Small Strokes Big Oaks

Image by Michael Davie via Flickr

I have a problem with holding on to old clothing. I’m not sure why this is the case. Maybe it’s because I remember special occasions on which I wore these clothes, or maybe it’s because I bought them on vacations, or maybe it’s just because I actually think I will wear them again at some point. Whatever the reason, I have closets and drawers stuffed with clothes, half of which I hardly ever wear. When I moved out after college, when I moved home two years later, and again when I moved in with Tim just over a year ago, I did go through all of my clothes as I was packing and pared down the collection, but, because I do shop kind of a lot, I just end up with more clothes.

I wouldn’t say that it’s a problem, but I do have a habit of pulling out clothes from when I was student teaching over six years ago and become extremely discouraged when they don’t fit. Now, I’m about the same weight as I was six years ago (ok, ok, I’ve gained a little bit), but my weight has definitely redistributed and, well, I don’t know anyone who can say that their bodies look exactly the same now as they did six years ago. I know this. I am acutely aware of this with all of the reading I do about body image issues. I support my friends and tell them this when they are trying on old clothes that don’t fit anymore. So why can I not tell myself this when I do the same thing?

Today, I decided enough was enough. It’s been consistently colder, so I decided to switch out my spring/summer clothes for my fall/winter ones and, in the process of doing that, I started making a pile of clothes that I knew didn’t fit anymore or that I hadn’t worn in a long time. As I said earlier, I’ve done this kind of a clothing cleanse before, but usually I keep clothes that just don’t fit because I feel like I might eventually be able to fit in them again. This time, however, if I knew the article of clothing didn’t make me feel good when I put it on, I put it in the pile.

At the end of my cleanse, I not only had totally organized drawers and closet spaces, but I also had two garbage bags worth of clothes that Tim just took to Goodwill to donate. I also have an added piece of mind that someone in need will receive those items, and that I can pull anything out of my closet, put it on, and feel good about how it fits.

Why didn’t I do this sooner? I guess it’s easier to talk about how women shouldn’t be ashamed of their bodies than it is to practice what you preach.

Have you ever had an experience like this with your clothing? How did you handle it?