Purging

Sunday I went to another Clothing Swap. For the uninitiated, you should check out this post HERE. The clothing swap is basically the brainchild of my friend Juliet. A bunch of women are invited to bring all of their old clothes to a party where we all drink a bunch of wine, run around in our underwear and end up taking home all of each others old stuff. It's kind of brilliant. I mean, the old "one man's trash is another man's treasure" adage really holds true. I scored a ton of great stuff this time - several gorgeous sweaters, a couple of excellent dresses, some long-sleeves t-shirts (which I desperately needed) and an Armani top. I mean who gives away an Armani top?

Anyway, in preparation for this swap, I did a major clothing purge. I mean, in order to go to a "swap", you have to have something to actually swap. But this was a particularly painful purge. I finally decided to give away all of my old hotcha-mama dresses that I used to look great in, but now make me look like a sad, middle-aged cow.

I'd been holding on to a bunch of dresses thinking that maybe, just maaaaaaybe, if I went on Weight Watchers one more time, I would once again look fabulous in them. But I have finally resigned myself to the fact that this will never happen. Yes, I may lose weight and technically be able to fit into these dresses, but I will never again be of an age when wearing these dresses would be even remotely "age appropriate", and I would end up looking like a pathetic old woman who refuses to accept reality.

And so I purged. And I have to say, it felt good.

However...

There are a few dresses that I just couldn't get rid of. I just couldn't do it. I loved them so, and had such great memories attached to them that I had to hold on to them. Call me sentimental. Witness this one...

 

You can't see it in this picture, but it's sprinkled with little rhinestones, y'all.

God, I love this dress. It's vintage early '60's. I used to look all Marilyn in it. I remember exactly where/when I bought it. It was at a store in Austin called Old Time Teenies and I was about 19. I remember wearing it when I seduced my college boyfriend. Sigh...

Here's another one I couldn't let go of...

Again, sprinkled with rhinestones you can't really see.

 
Another vintage dress, this one from the '50s. I loved wearing it, I felt all cute and funky. Here Jimmy and I are in the late '90s...

Always loved this shot.

 
And then there's this one...

Ah. I loved this dress too. It fit like a glove, and I could achieve this Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof kind of look. I even wore it to my 40th birthday party, though I can't seem to locate the pictures at the moment. The other day I tried to put it on. I could just baaaaaarly zip it, and looked like a stuffed sausage. Sad.

But I am hanging on to them. Why? I don't know. If I had a daughter, I could say that I was saving them for her. Mama saved a few of her dresses for me and I LOVED wearing them. But I don't have a daughter, so who the hell am I saving them for?

I guess I'm just saving them for me. Because I still love them. It's okay to keep them, right? I mean, I keep books I love that I probably won't ever read over again. Why can't I keep dresses I won't wear again.

Do you have any beloved clothes that you just can't part with?

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This post was inspired by...

Prompt #4: Something you once wore.

Comments

[Karen and Gerard]

I only have one pair of black jeans that are currently too tight (can't zip them up). I'm hoping to be able to wear them again at some point. It's hard to part with some of the clothes my husband bought for me that I just don't wear much.

[tori]

What a gorgeous shot of you with the Mr.! I am pretty much the opposite. I tend to get rid of things really quickly only to later wish I still had this shirt or that dress to wear. I say if they mean a lot to you then hold onto them for sure!

[Alaina]

Super cute dresses! and love that photo!

[VandyJ]

Those dresses are beautiful. I'm getting better about holding on to clothes, but there are still some things in my closet that technically shouldn't be there.
My spin is up:
http://tttandme.blogspot.com/2012/11/spin-cycle-disaster-or-just-plain-bad.html

[Jan's Sushi Bar]

In the back of my closet hangs the one and only cocktail dress I've ever owned. I only wore it once, to my 20th high school reunion, and I was smokin' hot that night, if I do say so myself. No, I'll never give it away...and I *have* a daughter (who has benefited immensely from Mom's Closet).

I love the pic of you and Jimmy, btw.

[Arnebya]

That shot of you and Jimmy...wow. I absolutely adore it, really I do.

I don't have anything I can't let go of anymore. I purge infrequently but plan on doing a bit around the holidays. I used to hold on to things but now? Nope. (Well, I do still have a dress of my daughter's, size 18 months, that she wore in my wedding). I am more of a purse keeper. I have at least 3 that I've had since right after high school, almost never carry, but they remain.

[Michele]

I'm not one to get attached to clothing...just everything else it seems. I do have my mother-in-laws wedding dress from 1940. Long ago I could wear it and it looked amazing! Now, not so much. I have no one to give it to but will never ever get rid of it.

[The Informal Matriarch]

I love the checkered one. Very cute! I still hang onto some dresses I don't need. Like two prom dresses...I don't think I will ever fit those again.

[Laura]

Save them for your daughter-in-law or a granddaughter.

[Laura]

Have you been to the Bettie Page store on Hollywood Blvd? I just walked past last week and they have fabulous holiday dresses that would look fantastic on you.

[mommylisa]

You are saving them for the hot gal with great taste who marries Jude. Duh!

[Kendra]

That checkered dress is to die for. And the picture is awesome.