Wednesday, October 17, 2007

What I'd Wear Wednesday: Keeping or tossing

What I'd wear today if I could: this button-front denim skirt from my own closet. (Actually, I did wear it this weekend, with some knee-high boots, but today is more of a yoga pants kind of day.)

I've been seeing button-front knee-length denim skirts everywhere. OK, not everywhere, but I've seen enough of them to sniff out a trend. So I thought, "Hey! I have an old skirt just like that!" and pulled it out. Truth: there was actually dust on this skirt.

And now for long fashion discussion ... feel free to skip to the comments if you like....

Clothing and image experts say if you haven't worn something in a year, you should get rid of it (preferably to a clothing donation, I say).

Other people say you should hold onto the clothes and accessories you really love because they will come back in style. I can't say I've loved this skirt, but it's served me well; I must have held onto it for some reason. But in any case, the "things always come back in style" saying is only partly true -- they do come back in style, but there's usually something new about the old style like a closer or fuller fit, different colors or prints, different fabrics, different pocket placement, etc.

This skirt is a perfect example. It's a little fuller around the hips because the waistband is elastic in the back. I don't think the newer button-front knee-length denim skirts are that way; they're more tailored. But this detail didn't make that much of a difference to me. If I hadn't held onto this skirt for, oh, 12? years, I sure wouldn't be wearing it or writing about it now.

And, that leads me to another style saying: shop from your own closet. Holding onto clothes that fit and which you like wearing is good for when you want to wear something "new" without going shopping. In the case of this skirt, it's so old that wearing it was like wearing something new. Er ... except for that layer of dust.

So where are you on the fashion spectrum? Do you keep stuff around, or do you nicely edit your wardrobe each season? And do you shop from your own closet?

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8 Comments:

Blogger Janet said...

I tend to keep clothes aruond waaay too long before sighing and bagging it for the diabetes folks. And, you're right, the style never comes back quite the same. However, I did hang on to an ankle-length velvet fancy dress for 9 years and -- ta da! -- Hailey is going to wear it out as a Hallowe'en Beauty Queen in a few weeks. We just cut the bottom off and now it's perfect. So I guess I'm glad I didn't get rid of it, dust and all.

12:32 PM  
Blogger Melissa @ Banana Migraine said...

I tend to keep things around for a few years and then try to weed out my closet and donate. This has worked pretty well for me, and there are a few items that I ended up wearing again.

1:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I faithfully purchase a new Hanes Her Way sweatsuit from Target each fall.

Sadly, that's my wardrobe. I'm not even sure I own a skirt :-O

1:13 PM  
Blogger Bea said...

There are certain garments that I will never throw away, including a blouse I wore in high school that I still have in my closet - I'll never wear it again, but it has sentimental value.

8:28 PM  
Blogger Cathy, Amy and Kristina said...

A friend of mine just bought a skirt quite similar to that one.

As for my habits -- I keep the clothes, harboring a foolish hope that I will one day be able to cram my butt into them again. And then I will stride from the house triumphantly in my '80s fashions.

Sad. Yes. Very sad.

11:37 PM  
Blogger Mamacita Tina said...

I'm really bad at keeping things I'd just never wear again. I really should clean out my closet.

I do have a leather skirt I use to wear when I was two sizes smaller and hang onto it hoping I'd fit in it again. Hopefully this winter...

6:43 AM  
Blogger Amanda said...

I'll be darned if I don't keep getting pregnant. Sean has to go over the garage to haul out my old maternity clothes. Seems that each time I slim down my body has changed though my weight is the same. I toss out anything that as Oprah says, "Doesn't make me feel fabulous!"

10:28 AM  
Blogger Stephanie said...

I host a Clothes Swap at my house once a quarter so my closet is constantly revolving. I don't keep clothes for long. I prefer to pass them on to friends or charities.

Every once in awhile, I wonder if I should hold on to a few things so that my daughter can see what I wore in high school/college/as a young mom, etc. But then I don't. Clutter is not my friend.

5:27 PM  

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