One of the things I enjoy in relation to all this is reading certain minimalist blogs. I am totally all for minimalism and the impetus behind it. AM I an actual minimalist, though? Um... no. I like the idea of it but I live my days with piles of books and magazines on most flat surfaces and piles of clothes anywhere that makes relative sense (oh, you know, piled on any flat surface, including the floor. Oops!). Anyway, I was reading one of my regulars and this post, 3 Types of Clothes to Declutter Today made me want to write a response.
Spoiler alert! The three types of clothes mentioned include holey clothes/clothes that need repair, aspirational clothes, and nostalgic clothes. As a whole, I agree with the sentiment -- in most cases these kinds of clothes are often good for nothing any more. But somehow I feel the need to defend them! Let me take each category one by one:
Holey or otherwise compromised clothes. The post mentions so-called "ethical" bloggers who learn how to repair clothing so as not to contribute further to landfill, and to give a new lease on the life of beloved pieces. I LOVE those people. I can sew! I'm not fully embroidering things like you see in the link, but I do made hand-sewn repairs from time to time -- like the inseam of my last pair of black leggings, or replacing a button on a shirt or cardigan. I don't have a big pile of to-be-repaired clothes, so I don't even know why I'm harping on this except that I don't see anything wrong with having a reasonable pile to work on while you're bingeing on The Handmaid's Tale or re-watching the entire series of Twin Peaks. (I finally watched the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale last night, by the way -- holy cow is it good. And super depressing. And then I took a candlelit bath in lavender epsom salts and went to bed.)
Aspirational clothes. I actually have aspirational clothes that have become nostalgic clothes, ha ha! But seriously, I guess in the back of my head I still have this thing where I really think that I am going to lose all the weight that I would want to lose if someone just snapped their fingers and made it happen, i.e. to become a size 12 or 14 or something, and so I just utterly refuse to donate or sell the items I have in my closets or in a lonesome pile somewhere that fall under this category. They include:
- Things I bought when I was semi-close to being able to wear them, but never made it (from years ago but also within the past two years)
- Things I bought when they weren't even close to wearable but were super cheap on sale that I was just like fuck it (thanks, Target)
- Things that I used to be able to wear and still love and just won't give up on (also nostalgic)
- Things that I just love whether I was able to wear them at one time or not that I have grown to love as objects
There's everything from band t-shirts to pretty dresses to elaborate kimono to wool pencil skirts and winter coats to pink corduroy pants. Maybe I'll photograph or even draw them one day and share. Hm, maybe that could be my next art project!
Wrapping things up... ah, nostalgia. My favorite!
Nostalgic clothes. The main pieces I am thinking of here are a couple handmades. (Yes! I used to sew my own clothes! Yes! I should do that again!) But there are also things that are pure luxe that I would just never part with like the Christian Dior bra (size 34B, LOLOLOLOL), and the pair of champagne-colored satin tap pants that was part of a set (I wore the bralette to death) that I bought at Victoria's Secret in my early-mid 20s. Then there is the very special pair of Doc Marten brogue ankle boots that I got at Trash and Vaudeville in New York City in the mid-90s for super cheap -- I think it was thirty dollars? They had calves hair that has now all but balded off and they look kind of a fright these days, but I will never, ever give them up. Ever. I have never seen another pair like them and will likely never again. They are a real part of my personal history. So in cases like that, you know...
Screw minimalism. Am I right?
Still, I am inspired to create a special place to store these special items instead of just having them randomly among things that would wear every day, or stuffed off in some closet. (By the way, I am LOLing again because what hangs in my closets are the things I never wear, while the things I do wear languish in piles of clean laundry (dirty gets thrown in the hamper, I am not a total cretin!).
My takeaway here is individual priorities. I think I have plenty of room for minimalism-inspired action in my life, but I do not have to let it dictate how I live, either.
I think the take away is that you need a touch of all of the aspects...doing each in a minimalistic way...only keeping the most nostalgic of pieces..the most aspirational...etc!
ReplyDeleteYes, that was pretty much it, isn't it? I definitely one of those who is very "Take what you need/want, and leave the rest" when it comes to philosophies like minimalism. There's much to be gleaned from its principles, but I don't feel the need to go whole hog.
DeleteI missed this post when it came out! Oops. Oh well, I get to enjoy it now :)
ReplyDeleteFor me, I am kind of a minimalist - it really creates a great feeling AFTER you part with some of this stuff. We don't realize how much it weighs us down until it's gone.
But in particular, I have a STRICT POLICY against aspirational clothes. I used to have them. I used to use them, trying them on as gauges of weight loss. Finally, after years of this, I realized that these clothes were actually torture devices, that seeing them in my closet was making me feel bad, not good. So, it was hard, because it was an old habit, but I finally gave them up, let them go - and then, when I lost weight, I actually got to buy new clothes THEN! It was actually a gift, a treat, a way to enjoy a reshaped body, to go out and seek the clothes that look good on that new shape. I mean, we've all had aspirational clothes that we fit into one day, only to find it isn't actually the right fit for you and so, doesn't look very good. No more. Not for me.
So, I recommend trying this policy! Seeing how it feels. Buuuuuttttt... if aspirational clothes work for you, meaning it feels good, then go for it! We are all different.
Cheers!
Wendy, oh no, another of your comments I missed the first time around! I treasure them so much and don't want you to think otherwise. :) What you say makes sense and maybe you're right. I mean, who doesn't love the idea of being able to buy NEW clothes when you need them? And I admit, it does make me sad to see so much of these pretty things around me that I cannot wear. Maybe I could make drawings or paintings of them and then get them out of my life otherwise, I don't know. We'll see. I WILL think hard about it, though...
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