Day 143 of 365 - Chockablock Cardigans

Currently, I have 16 cardigan or similar type sweaters hanging in one of the closets where we keep extra and non-seasonal clothes.  My collection now includes four shrugs (the short sleeve type of cardigan you wear with a dress or sleeveless top), and a dozen long sleeve cardigans.  The materials range from synthetic to cotton blends to wool blends.  The color range includes off white, beige, taupe, pink, fuchsia, coral, teal, red, navy and black.

In the past, I only owned a few basic cardigans in beige, navy and black.  They were mainly worn over collared shirts with tailored pants for my career days.  Since I have not been working for sometime now, my wardrobe has shifted from business casual to mainly yoga wear, T-shirts, and jeans except for dressy occasions which are few and far between.

How did I end up with so many cardigans?  In the past year or so, when friends have purged their closets they were offered to me along with many other items of clothing.  As I have lost quite a bit of weight in that time, it was a blessing to be given so many nice clothes so that I did not need to purchase too many new things.

I've always had a pretty basic, affordable wardrobe.  For a long time I've aspired to having better quality, coordinated items.  It has always been a 'maybe someday' kind of thing, when I might have extra money to do a complete overhaul.  Now, it seems to have happened rather spontaneously as a gift over time.  I have very nice items now, from casual to dressy and have not actually purchased many of them at all.

The other thing that I have tended to put off is wearing those nice things which I have.  I think it has to do with a mentality of 'keeping things for good', meaning only special occasion wear so that they would last.  This comes from growing up in a large family where there was not money for 'fancy' clothes.  Our mother sewed a lot of clothes for the girls and we did not have a lot of extras until we were old enough to earn money to buy them.

So now that I'm an almost senior, I think it's time to give myself permission to wear my colorful cardigans whenever I like.  It's not like I'll be saving them for someone, and I'm unlikely to wear them out at this stage of life.

Until I get into a habit of choosing nicer items for everyday wear, I'll have to make a daily practice of asking myself what else that I have which would perk up my basic items.  It should not matter whether I'm going out that day or just staying home.

So, I have a new assignment for myself this week, to do just that.  Oh, and by the way, I also have a new rule.  For every new to me item given or purchased now, something else which is unused has to go out.  I will be taking a bag to Goodwill tomorrow.  Tough love combined with self love.

At the tail end of this dreary winter, I expect my plan will brighten my days and, my sense of vitality.

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