The clothes we keep
How many of you have a piece of clothing that is just too small but you still can't get rid of it? You know, the pair of jeans from college or the flirty dress that made you feel great every time you wore it and now sits in the closet or drawer gathering dust?
I actually have a few pieces of clothing that have been too small for years, but there are two in particular that I can't wait to wear again. One is a brown leather bomber-style jacket. I felt so cool and sexy when I would wear it. Now it is sitting on a hanger with the leather drying out (anyone know how to fix that, by the way).
The other is a pair of Victoria Secret pajamas. No, not the skimpy ones you would be embarrassed if your mother saw you in them. These are the traditional long-sleeved pajamas, cream colored with tiny roses all over. I love them for two reasons. One, I feel a sense of comfort every time I put them on. Two is because they are from Victoria Secret. Usually the clothes from that store are too small for me, but there was a time about 12 years ago that I was small enough to by clothes from that company. I want to be that size again.
Tell me about the clothes that you want to be able to wear again. Hopefully, together, we can all reach that goal.
Linda
do or don't
Teri,
Great post. I've been wondering about that leather jacket. After all this time, it might seem a bit dated or, like your dress, I might look like an old lady trying to be young.
I've always heard you shouldn't keep clothes that don't fit anymore, whether it is fat clothes after you lose weight or visa versa. I just couldn't part with that jacket and the PJs.
Though, now that you mention it, shopping is also a very good idea. Hum.
toss it
I agree, i kept holding on to things to in hopes of "someday". I finally have given in and got rid of most things. If it truly has sentimental value, then I put it in a box or its in the back of my closet like a jean jacket (circa 1988) that my now husband gave me when we were dating. Just can't part with it.
I figure it would be nice to go shopping someday and not hate what I look like in the dressing room mirrors. But I don't let it bug me too much either, otherwise I would be depressed!! You think it would be motivating.
On a side note, I lost two lbs. this week! Of course I was sick Monday and didn't eat hardly anything all day. I'll wait a while to weigh myself again. Live in the glory for a while!!
:)
catalogs
Karmie,
I know how you feel about going clothes shopping. Even when I've been thiner, I still didn't enjoy it much. We can be so judgmental about ourselves. That's why I do most of my clothes shopping through catalogs. (I love Lands End!) That way I can try it on in my own home and it is pretty easy to send something back if it doesn't look right.
Good for you on loosing two pounds. A few months ago I was pretty sick and lost 5 pounds. I made it a goal not to gain them back, and I didn't. I have a new column coming out this Sunday when I will update everyone on what I have lost in the first two weeks.
You know, it's funny. I
You know, it's funny. I don't really intentially keep things that I don't fit in around in the closet, but it just seems to happen that way.
I think it's more of a by-product of having issues with putting away laundry than it is consciously holding onto something.
I live out of the laundry basket half the time. I tend to wear the same ten outfits week after week. (Mostly jeans and t-shirts), obviously I know these ones fit because I keep wearing them... but I never wander into the closet, and by the time I do, I realize that "Hmm... Half of these clothes don't fit and the other half don't match anything."
It is funny
Nicole,
Your post reminded me of something that happened this summer. My husband and I were moving our bedroom upstairs since his children are all grown and out of the house. When we began to take the bed apart, there were the under-the-bed storage boxes full of clothes that no longer fit and I had totally forgotten about.
So, what did I do. I moved the boxes upstairs and put them in the closet, where I promptly forgot about them again until I read your post. 
I guess I have more too-small clothes than I thought. Now that I am actually losing weight, do I get rid of them or not? I guess I should see if they are so out of style that I wouldn't want to wear them anymore.
For a long time I was keeping clothes that I thought I'd fit into again someday. They'd hang in my closet or slowly find their way to the bottom of my t-shirt drawer, waiting for someone to love them again. Luckily, I've only packed on about 20 pounds more then I want, most of it settling on my waist and hips as is normal for mothers everywhere. I thought 20 pounds would be no big deal to lose and I'd be wearing my favorite clothes again soon. Years have passed. Finally, I realized that it wasn't going to be so easy and my "someday" clothes were looking old and worn without being used. One of the dresses I kept was a green mini. I loved how sexy I felt in it. One day it just dawned on me; I'd never look the same in it again. My legs are full of spider webs, other regions have changed size and shape, and I would look like an "old lady" trying to look young again. So I gave the dress to my daughter, who looks great in it. The realization that I won't be 20 again, no matter how much weight I lost was actually liberating. I let go all my "someday" clothes after that dress. I figure if I lose the weight, I'll go shopping.