A few years ago I went shopping for a new skirt -- I needed one for a special occasion -- and the nice lady at J. Jill picked out a few for me to try on. Imagine my surprise when I tried one on that was EXACTLY THE SAME as one I had owned in 1979! Yes, it was the same circle cut, pseudo-suede, dirndl-waisted skirt, right down to the russet color. I was surprised it looked so good after all this time -- and how had it found it's way back from Goodwill, I wondered. But of course, it wasn't the exact skirt, just fashion's way of reinventing itself. Again.
Then this year the flat-heeled boot came into vogue, the kind you tuck your pants into, and I wanted a pair. And when I went shopping at Marshalls to find them, I knew them at first glance: they looked EXACTLY like a pair I had owned in the '80's. Which of course made me realize, I should never have gotten rid of them in the first place. And now I see that ballet flats are all the rage; yes, the same ballet flats I gave away ten years ago in favor of the kitten heels that had come into vogue.
All of which makes me wonder, why DO I keep getting rid of these things? Because there is nothing more annoying than buying the same article of clothing over and over again. If I hadn't tossed them in the first place, I could smugly pull them out of my closet now, looking very fashion-forward and feeling virtuous for having saved all kinds of money. Instead, I listened to the organizer people who counseled me to purge my closet of any item I hadn't worn in the previous twelve months. It seemed prudent advice, given that my closet is not that big, and that I persist in buying new clothing. And of course, it's impossible for me to predict which exact items I will need for my future fashionable self.
So it looks like I will continue to prune my wearable items, and continue the cycle of re-buying what I've already owned once. If only I had saved those stirrup leggings; I have no doubt they'll be back soon.
