How to avoid regrets after a closet purge…Part 2

Pamela Lutrell at Becker Vineyard on over 50 feeling 40

Happy Friday, ladies! This is Part 2 of how to avoid regrets after a closet purge.

On yesterday’s post, I discussed one of my regrets, and why I let go of other garments. 

Today, I am going to explain why I kept certain garments.  Like the topper/kimono I am wearing in the photo above. 

Some of you know how I feel about Purple!  And I love the colors in this topper and even love the flowy, easy fit of it. The design keeps it from being unflattering.  One of my favorites. 

LESSON #7:  LOOK CLOSELY AT THE GARMENTS WHICH ARE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS BEFORE TOSSING.  SOMETIMES THOSE COLORS ARE NOT EASY TO COME BY.

Pamela Lutrell in jacket from Dillards on over 50 feeling 40

Yes, this jacket is memorable and I have worn it often around San Antonio.  However, remember LESSON #1?  Keep what you love?

I do love this jacket and plan to style it with denim….which I have never done. I also think I will go for shorter necklaces too!

LESSON #8:  LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO STYLE PIECES YOU LOVE AND HAVE OWNED FOR A LONG TIME.

Pamela Lutrell in artisan jackets

This Is an artisan, unique statement jacket.  It is silk and I love it.  I previously would wear it for casual Fridays.  I would not be able to purchase a jacket like this because it is expensive. 

It speaks to my creative side.

LESSON #9:  KEEP HIGH END PIECES UNTIL ABSOLUTELY SURE (No Doubts) YOU WILL NO LONGER WEAR….ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT FIT WELL AND ARE UNIQUE.

Pamela Lutrell in printed cardigan for fall

I thought about this one for a while only because I have owned it several years and worn it often.   It is also longer…

But, I like it.  It says Texas to me, and it is very comfortable.  It is a casual piece I can leave the house in and feel confident.

I originally purchased it at Nordstrom Rack for about $20…so my cost per wear with this one has been very low.  I can think of many ways to continue to style it.

I think I would have regrets if I had tossed this one in the recent purge. 

LESSON #10:  EVEN WITH OLDER PIECES, IF YOU LIKE THEM AND FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEM, THEN KEEP THE GARMENT AROUND A LITTLE LONGER!  ESPECIALLY IF IT IS IN GOOD CONDITION.

Trench coats and animal prints never go out of style.  Both of these are very inexpensive garments…

The top one is a Goodwill Find, and the bottom was found on a Kohl’s clearance rack!  I wear this coat a lot and would definitely miss it were it to be gone.

LESSON #11:  KEEP DESIGNS THAT NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE, ESPECIALLY NEUTRALS, IF THEY FIT YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE WELL AND SAY WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO SAY ABOUT YOU! (AND ARE IN GOOD CONDITION)

THE JURY IS STILL OUT

I do own quite a few pieces which I am still considering tossing.  This topper is one I have worn often and I still like it!  However, if you look at me from the rear…it is not a flattering look.

I do not do well with the high/low hemlines…the derriere shot is just not good. I wanted to show you an example of a garment I love, but perhaps should not keep because of fit.

I asked a fashion expert once what his best advice was for women over 50, he said, “Get a three way mirror and use it every day before leaving the house!”  OK…I get it.

I kept this sweater blazer by Eileen Fisher because some days I like it and some days I don’t.  I do not like it in this picture and this garment may no longer be me.

It is boxy, but it is a color I like and I do like this type of garment with denim.  I did not want to regret giving it away…so I kept it longer. 

I will see If I wear it this year at cooler weather times.  If not, it may be headed out the door.

LESSON #12:  HAVE A PLACE IN YOUR CLOSET TO HANG THE QUESTIONABLE ITEMS YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT…THEN WAIT A LITTLE LONGER TO ASSESS.

I could do this all day…only because I am a blogger I have many images of what I wear.  However, I tried to select images you could learn from and perhaps look at your own wardrobe with a similar eye.  I do hope this helps. 

Please share your thoughts!

I was scheduled today to do a wrap up of what I have learned about “elegance.”  Then, this topic came up…please join me next Friday for the Elegance Wrap Up post.

KEEP SMILING, AND HAPPY WEEKEND!

 

UPDATE ON THE COMMENTS:  My talented web designer has worked with the code and the issues some were having with the comments should be fixed now!  

Michaels 

Etsy

J Crew

Kohl’s

Chico’s

JJill

Talbots

Lands End

Nordstrom

Nordstrom Rack

Home Depot

Lowes

Bed Bath & Beyond

Best Buy

Academy

Rack Room Shoes

Kirklands

Ulta

Sephora

Target

Walmart

Williams & Sonoma

MY COMPLEXION LOVES CHAMONIX…KEEPING ME YOUTHFUL!  Currently, running a FALL SPECIAL, BUY TWO, GET TWO FREE!

Chamonix on Over 50 Feeling 40

All natural, plant-cell technology skincare

 

 

By Pamela Lutrell

 

 

15 Comments

  1. i adore the top photo, the ruana with the pink/red/lavender tones….
    and Thank You for those tips, i really need to do a cold blooded purge, but every time i set foot in that closet , it seems overwelming. not to mention to current state of things, i get too sad thinking some of this stuff may not see the light of day ever again.
    it does seem some of my oldest pieces are such favorites.

  2. Hi Sheryl, I would make a little place in your closet for items you love today. Don’t think what if I never wear them again, think how can I wear them differently or I will have them when I have special occasions ahead. Playing “what if” will rob our joy…don’t give into it. Live with joy one day at a time and keep what you love today…especially if these are garments that make you smile!

  3. LIke all your pictures. Especially the black and white ruana,keep it. Looks good to me. The burgundy blazer sweater I would pass on. It might look better on someone else.Really like the one you say looks like texas to you. I have seen some beautiful jackets and short coats made from Pendelton fabric. But too hot for Fla’s weather .Yours doesn’t look as if the fabric was too warm! Stay well and keep safe.

  4. I am putting off a big purge because I’m not sure if I will be working part time post Covid, or what other activities I might be engaged in. Doing it now feels like a huge opportunity for regret. Right now I’m doing some mini purges. That might make the “big one” less overwhelming. While I don’t want a capsule wardrobe, I was wondering if some of their theories might help my own purge. As in, there are only 365 days in a year, and if you are going to wear something only a time or two a year due to having so many, have those things earned a place in the closet? So maybe I decide on a number for a certain garment, and purge down to my favorite 15 sweaters? Otherwise, I’m afraid I will fall into that trap I see of retired people wearing the same clothes for decades, trying to wear them out. That is its own kind of waste, if someone else could wear and enjoy it.

  5. Thanks Susan…yes that cardigan is much lighter than Pendleton garments. We do not have extreme cold too often..like you!

  6. A lot of thought went into these two posts and I thank you for that. Such great ideas. I love that topper in the first picture, so flattering. Your love of purples is there for a reason, it looks great on you. With the necklace debate, since my tummy has gotten a bit ‘softer’, my necklace length has gotten shorter to sit about mid chest to draw that attention UP. I have done a few myself and sent a few to the jeweller and am so glad I did. What a difference.
    I am so glad to hear that someone else is willing to keep items to be very sure before getting rid of them. Also, the three way mirror is the sure fire way to know what other see as we walk away, and has made a few decisions for me. One last thing, I agree with Linda M. that I too don’t want to be that person that wears the same thing over and over and over just to wear it out like some of my dearly departed relatives. Thanks for this Pam.

  7. Hey Pam – great post! Definitely seeing myself getting in my closet this weekend! Some of the comments remind me of my grandmother – “Granny” was born in 1912 and her whole life she “made do”. With 11 children she had to make clothes and aprons and whatever else she could from “flour sacks” and made quilts from the scraps. It was a family joke (meant in a loving way, of course) that if you gave her anything “nice” for her birthday or Christmas or Mother’s Day, it went into her “good clothes” drawer – in case she went to the “horse-pital” (hospital – that’s the way she said it!) When she passed there were DOZENS of items of clothing from over the years with the tags still on them in her “good clothes” drawer…. and she wore patched and faded dresses and aprons til they literally fell apart. I loved her for that “make do” spirit and knew that coming up the way she did and living through the Depression was the reason behind it. But it always made me sad that she didn’t enjoy her “good clothes” while she could. So as much as I admired and loved my Granny, I choose not to wear something til it literally falls apart and will enjoy all the things I have in my closet after retirement. And yes, I will follow your example and have a Closet Purge! It’s time!

  8. I’m behind & haven’t even read Pt 1 yet but had to pop in to say that purple topper in the first picture is absolutely gorgeous on you. Everything you’re modeling here is stunning (love that saucy leopard!), with 2 exceptions, & one thing that jumps out at me in all the pictures here is how flattering V necks are on you. I’d ditch that short black & white topper — you’re going to be self-conscious about your “rear view” every time you put it on now & to my inexpert eye those wide horizontal bands hit you right where very few of us need additional width 🙂 The EF sweater blazer isn’t horrible or anything but I don’t feel the colour or the boxy style add anything to the conversation. I still have a few things like that in my own closet: they’re not a clear “heck no!” & they’re not a “wow yes!” & I keep them because there’s nothing bad enough with them to justify (in my mind) getting rid of them. It’s a mind-set I’m working VERY hard to eradicate. Even after numerous purges I still have plenty of clothing in my closets for my casual lifestyle & I don’t need these uninspired — & uninspiring — betweeners. What a great series! Now let me go & read Pt. 1 🙂

  9. Purging a closet is so good for us.
    I have taken a few bags to the thrift store.
    My problem is I have some too good things that should go to the consignment store.
    I just need to make myself go there!
    I did a good clean out in April when we were first locked down.
    But now I need to do it again with summer things.

  10. On my blog today I wrote about some of the pieces that have been in my wardrobe for several years and why I keep them. I concluded this way, “What makes an item an enduring one? Timeless pattern and style, good quality, good fit, versatility, and perhaps most important of all, it has to be something that you love and that you don’t grow tired of!”

  11. You have definitely made good choices for your keepers. Thank you for sharing the criterias you used. They are all helpful points of view. On your undecideds you give two reasons why you feel you should give it away the blue and white one but I think you like the print too much . It looks like it is made from one piece of fabric so perhaps you could repurpose it into pillows, placemats or even frame one of the large designs. The EF sweater you say you like some days and not others. I think it needs one of your gorgeous bright coloured necklaces. brooches or scarves to spice it up and then it would be a keeper. I’ve always liked both of the polka dot jackets on you, the one you kept and the one you wish you had.
    I wish I could purge right now while we have lots of home time but am still working out thyroid hormone therapy so have three wardrobes in my closet and really hope it will not be the largest one I”ll have to keep.

  12. Oh, I thought it was just me and my lack of computer savvy that was somehow blocking the comment section. You look wonderful! Your new clothing style shows your off trim figure instead of hiding it. Keep up the good work, I enjoy your posts!

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