Ms-thrifty Good insight on the special event clothing. I read this in a recent better homes and garden issue, and applied it. I have started to consciously tried to steer into special clothes that can transition down to dressy casual. And then add accessories that can work with other outfits to bring UP casual to be dressy casual. Example is my niece is getting married tonight. I bought a solid color sheath dress that goes to the knee, and a chunky colored crystal necklace. I can wear them together tonight with heels for the evening wedding. To bring the dress down to dressy casual: I can wear the dress with silver jewelry and sandles. I can add a denim jacket and flats for fall. I can wear the dress with black tights, boots, and a cardigan for a winter. I can wear the crystal necklace with a white T shirt and dark rinse jeans for dressy casual. I can do the same with a turtleneck and boots for fall/winter. So I think what I figured out with this is you need to be selective in choosing the dress so it can work up or down. And be willing to also buy that accessory to bring it up to the full dressiness of the more formal occasion.

First, thanks, All, for your thoughts. Today's my last day at work 'til the new year, and this is going to be my project. I was reading online what some people say they own /think is appropriate. One woman said she owns something like 250 hanging shirts PLUS an overflowing drawer of tees. Okay, I feel a little better about myself ... at a guess, I suspect I have 75-ish hanging items in my closet plus a shelf of sweaters above. Yet this morning I went to the dryer and pulled out a shirt to wear. Hey, I have two pairs of jeans, slacks in black, navy, gray and Khaki, lots of plain t-shirt-style tops, sweatshirts for cold weather, several pairs of shorts for hot weather. I survive. I'm pretty much with you ... in terms of what I actually wear. What I have that I actually wear is one pair of jeans, one pair of black jeans (which I sneaky-sneaky wear to work all the time), and two pairs of work-appropriate slacks -- one gray, one light brown with a herringbone pattern. I have a couple other pairs of work slacks that, um, won't zip anymore -- can't understand why! :( My plan for them is to pack them in a box and label them with a date one year from today. In one year, if I can wear them, they can stay -- if not, they're going to Goodwill without the box being opened. I think it depends on a lot of factors. Do you work outside the house? Do you exercise, play tennis, etc...? Do you live in a climate w/ four distinct seasons? How frequently do you do laundry? I do work, but I'm retiring in roughly two years. I just last night thought to myself, "I will not buy work clothes any more" -- or, I will buy sparingly, replacing only as actually needed. I actually do need a new pair of black flats. We Carolinians do have seasons, but winter is mild (40s being our typical lows). Thing is, these are also my church clothes and my going-out-somewhere-casual clothes, so I can't out-and-out STOP owning these things. But once I retire, I will not need the quantity I have now. Yes to exercising, but I feel comfortable with that arena of my wardrobe. I have "just enough" without excess. Similarly, my coats and shoes seem to be "just enough" -- that is, I have what I need, and nothing sits un-used. Must analyze: how is it that I've chosen better in these arenas? Shoes are kind of easy to analyze: A couple years ago I developed Plantar Fasciitis, so many of my shoes had to be replaced. Fortunately, my two daughters wear the same shoe size and were quite willing to take all those nice strappy sandals and heels that I could no longer wear. I can wear a couple brands of sandals -- and they're not all old-lady looking, but I have to be so very PICKY -- and I can wear any shoe into which I can slip my small orthopedic insert. Surprisingly, I have not missed one single item and it's refreshing to not have the closet overflowing. Yeah, I want to be able to say that. Do a goggle search on "personal uniforms" I didn't know that term, but I think I'm already doing that. My go-to work outfit is a Lands End knit dress ... worn on its own in fall/spring, worn with a cardigan in winter. I have probably a dozen of their dresses in a variety of colors. I don't wear this exclusively, but I probably wear this type of thing three days out of five ... especially in warmer weather. Also, search on" LBD project". "LBD" stands for "little black dress". Oh, no. I know you mean well, but I hate little black dresses. With all the colors in the world, why do women flock to no color? Go to a party, and all the women are wearing the same color? I own exactly one black dress -- one of my Lands End knit dresses -- and I always wear it with a colorful cardigan or jewelry. I want a closet that looks like one of those photo shoots in an Ikea advertisement where there are just two pairs of shoes, a couple of folded pants and a half dozen tunics. I'm not sure I want anything quite that minimal, but I understand your point. I am glad that I can sew, when I can find a suitable fabric to sew with. I can sew, and about a hundred years ago (when I was in college) I worked in the sewing section of Belk's department store -- they no longer have that department. I don't particularly enjoy sewing, but I'm compotent. Being 4'11", I do excel at hemming. I love loose linen pants and the concept of dressing that is referred to as "langenlook". It is a loose style of dressing. Reminds me: I recently saw a picture on a travel site of a woman wearing a pair of loose linen pants and a white peasant blouse. I have several blouses (in several colors) similar to the one she was wearing. She was saying it was a perfect, comfortable travel outfit, and it would work with casual sandals or Toms-type slip-ons. I liked it enough to look it up online -- I liked the pants in a tan linen and a pink linen -- and I thought I'd ask my husband to get them for me for my birthday, which is in spring. As I said, I'm not far from retirement, and I thought that'd be a nice type of thing to have as I transition out of my school-marm things. I have always been good at work clothes and ultra-casual clothes, but I have never felt quite comfortable with the "in between outfits"; that is, I'm not good at pulling together an outfit that says "full-fledged adult meeting girlfriends for lunch and shopping" -- and I'd like to be better at that. I can look like I just stepped out of my classroom, or I can look like I'm about to go cut firewood, and I do "fancy" well -- but I would like to feel more "put together" for casual events like a baby shower or going out to a museum. Hey, hey, hey -- STOP IT! I'm trying to get rid of things, and here you are encouraging me in a different direction! (Pouting.) Most women buy so many things in an effort to piece it all together. When I was younger (and used shopping as a hobby without fully realizing it), I was very guilty of buying pieces and pieces, especially sale items ... then never wearing them because I didn't have anything to match. I have become better about that over the years. I don’t think it’s outfits per se, it’s pieces that can make up a ton of different outfits. I think that 's a fair statement -- as long as they do add up to outfits. I've learned to be more intentional with my purchases. At this point I do have pants that I can't wear any more because the shirt that matched them was stained /thrown away, etc. my only exception is cocktail dresses, since they don't get worn as often. That brings up another issue ... fancy dresses are taking up more than their fair share of my closet. I'm at the age at which my daughters /my friends' daughters are getting married, so I need to keep these dresses. Obviously, I don't want to downsize my dresses, then find myself forced to buy something new for an event. Only one of my daughters is married, but I have two mother-of-the-bride dresses. A funny story -- funny now: I bought a great dress and was very happy ... until my mother-in-law texted me picture of the very same dress, saying she'd just bought it! She was iffy on whether she'd wear it or not, and I just couldn't trust her not to do it ... so I had to go buy a second dress, which I liked less. Both are in my closet. And in the end, she didn't wear the dress! I could've worn it to the wedding. Back to the point: How /where do y'all store such items? I was thinking of taking them off the hangers, gently folding them, and storing them in a basket on the difficult-to-reach top shelf. If I'm going to wear one of these dresses (I live in a world of casual dresses and jeans), I'll have weeks of notice, and I can take it out, hang it, even have it cleaned. Good idea or bad idea? Thanks, All, for your ideas.

I have gaiters. At least one, maybe two, I can't quite remember. And two pairs of gortex pants to pull over regular ones, but they are almost too small now, sigh. Don't know where I put the gaiters. That's another issue too, lack of organized storage in my house, particularly clothing. Of course I'm trying and working on all fronts . . . My main problem is I used to be able to afford good quality clothes and I have been running on the fumes of having them for quite a few years. Plus I inherited some clothes from my Mom, although her stuff is a tad too nice for field work. But I can't wear her pants she was too short, (although I do wear some of her summer pants as capris, lol). I am running out of pants both due to wear and an expanding lower half. I regularly shop the Goodwill and local Salvation Army and also resale shops. I've gotten some great pieces, but honestly most folks don't give up durable, practical clothing, that stuff they keep until it is in tatters. I used to have quite the set of bandanas for my looks, those are the ones I would have to wear. I could invest in a few more. I have a lovely collection of silk scarves I inherited from my Mom, but I could never wear them to work and expect them to stay nice. Among the many things I have to accomplish at my house, is breaking down my Mother's closet. I have no great wish to keep it as a shrine to her, but I can't see just tossing or jumbling all the lovely clothes she had in there so meticulously organized. She has a beautiful wardrobe all organized by clothing type and color, so she could easily put together exquisite outfits. My mother never left the house looking less than stellar. But she was the opposite of me in her work world, she was a librarian and avoided anything messy, noisy or physical. I don't need suggestions on what to do with it, I have sources for donations, etc. I just need the time. I have recently been sorting through some old photos of my Mom at work. I still have all her exquisite classic wool and suede suits and silk shirts, but folks don't dress like that for work anymore, sigh . . .

I remember when jeans were comfortable and not cut and worn like an over stuffed tow sack. Having searched the back corners of my closet, I have three pairs of jeans (one pair basic denim, one black skinny, one brown) that fit like a glove. At the same time, I just ditched several pair that were not comfortable. Comfortable jeans are available, but they're not all that easy to find. Have you heard of the concept of having a "personal uniform"? Eh, I've read about that, but I can't quite get into that idea. I have so much to say and to discuss on this topic that I have to restrain myself to not even get started. No, don't restrain yourself -- get started! I'm into this topic right now. Paring it down.....life is fuller with less to get in the way and we really need much less than we think we do. Oh, my -- I already see it, and my closet is still very much a work in progress! I read stories about people saying, "I have so much more now that I have less" -- yes, I get it. Is it weird that a couple times I've gone into my closet just to look at my smaller wardrobe? And, as I said, I'm not done-done. I've already thought of a few things and said, "I really could've let that go." Several thoughts -- I'm open to comments on these choices -- I don't feel solid on all of them: - I found a whole box of dresses that now fit again. I'd forgotten that box. I got rid of a few of them, but now I have more dresses than I really "need", especially since we just found out that we're not going back to school in person next month. So I have too many dresses, but they're ALL things I really, really like. - I found some weird weak points in my closet; for example, I discovered that I had three black dresses. (And I don't really wear black - not as a main color!) Still, I kept two of them. Both fit perfectly and look great on me. One is very simple, classic and perfect for funerals -- is that practical or morbid? I don't love it, but it is practical to keep it; I'm wishy-washy on this one. The other is a dressy-dress, which won't get much use, but it's classic, I have perfect accessories for it, and my husband is insane for it. I really kept it for him. - I kept three dressy-dresses that I know won't get much use, but we intend to increase our cruise vacations after we retire, and we all have an occasional dress-up occasion. One dress is the aforementioned black dress that my husband loves, and the other two are lovely colors /lots of lace /very "me". - I am a little upset over a pair of dark brown slacks and a red/brown blouse that I absolutely adore. Why am I upset over them? They match absolutely nothing but each other. This is not a practical choice, and this closet purging project is all about practicality. This is not an outfit I'd wear in retirement, so I've told myself I'll keep this outfit until I retire (a decision which is less practical now that I know we're not going back to school this fall). - I gave away a bunch of things that I couldn't wear because I didn't own "the complete outfit". For example, I had two pair of brown tights -- but zero dresses with which I could wear brown tights. And I found a peach sweatshirt in a style that I love, but the color isn't good on me. This list goes on. This is what happens when you buy things off the clearance table just because they're cheap. - On the other side of that coin, I kept some things I can't wear because I don't own "the complete outfit" ... BUT, with a smaller amount of clothes, I have been able to make a small list of things I need to buy to make those things "work". For example, I really want a pair of shorty black boots to go with my black skinny jeans, and I have a great pink tunic that I'd wear on weekends ... if I pick up a pair of tights to match. - Around the house on weekends (in winter) I love to wear thin sweatshirts and comfortable tights. And I found that I have four thin sweatshirts in good repair that fit well -- not a bad number -- but two of them are black, and I, as I said, I don't wear black! Why did I buy these? What was I thinking? I'm keeping the non-preferred colors for now, but when I find colors that I like better, I'll give away the black sweatshirts. - I have a white cardigan that I wear to work constantly in the spring (I have several dresses that work well with it), but it's on its way to worn out. I found another white cardigan I'd forgotten! Jackpot! - After going through ALL the drawers and the back of the closet, I found that I own two swimsuits that actually fit (this is a weak spot in my wardrobe /not enough for our lifestyle) ... but even after giving away the two black cover ups and the ones with no pockets, I still have EIGHT cover-ups. I see myself wearing these more often in retirement, so I kept them all. Eight cover ups. Have I thrown practicality out the window? - My workout clothes seem to be "just right". Ditto for nightgowns. Issues include, but at not limited to, the effects of over consumption, creation of massive landfills, pollution, misplaced priorities, ill spent resources, and having nothing to wear. Guilty of all. Last year when we ripped out our leaky shower, we drove the tile and other garbage to the dump ourselves. It was an eye opener to see the waste-waste-waste-waste-waste from just our little corner of the world. Not long after I went to a teacher workshop that included touring the Recycling Plant and the Dump. Another eye opener. I have genuinely changed some of my behavior since those two events -- and I'm preaching it to other people. I sew, too. I can sew, but I don't enjoy it. Mainly I just hem (all people my height have to be able to hem) and repair. In this time of covid not many of us are shopping in a department store. Yes, and I don't think that's bad for me right now. With no back-to-school for me, and with retirement coming up soon, I don't need to buy a lot. I am trying to get those couple things that I need to "complete" outfits, but I'm not actively adding to my wardrobe now. I predict that the second hand clothing market is going to explode because the venues and the supply routes for so much of this stuff have been strangled by the virus. Add to that, with time on their hands, a lot of people are cleaning out closets. I have noted that our neighborhood is putting out more stuff on garbage day. I always hoped that cheap and awful stuff would come to an end. Eh, we're inundated with advertising, and buy-buy-buy is a part of our culture. Have you ever watched Marie Kondo's show? I don't have anything like what some of those people have! I know that a few celebrities and internet bloggers had already declared that they were through buying landfill clothing before the pandemic. That is going to be an easier pledge to make, and keep, now. Yes, we had a conversation at lunch (pre-Covid) at work, and someone said that Jane Fonda had taken a pledge never to buy another piece of clothing for the rest of her life. We were all intrigued by the idea that she had "enough" to last the rest of her life. We also wondered whether that meant she intends never to buy things like socks, underwear and nightgowns again -- those things wear out -- or whether she just meant "real clothes". Shoes are even worse - I have very wide feet, so it's hard to find good shoes that fit well. Everyone has some type of shoe problem. Mine is that I wear THE MOST COMMON size, so they disappear immediately! I never wait for things to go on sale -- if I see shoes I like, I buy them right away. Otherwise, I don't have a chance. I'm relatively happy with my shoes. About five years ago I developed a nasty case of Plantar Fascitis, and I had to get rid of a bunch of shoes that no longer worked for me. My two adult daughters were thrilled -- we all wear the same size. My loss was their gain. I wear a pair of hiking boots to work most days, and they are over 2 years old I've gotcha beat on that one: I have the best pair of hiking boots. I bought them at a yard sale for $2 more than a decade ago. I don't wear them to work, but we do hike fairly often. I am less successful at getting my DH to purge old/never worn/worn out clothes. Same. My husband, for example, has about 25 pairs of shorts. And several suits that no longer fit. But he won't part with a thing. Thanks for the discussion, y'all.