Hanging clothes. Here we go. My process: remove all hanging clothes from the closet. Check the laundry for any other hanging clothes. Remember the coffee in the microwave. Remember my coats that hang in the coat closet. Remember the coats I stashed in my son’s closet when he went away to college. Throw all hanging clothes, including coats, on a pile on the bed. Stare at it while drinking coffee. Have an emotional moment.
I went through a period of time where someone else made most of my fashion choices for me. Later in life, I ditched most of my conservative corporate wardrobe, experimented with a bright red pixie cut and filled my closet with uber feminine florals, bright colorful shoes and funky bags. During that time, I put on a couple couple dozen pounds. Then the pandemic hit and I realized how much I LOVE leggings and tunics and bought a couple of each from amazon that are now forever in the wash or on my bod. I’ve let go of some of the things from each of my previous stages, but my closet and stashed bins are a mishmash of many different seasons of my life.
The questions I’ve been asking about what’s “real” may seem silly and overly dramatic for a closet, but for me, they’re equally challenging and cathartic: How do I feel when I open my closet? Stressed at finding something that fits me and, well, fits me?
Why did I really buy this? Why am I really keeping this? These will likely be harder when I tackle my trunk of, uh, “outgrown” clothes this weekend. Today I’m focusing on picking up each item and deciding if it has a place in my life right now. I want to open my closet and grab clothes that I can wear now, that I WANT to wear now, without digging through clutter that makes decisions harder and weighs me down.
Uncovering Real 