Living In The Moment

As many of you know my daughter Kelsi is starting graduate school up North next week. This summer she came home for what I expect was her last substantial time home..(if not that’s ok). I’m not quite sure were the time went, but preparing for her move sure did keep us busy. Up fitting an apartment with furniture, kitchen-wares, bedding, pictures and nick knacks was quite the endeavor. We also spent hours going through garments, shoes and accessories, which she has plenty of! We prioritized in a few key ways: fit, style, and donation versus consignment. Somehow, it became a joy to do this with my daughter. Years ago we did something similar together before undergraduate school and saying it was not fun is putting it nicely. I attribute this to my daughter’s maturity and my mellowing (which I hope she would agree with). This time we both knew we had a job to do and realized that haggling over a simple garment would not be beneficial to either of us. Ready or not the cold weather climate was coming for her and she had to be prepared.

I’d like to share with you what this experience has taught me. Through dissecting her wardrobe, packing her up, unloading her belongings, and settling her into her new home I have added new qualifications and work experience to my resume.

1.  No garment is worth more than a 3 minutes conversation.

*I have always been able to judge very quickly on a client whether it works for their body or not.  The moment I begin to cock my head to the right (I’m a lefty) it is gone!

2.  If you haven’t worn it in 2 years then you will probably never wear it.

*If it’s a pair of jeans, then chances are they won’t be in style or you’ll fall out of love with them.

3. If it is not great quality it will show by peeling or the seams will begin to fray or open.

*Buy the best quality you can afford. I have been buying my daughter core pieces (coats, jackets and boots) for a few years now.

4. Try and stick to 5 colors in your wardrobe. Black, brown and navy are considered core colors.

*Choose 4 others and build a wardrobe around it as well as household knick -knacks. There is something to be said about consistency in our lives!

5. Most accessories such as necklaces, scarves, hats and quality bags don’t go out of style and have a longer shelf life, so keep em’!

*Many of the household items she took from our attic still worked and looked current. This included a ceramic set of colorful canisters that I broke while I was in the process of explaining to her how great they would look in her new kitchen! Crap!!

6. If your favorite item of clothing is looking too worn then don’t freak because you most likely can get it restored!

*If a heel of a shoe is worn down to its nub then it can be re-heeled. Make sure to think in terms of whether it is a trendy shoe or something similar to a classic. It wouldn’t make sense to spend money on just a one-season shoe.

*It also is not cost effective to clean up and repair shoes that are not leather.

7. Decide if it is worth your time and your effort to consign certain garments.

*If the garment is quality and current merchandise, then go for it! My daughter and I got a rude awakening when she brought over 4 bags to one trendy store and left with three full bags and only $20 cash…

In conclusion there are two points I want to make.

1) Going through your closet thoroughly should happen twice a year, regardless of where you are living.

~Keep only the items that work in your closet, it will make pulling together outfits easier!

2) Embrace your loved ones while you can.

~ I enjoyed my time with my daughter so much that it almost didn’t feel like work (although I almost left an invoice on her dresser).

I’m going to reflect on this time we shared together for many years to come. It makes me reminiscent of a similar, earlier journey we shared as we looked at more than a dozen colleges spread out all along the east coast together. I love a good memory, especially the ones that I still remember!

From my closet to yours-

Suzanne