Swirling Ideas

Once and for all these clothes are coming out of the closet.

And this time I mean it. What’s the point of keeping a rainbow of neutral pants in smaller sizes? There’s no pot of gold at the end!

And then there are all those vibrant and cute tops on sale at the end of the season. All those sassy tops - they need a home. In my closet.

Ideas swirled together in a wonderful tornado of liberation, so I can’t verify the order of things. But here’s what happened.

Here’s How It Went Down

The seasons are changing, and I looked at my clothes. As it turns out I have more in skinny storage than I do in daily wear. Ridiculous.

Add to the absurdity that every season I think I’m going to lose weight, so I don’t buy a lot of clothes. A precious few items get worn repeatedly, and by the following year, they don’t look fresh. Suddenly it’s time to buy in-season, full-price clothes, but because they’re full-price (albeit couponed and on-sale whenever possible) budget dictates that only a few are afforded. And so the cycle continues.

Last weekend I was at the mall shopping for new bedding while bright red signs announced the end of season sale.

Well, I’ve been this size for a few years now, and I decided that it’s time to stock up for next year, giving me a robust closet of things that fit, look good, and don’t cost a fortune. My body has found its rhythm, and my soul is closer every day to finding cadence with my figure.

So let’s buy some flirty, vivid, flattering clothes that feel great!

And I did, so guess what! I do feel great!

Next Up

Next, I’m going to unshackle the closet from the summer, winter, and formalwear that are no longer for me.

They’ve been squeezed in so tightly I didn’t realize how much was there. SIX FEET of unworn clothes! Can you believe it? Six feet of forlorn reminders of a thinner body that was born from overwhelming stress and crippling anxiety—but that ironically garnered lots of compliments.

But that’s another story for another time.

So my closet. My happy closet. It now only holds clothes that I want to wear - and can wear - today. What a gift to myself.

There is acceptance when you come out of the closet.

Want to learn how to get your closet free of the old stuff? Check out Patricia’s multi-part series on Closet Cleansing.

Paula is a marketing strategist during the week and avid photographer on the weekends. With a goal to visit all 50 states, she writes about her adventures and shares history, observations, and laughter at Americana The Beautiful.