In Defense of Keeping Clothes

My mom gave us a rule when we were younger that if we wanted to buy new clothes, we would have to give some away first. As spoiled girls who had access to clothes from my mom's boutique, we were far from fashion-deprived. You would think that it would be easy to give away things when it meant that I would get more. However, whenever my mom sent me upstairs to go clean out my closet, I found myself thumbing through the rack for about 30 minutes weighing the pros and cons of each piece and ultimately only getting rid of a handful of things.

I have always had separation anxiety in the process of giving away clothes. Sometimes, I feel like each piece is somehow a part of me. I will justify keeping things with statements like, "this is still cute", "this is a good basic", "I can finally wear this top with this new skirt" or "I haven't worn this enough", even though I probably still won't wear it. I want to keep everything, but I also want so many new things. What is wrong with me?

Searching for tips on how to easily part with my clothes, I came across some really helpful advice in a magazine: If you wouldn't buy this piece now, get rid of it. This helped a little... I guess. After I got rid of another significant pile of clothes, I found another justification for keeping my clothes, "What if I wouldn't buy it now, but I would buy it in the future?" The nature of fashion is cyclical. Things will come back, go away, and then be cool again. The trends that I was obsessed with a few years ago, I don't really care about now. And the things that I never thought that I would wear, I now love. But how am I supposed to predict the fashion future?

Since my sophomore year of high school, I have been more and more fascinated by vintage clothing. It really began on a vintage shopping spree in Vegas and only grew from there. What really sparked my vintage clothing interest was the discovery of something unexpected. In the basement of my mom's store, Marmalade, we surprisingly uncovered two large racks of never-worn 80's pieces from a previous clothing store in the same building. The clothes were in almost perfect condition considering they were covered in tarps for the last 30ish years. As a result, we decided to clean up the years of dust (well mostly me cleaning it all) and turn the basement into a small vintage boutique. As we became more involved in vintage buying, we traveled to Philadelphia to pick out clothes from a giant warehouse where we found amazing pieces like a pink Chanel suit (which was the first thing we sold), sequin jackets and a perfect fur cape. Recently we have purchased most of the inventory from the estate sales of fashionable women in our area with quite extensive wardrobes. As we looked through the closets, we were so amazed by the pieces worn and the things that were in style. Many of the trends have rekindled, especially the 80's in this last season. We picked out boxy jackets and knit tanks from St. John, lots of denim, fur jackets and vests, brightly colored sweaters, and a variety of uncategorized but unique blouses. We even snagged some formal dresses like one that the owner wore to Reagan's Inaugural Ball.

To think of the life that has lived in these clothes...

I am thankful for these ladies who not only kept the clothes after all of these years, but also took excellent care of them. I am happy that we could give these clothes a new life in new homes of women who appreciate the styles. I think that when I keep my clothes, I hope it will come back so I can wear it again, but also so that I can pass the happiness of my clothes onto someone else.

But how do you decide what to keep, and what will be special in the future?

I am clearly unqualified to give this advice because I am awful at getting rid of clothes, but from gut instinct, this is what I have to tell you:

If you have the space and want to store clothes, here is what to keep:

1. Clothing from your favorite designers that aren't worn out

2. Really any designer clothing that is high quality (if your closet is not filled with designer items already)

3. Special occasion dresses

4. Quality classic pieces: denim jackets, blazers, trench coats, LBDs, button-up tops etc.

5. Fine jewelry

6. Unique items you don't think you will find again (EX: a green star print blouse with a built-in faux cape)

7. Things you want to pass on to your daughter (or granddaughter, or niece, or friend)

8. Truly sentimental items

9. Items you still love but don't wear right now

How to store:

If you're planning on storing items, make sure it is clean, folded and in a plastic zip storage bag or large trunk. For cashmere, silk and wool, make sure to keep extra care of these fabrics and store them in cotton storage bags with cedar planks or scented sachets. For furs, store them in colder temperatures like a garage or dark storage closet.

What to get rid of:

1. Anything ripped, stained, damaged or worn beyond repair

2. Clothing with bad memories

3. Fast-fashion items that you don't love anymore

4. Items you have never worn and don't really know why you bought them

5. Closet repeats you no longer need/love (EX: white tees, summer dresses, trendy jeans)

6. Party clothes only suited for college frat parties

In summary, keep the high-quality items you love that will survive the storage years, and toss anything that is low-quality and insignificant to your personal style.

Now that we have all of that covered, check out some of the cool vintage pieces that I have from the fabulous ladies who did not get rid of their clothes...

Vintage Guess Denim Jacket