Should You Archive It?

Archived: Sundress bought in London on my honeymoon, 2007.

Spring is finally here and as the morning sun gleams through our windows and the longer days start to hint to warmer weather, we begin to think about doing a seasonal clothing switch. Changing out those fall/winter items for our fresh spring/summer garments. Some women may have closets large enough to accommodate skipping a seasonal wardrobe switch and may prefer having all of their clothing displayed in their closet year-round, but I have always loved heading into my closet knowing that everything in there is an option to wear when I want to get dressed. So basically, no bulky knits or corduroy in August (yeh, I said corduroy), thank you very much.

A seasonal switch gives us a chance to look at our wardrobes and assess which garments proved to be our tried-and-true wardrobe staples, what items we loved wearing, even if sparingly, for a special event, and what clothing got left on the hanger or shoved to the top shelf in neglect. As we look through our wardrobes, the seasonal switch gives us the pause to decide what we will keep and what we’ll decide to let go. Seems simple enough. In fact, sounds like my idea of a good time. I can already see myself making a cup of tea or a pouring a glass of wine, playing chill music, and calling it “me time”.  Let’s head into the closet.

Wine poured, bags out, music on. You know the drill- pull everything out, blah blah, make separate piles, blah blah, blah. What to keep, donate, throw away, blah blah. We all know how to get rid of clothes. But what about the items that you love but no longer wear? THAT DRESS!? It’s not a donate. It’s NOT getting thrown away. And, it’s in GOOD condition (who are you convincing here, anyway??). In fact, you really love the garment and the thought of getting rid of it is making you break out in hives. Enter the warm wash cloth on your neck and dixie cup of apple juice as you realize you may have just passed out at the thought of saying goodbye to it. Too much history with this one. Get it together, sister. There’s an answer and it is a stylish one.

I came up with an idea a couple of years ago and I love it. In my home, I created The Archive. This is a small, hanging garment rack that I have renamed to match the respected purpose it serves. What gets archived from my wardrobe is not taken lightly but has helped me to keep my most special clothing pieces in a respectful, curated, and purposeful way. I like to think of myself as a museum curator.  Someone with that role wouldn’t just add anything into a museum archive. They wouldn’t choose to display any old item in a museum exhibition. They also don’t take up precious space storing things that don’t have upmost importance or relevance. It would be a waste of space, time, and resources. They only keep the best, the most precious, and the most meaningful. This makes it simple to make decisions on items that aren’t an easy keep, store, donate, or sell. Yet, you’re not sure what to do with it because you don’t wear it anymore.

Here’s an easy breakdown- If you don’t wear it and you don’t like it, you donate or get rid of it. If you like it and you wear it, you keep it. Now, if you love something and you don’t wear it, here’s where The Archive can be a beautiful tool to help you decide whether it stays or goes. Is this piece really special to you- representing a time, person, experience, or meaningful season of your life? Ask yourself, if someone was going to present a fashion exhibit about you, would you want them to put this garment on display in the exhibition? Does it tell the story of your life? When making this decision, be your own museum curator. Keeping something just because you like the color or because you spent a lot of money on it, does not make it archive worthy. See what I mean? Imagine you are attending a long-awaited exhibit at the MET Costume Institute in New York City and reading the caption under a designer dress that says, “The designer really only kept this piece because they spent a lot of time making it, and even though it really doesn’t represent their style, their life, or their story, we just felt bad giving it away to someone who might actually wear and enjoy it”. Redic.

Welcome to The Archive- a concise, curated hanging garment rack holding only select, precious pieces that have been lovingly worn and collected over the years. There are approximately ten to twelve pieces in The Archive. They may represent a big event, a season of my life, a past career, or a loved one. There is no space to waste in The Archive because my ability to store multiple items in this garment rack simply isn’t there. So, each piece that I select to be preserved in The Archive has to be a no-brainer, must keep. It must represent me and tell the story of my life. Remember, just “liking the piece” does not warrant a place in The Archive. It cheapens the curated collection and waters down your exhibit.

Let me know if you’ll give this a try. You will embark on a joyful journey deciding what you want to highlight from your life experiences through a series of garments. What garment do you currently own that you could move to your newly established Archive? I’d love to hear. Would you like to hear about garments that have earned a coveted place in in my curated Archive? Tell me in the comments below. Happy Spring, my stylish friends.