload of clothes into the dry cleaners, and try to time it when we are eligible for the 50% off discount.  🙂

The last pile is the easiest pile for me.  It is really more of a transfer than anything else.  This is the pile of clothes that I probably will not wear in the city, but I could see myself sporting  on the Cape. Cute little summer dresses that are not the latest and greatest, but could easily work for dinner at the Club or a summer BBQ.  

So next weekend I will head to the Cape to open up the house, to clean out that closet (which of course means another set of piles minus the Cape one) and to drop off the latest pile from Boston.  It is a great sense of accomplishment when it is all done and gives me the perfect excuse to start fresh.

Pile it on.