Hubs: "I want to turn the master closet into a meditation room."
Me: "Snort."
Hubs: "I'm serious."
Me: "When you start meditating in the living room I will think about clearing out the closet."
Hubs: "Why do you still have like 20 dresses I have never seen you wear?"
Me: "Uh..."
Ok, so he has a point.
Generally, every season I try to evaluate those clothes which I did not wear for the whole season and clear some out each time. However, what do you do with the clothes and dresses you bought ages ago that no longer fit your lifestyle, but are too nice for the roadside donation bins?
One great organization for professional clothes donations is Dress for Success---more than just providing clothes for job interviews, the organization mentors and coaches women to help them find their way in the job market. Another great initiative is Donate My Dress, a group that encourages young girls to donate their prom and party dresses so that they can be re-used by others.
Reading this post by Chelsea Spear yesterday, re-invigorated me to pare down to the essential things in my wardrobe that I care about and really NEED. I loved her mantra, which I will keep repeating to myself as I clean out the closet this weekend:
Have I worn this in the last season (or if it's "special" ask yourself if you've worn it in the last year)?
If you answer no, get rid of it. Sell it, donate it to a Salvation Army or Goodwill near you, seal it away in your attic for safe keeping, just get it out of your closet and free yourself of the distraction. If you're like most people you think this rule won't apply to you, because you spent your hard earned money on it, and it's yours. But in all reality, most clothing pieces that aren't worn are no longer desired by the owner. Chances are if you're not wearing it this year, you won't be wearing it in the future.
I am not a big "shopper," however, I do occasionally haunt the consignment stores and vintage boutiques for some unique item and I like to make my own clothes. I haven't made enough yet, but I am on a mission this year to improve my garment-making skills.
Reading this post by Tilly and the Buttons, kind of encapsulates some of the thoughts I have been having about commercially produced clothing lately. If someone says, "It was ONLY $10 at H&M!!", my immediate reaction is to think, "Yes, but why...and HOW?!" Now that I have started to sew some of my own clothes and knit my own sweaters, I can see the time and effort that goes into a garment. From both a practical and spiritual perspective, this is a profound shift to make. It changes how you view the price tag on a piece of clothing in a store.
Often, I think, we cannot truly feel or understand, in an empathetic way, these costs or values UNLESS we involve ourselves in the MAKING. This means getting your hands dirty, it means spending the time, it means caring about the process and the people involved. Whether it be the food you make for your family, the clothes on your back or the toys in the toybox, it all has a cost---environmental, economic, human and spiritual.
I would like to make sure that I model values I believe in---in all these regards---for my children. Values that are ethical and thought-out, not knee-jerk. It is a process, an unfolding and a journey---I am, by not means, there yet.
But today, I will start by cleaning out my closet.
(Did you hear that, honey?)
Are you with me?? I will need support.
(Did you hear that, honey?)
Are you with me?? I will need support.
My meditation for today is from Tend Magazine:
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