Do your clothes give you joy? Or do they make you feel nostalgic? Do they make you feel fabulous?
I was privileged to talk to Marcia O’Regan of Colourharmonie recently and somehow we stumbled on the subject of clothes and decluttering. She is currently reading Maria Kondo’s bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Marcia was telling me about her experience of tidying her closet, and only keeping items that give her joy.
Now I am a long way from being a tidy (a very long way) but this really resonated with me. For quite some time now I have only bought clothes that I really love. Part of this was financial but I also found that when I was wearing something I really love, I felt more confident, and I suppose a little bit fabulous.
I really believe we dress for ourselves and even though people around us get the pleasure of seeing us with a pretty dress and make-up, how we look does for some of us impact on how we feel.
After the call with Marcia I returned to household chores which of course included the endless laundry. As I was hanging up my clothes I realised that almost every item of clothing carries a story.
These are some of the little one line stories my clothes have to tell ….
- A pretty blue floral dress that I call my party dress. I bought it with gift vouchers in South Africa on a visit home. The first time I wore it was for my birthday 4 years ago.
- I have quite a few maxi dresses, all similar in style but in a wide range of fabulous prints. These are dresses that arrive in boxes from Dubai. My lovely sister sends me care parcels and each time I wear one of my dresses I think of her – it is like a fabric connection.
- A royal blue chiffon jacket was a gift from my Mom from the fabulous Queenspark in South Africa. It is sheer and light but adds not only colour but style to anything it is thrown over.
- I won a prize on Facebook of a voucher for Liberties in Westport. I thought I was too fat to be able to choose anything from this wonderful boutique. When I went to visit I was treated really well and fell in love with a long dark purple top that I wear often. It covers a multitude of sins.
- My current favourite dress summer or winter is a LBD – it is really simple but beautifully cut and when I wear it I feel great. I stumbled across it at the time of the month when you shouldn’t find anything you like. It was a big decision, and meant a few lean days before payday but it was worth it.
One thing I realised when I was walking down memory lane in my closet was that I keep my clothes a long time. I have a beautiful cardigan that I paid quite a bit for and literally wore it until it fell to holes. I then begged my mom to use her embroidery talent to create little flowers over the holes.
I am committed to doing a bit of decluttering and tidying up very soon, but I know that some of my lovely clothes will stay with me. That way I can wear my memories and joyful moments.
I would love to hear some of your clothes stories – I bet that a visit to your closet will bring up many happy memories.
Kerry x
