Respect the Frock, Tame the Garment

Right now I am in the middle of a massive spring clean. The focus is my closet (the three out of four

You can't see my face but I assure you I'm exasperated!

in the house I dominate) because I am clotheshorse.

We use the term "clotheshorse" in our society because of the image it evokes: a smartly-dressed woman sitting on the floor of a well-organized walk-in closet. She is surrounded by shopping bags, her mouth is agape but mirthful, her eyes are wide as she coyly looks to the side. She is dangling a high-heeled shoe from her forefinger. She is just exasperated by her good taste! Or maybe her mouth is open in a scream because she is about to drive that shoe into her brain to escape crippling credit card debt.

We should really just use the word "hoarder" but we don't like the images that evokes. Those are scary images you don't buy at the mall. It's an image of me trapped under the weight of a thousand leopard print cardigans in varying color palettes for variety, duh.

I hoard because I have a visceral reaction to clothing and accessories. Clothing makes my heart stop, it makes me gasp in delight, it makes or breaks my day.  I have the same physical reaction when it's time for something to go but as I alluded to above: if you live by what you hoard, you die by what you hoard.

Here are 23 pieces I gave away and continue to mourn:

skull & heart print button down by Luella Bartley for Go International Target

those earth-toned vintage tapestry pants

that green sheath dress from the 60's with broken zipper (I stapled it together to wear) that I got for 5 bucks at Old Hat

brown & pink plaid pants from A&F

off-white cashmere cardigan with elbow patches from A&F (worn with plaid pants)

green cargo pants from A&F

wrap-around skirt made from a Disney's Beauty and The Beast printed bed sheet from UO's Urban Renewal collection

two pairs of Juicy Couture jeans

two pairs of 7 for all Mankind jeans

that floral yellow pink and red vintage sheath

a No Doubt Tragic Kingdom ringer tee bought at Wild Planet

vintage denim patchwork maxi skirt

green plaid dress from Target

that vintage inspired black and white dress from Nordie's Rack

long-sleeved Bruce Lee shirt

a pink trenchcoat

a gray leopard print trenchcoat from F21

two pairs (red and gray) of pointed toe slingbacks from Old Navy

mint green vintage cheongsam

navy blue Sailor Moon T-shirt from Miller's Outpost