Spring Cleaning, Kimono Style

In the tradition of April showers bringing May flowers, getting my wardrobe ready for spring turns me into a mean, green, fashion machine! With typhoon-like force, I toss clothes out of my closets and drawers and watch them land into seemingly haphazard piles. One side of the room is strewn with my "lifetime" clothes, like the navy blazer I'd never dream of parting with. Onto the other side, I hurl "see ya next season" duds, like my sweet foxy sweatshirt that got nowhere near enough wear this winter.

The bulk of the debris winds up somewhere in the middle, in the "what was the reason I bought that?" pile. These pieces require deliberation before they're boxed up, hung up, or donated. I ask myself (or Ruby, who unintelligibly squeals her opinions) whether the garment can be re-cute-ified with a new outfit combo. Sometimes, it just takes a couple of strategic snips to resurrect a stale piece of clothing. I chopped off the bottom of one sweater and made it a very on-trend crop-top. But, I have to accept that some garments simply don't work in my wardrobe. (My striped blazer was one casualty. Cute? Yes. But overflowing with styling possibilities? Not really.)  My strategy for borderline attire: make a clean break. Fold it up, put it in the donate bag, and don't look back. To cope with the initial anxiety from possibly parting with a valuable garment, I remind myself that I love shopping. A suitable, even better replacement is just waiting to be bought! In fact, my desire to refill my closets sometimes tips the scale on a questionable garment's fate. . .if I get rid of Shirt X, I guess I'll have to buy Shirt Y, right? One (or three) hours later, the room is leaner and cleaner. Yay!

I rewarded myself for my recent green deeds with a trip down the aisles of the Goodwill. Armed with an upcycled skirt and dress Tarjay, I spotted this amazing mini-kimono. I'm loving the gold trim, bell sleeves, and pretty oriental pattern. I paired it with skinnies and headed out to a fun dinner with my girls. So, what's your spring cleaning system?

Kimono: Goodwill; Tank: Old Navy; Jeans: Gordmans; Purse: Vintage; Shoes: Macy's

My husband calls these my "good butt jeans." I bought these jeans years ago for just $4!

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