#97 “Don't ever throw clothes away or give them away
or sell them. Give them to your sisters.”
I saw this
beautiful night photo of the Austin skyline on FaceBook and had to share.
There’s a bag of nice
clothes sitting in the dinning room that I intend to take to my daughters-in-law,
even though I know they probably won’t want the items in that bag. They are in
their 30’s-40’s and I’m 65. They wear much smaller sizes then I. They haven’t surrendered to elastic-waist pants yet. But
mom’s #97 demands that I at least try.
My daughter has already gone through the items and picked out a couple of things,
probably just to make me feel good. My
sisters and I barely give a
damn about clothes at this stage of our lives. There was a time, however,
when my wardrobe was very important. A time when how I looked somewhat defined
my capabilities and my standards. I was on that ladder to success, in heels. Figuring
out how to look classy on a budget was a major focus.
One of the fun-est wardrobe/budget-stretching ideas I
ever came up with was a “clothing swap” party. Most of my gal-friends were also
on that ladder and pinching pennies to look professional. They bought high-end
suits that were too expensive to give away, but they were tired of wearing the
same three suits every week. So I invited them to bring
their suits, purses, jewelry and shoes over to my house to do some high-end swapping. I served
Champagne and snacks as each gal arranged her barter items in a small area. The first 30-40 minutes were spent just checking out each mini-boutique of
offerings. Then, lubricated by bubbly, the negotiations began.
Some sold items for great
prices, some swapped, and what was left over was donated to the Center for
Battered Women. Everyone left with at least one “really good deal,” or
something they truly loved. Lots of gals got to know each other better
(negotiating tends to take conversations to a whole different level), and fun was had by all.
So mom was right, don’t
throw away clothes, get your “sisters” together and give them the gift of new
clothes and new friendships.
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This is one of my favorite memories of my grandmother. Every time we were together, she'd take me shopping for clothes. Then, we'd go home and she'd rummage through her closet (which was bulging with so much clothing, pieces fell off hangars and puddled on the floor). We spent time sorting through dresses and I'd try on several, with hats. She'd take photos of me and then, tell me to pick a couple for myself. Other memories include the three older Wade Sisters gathering over sugared iced tea (or Coca-Cola) to trade pieces of clothing with one another. It was a sort of clothing celebration and I loved watching. I still feel a connection with my grandmother, mother and aunt by sharing clothes.
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