Kay Town
Andrew Kay cuts back on clothing but still has serious closet issues
Having moved home in something of a hurry I am now unearthing boxes of stuff. Stuff that probably should never have been moved the move before this move. There are gifts bought in preparation and then mislaid, there are letters, papers, mementos, general rubbish and even a bag of odd socks waiting to be reunited with their partners. If the socks were the only clothing involved I might not be so embarrassed but they are merely the tip of a sartorial iceberg.
It’s not that I have indulged in any new clothes for quite some time. I cannot remember the last time I purchased anything new to wear, it was certainly back in 2008. No, the problem arises from not being able to part with much loved garments.
Faced with reduced storage space something had to be done – and fast. I started to sort the garments into piles. There were things already bagged up but for what reason I do not know, charity shop or dry cleaning. I applied the rule, not worn for a year, into the recycling.
“I can now see the floor and the spare bedroom is clear – well clearish”
Some clothes evoke memories, some horror. Much loved items were hardest to part with, favourite T-shirts, shirts etc. There are a couple of fancy dress items that have escaped the cull and a sensational ‘new romantic’ shirt that Mr R described as looking more like a ghost costume, so voluminous are its sleeves and frills.
It could not have been a more appropriate comment. So much of my wardrobe haunts me. Memories of good times and of bad. If only they would sort themselves into good memories that I can still wear and bad ones that no longer fit.
Several large sacks later, and by several I mean five, the problem is less acute. There is still too much to fit into the wardrobe, the door will barely close, but I can now see the floor and the spare bedroom is clear – well clearish.
For now though things are better, one or two items like swimming costumes have turned up in the nick of time and I have found after many years of absence, my favourite hat. It makes my head look like a potato sack but I love it anyway, look out for it this autumn.
