It happens to so many of us. A formal event is in the offing. It’s one of those occasions when several fashionistas will be on the guest list, and we don’t want to look drab alongside them.
A cursory glance at what’s hanging in the closet is a convincing argument for going out to buy something new. But there’s very little in the stores that really appeals. If anything does take our fancy, it’s far too expensive, considering it won’t be worn very often.
My late husband’s stepmother was an immaculately tidy woman who believed there was a place for everything and that everything should be in its place. The one exception was her wall-to-wall closet. On one occasion that it happened to be open when I was visiting her, I saw that it was crammed with clothes, from contemporary classics to vintage.
Shoulder pads and skirt lengths accounted for the main differences between the two. Clearly, unless a garment was torn or stained, there was no way that she would discard it. In that respect, we were very much alike.
Professional organizers of other people’s mess usually say about clothing: “If you haven’t worn it for two years, throw it out or give it away.” That advice works for some, but not for me, and I would guess not for many others. I’m a hoarder, and my husband, Danny, was a hoarder.
One day we reached the conclusion that we must get rid of some of our junk. It wasn’t just clothes but also books, old newspapers, souvenirs, and more. We sat down on the liv.
