While I was growing up on the farm, my clothes consisted of three categories: everyday, which included old jeans and shirts that absorbed the ‘barn smell’, a combination of cows, manure and hay odors; school skirts, blouses, sweaters and jeans plus a good dress for Sunday church and special occasions. Jackets and coats were divided in a similar manner.
Mom washed our clothes on Mondays so we didn’t change often. Baths were taken on Saturday nights–the rest of the week, we washed-up in the kitchen sink at the end of the day.
After I became a housewife and started sewing my clothes, I made a couple of shirtwaist dresses to wear at home to follow the example set by mothers portrayed on TV. That didn’t last long–I wasn’t comfortable. I went back to the similar divisions from my childhood: everyday jeans and tops; a good pair of pants, a shirt or sweater and a blazer that I wore working as a reporter, shopping in the city or socializing plus a good dress.
It’s difficult to change my ways, but I’m trying. I recently took the necklace Ken gave me about fifteen years ago to the jewelry store where he purchased it. Their repair department replaced the small clasp that matched the fine chain with a larger fastener that’s easier for these old fingers to manipulate. Now, I wear the pendant, a sapphire inside a circle of small diamonds, every day instead of letting it languish in its box waiting for a dress-up occasion. I admire it every time I pass a mirror.
Although, I now spend most of my time at home, I’m trying to make myself wear the clothes that I’ve been saving. After all, one of these days, someone will be cleaning out my closet and donating them to a resale shop.
Do you divide your clothes and accessories into categories or wear them every day?