How Did This Happen?

Does this ever happen to you? Every few seasons I look in my closet and suddenly everything I own is just plain WRONG. Where have I been, in a cave? I looked through the stores and the magazines and then I looked at my closet and my sweaters are too skinny, my jeans are too mommy, my skirts are too flowy, my shoes are too pointy, my pants are too low. Or too high. Or too tight. Or whatever.
That's how I felt this fall when I saw all the new jacket shapes, the baby-doll sweaters, the empire waist tops, the wide jeans. I needed a crash course in 2007. Suddenly everything looked so new and different and fun and cool and chic and well, almost wierd! When did it happen? I love the new jacket shapes, all the sleeves with the bell or the lantern shape, the new jeans that come up higher, and shoes with nice comfortable round toes no matter what heel height.
Sometimes one needs a total wake-up call to get to the closet and clean it out, so that's what I did. And I was ruthless. I threw out stuff that was perfectly good, maybe even never worn, because I looked at it and knew I'd never wear it. It was painful, but what's a new wardrobe without a little pain? And besides, some of those shoes I threw out had caused me enough, ouch.
So now at least I've got room for some of those hot fall items: patent leather oxford pumps! Pencil skirt! Wide pants! Lots of gray stuff! Okay, I've been resisting these for too long, I finally give up: Baby doll tops! Euueew.. never thought I'd say that. But when it comes to khaki capris, I'm still drawing the line. Not for me. Yet.

If you're cleaning out your closet this fall, remember a great place to take your old stuff is The Discovery Shop on Yakima Avenue, it's the American Cancer Society's re-sale shop. Or you could try the YWCA's Working Women's Wardrobe if you have lots of suits, blazers, or anything for a woman starting a new job for the first time. Or dump them off at the Union Gospel Mission's Lighthouse Shop on Front Street. But give them away. Sometimes it's good to just start over.