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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,835
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

[ Edited ]




 

Thanks @Susan Louise ...   I just emailed the Social Team and received confirmation of refund!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,910
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket


@Shanus wrote:

Just a few words about Side Stitch:  My love with it started with a white shirt I purchased many years ago on a reduced price. The fabric feels like silk and that shirt looks like the day I got it although I bet I wear it almost twice a week and washed many times. 

 

Sometimes an expensive item, like a cashmere sweater, my NYDJ jeans or a special jacket makes YOU feel special...Not because of the price  (I always wait for a sale), but it may be the fabric against your skin, the way it fits like a glove or just how you feel when you look in the mirror wearing it. Those items in my closet are priceless. 

 

I try to collect only those "special" items to add to my basic wardrobe. I've followed that method of tossing out anything that I don't absolutely love, looks great on me NOW (not waiting to fit into or too big and loose) and although it sounds weird...items that bring me joy.

 

Life's too short to have a closet overflowing with clothes just to have something to wear or never worn. I'd rather have 1/4 as much that I always wear, even repeat twice or three times a week changing the belt or tucking in the shirt or leaving it out. Maybe it's age that makes me appreciate "good" things....doesn't mean expensive pieces, but rather items that aren't just there to fill my closet...8 white tees when I always went to the same 3 that fit great and looked the best. The other 5 are out. What's the point? 

 

Over the last year, staying home a lot, gave me time to think about this, not just clothing, but all over the house...I was able to go through books, things taking up space on book shelves just to fill up the shelves....It's all gone. 

 

It's so good to love or have an attachment to everything here..antiques from my family on the shelves, kitchen counters cleared of clutter and only what I need to cook/prepare meals every day. I've done our bathroom and pared down all the linens to just what we use, my makeup/skincare, finally all styling products and shampoos I didn't like are gone, the closet once filled with meds, bandaids, outdated Tylenol, cough syrup....cleared out and now we can find what we need. My studio is the last frontier and the most dificult.  

 

When I look around, I feel more comfortable with only clothing, objects and cookware that have meaning and/or are useful on a regular basis like my Side Stitch items. 


@Shanus - It is my dream to do what you did! I was all excited when we first went into quarantine and things lightened up for me. I was finally going to be able to do something at home. Then things didn't go the way I hoped. I was in pretty good shape before, but I came down with a severe case of sciatica. Then I was carrying too many water bottles, tripped, and fell, and injured my right shoulder. You could draw a line down the middle of my body- the left half is fine, and I deal with constant pain on the right side! 

 

Anyway - If you get some time could you elaborate more on how you went about this, maybe in a new post? Did you decide on one area at a time? I know there are lots of tips out there; I'd just like to know YOURS!  Smiley Happy

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,056
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

[ Edited ]

@beach-mom   I'm sorry you've had so many difficulties during our time quarantined. I'd be happy to give you a  hints that helped me organized.

 

My closet was the easiest. I already had for many years  a "wardrobe" in a mostly limited, neutral palette....black, white, grey and jeans....all 4 seasons. I added olive, medium blue and pale pink (very few pieces) as accents over the last few years. These were mostly sweaters or tees. So, that eliminated all brown, tans in clothing, shoes, jackets, etc. Especially when my hair was grey about 4 years ago, anything in those colors didn't look great on me, so anything I was holding onto...gone. I had already started purchasing only good pieces and less, so adding the same was not too difficult.

 

I created a "curated" wardrobe by not purchasing anything not special, expertly tailored, fit well and made me feel great when I wore it. If was expensive, Iwaited for a sale. For example, if it was black pants, the new ones went in the closet and one pair that was iffy went out. So, it went until I accumulated 4 pair of great fitting black  pants...2 winter weight (3 season weight for NC) and 2 pr. of lighter weight, chino, casual style. I have one pr. of dressy black slacks. I eliminated the total of 12 ill-fitting pair of black pants I had and rarely wore. This went for all categories of clothing from shoes, to tees, to blouses, to jackets (the most expensive undertaking). Keep in mind, doing this you're actually shopping and purchasing less, so over a few years of being selective, I was finished and had only items I loved. Now I occasionally add pieces that are special to me in style or fabric and in my main color palette. I can go in my closet and dress easily. My daily "uniform" is jeans and a tee (long or short sleeve) and I add a a jacket...a lightweight one like the side stitch, my black  leather biker jacket (had it for 10 years), jean jacket or black tailored blazer....only have 2, one linen and one wool. I add my always presnet pearls from my granmother, a few silver chains, some with charms, an arm full of silver bangles with my watch and my wedding rings...all on my left hand/arm...nothing on right...a habit from art school.

 

In the rest of the house, I had a head start. We had workmen here to repair water damage both floors and the entire house was painted inside about 6 months ago (?). That meant packing up everything breakable (they'e be moving china cabinets and free standing shelving, anything on tables or dressers. ,  Pictures came down, my wrought iron pot rack over the cook top that held ALL my pots (had the opportunity to discard those I never used) and had to clear out kitchen drawers of duplicate bowls and casserole dishes, mismatched mugs and anything chipped collected over 50 years of marriage. If I didn't use it regularly, love it, need it, could do without it...they went in separate boxes marked donate. I needed the space to store pots/pans. The pot rack would not be going back up. All the clutter on counters (canisters w/ flour...went into the pantry in Lock "n Locks), tables, shelves were evaluated before returning to its place. Even if it was a wedding gift, came from "Aunt Sally", but I never used it or liked it...OUT. All my silver wedding gifts that had been packed away and never used, I'm definitely not a formal person, were sold. So were most of the the formal entertaining "things" inherited by my mom and grandmother. It's tough to let go of memories, but I never used these things, didn't like them they would end up in an estate sale going to strangers anyway.  Thinking of it that way made it a bit easier, less painful. Of course, my adult kids went through everything first and took what they wanted.  YOU NEED TO GO EVERYTHING BEING RUTHLESS. I only saved my beautiful art books, coffee table books and hardcover books I thought I may read again. Torn dust jackets came off making them look neater, paperbacks were discarded. 

 

Bathroom was easy because out of date and backups I no longer used (lotions, etc.), outdated meds, too many duplicate boxes of bandaids were combined....and on it went. Makeup was decluttered on a fairly regular basis. Linen closets were narrowed down to 2 sets of linens to each of the 3 bedrooms upstais rarely used....towels upstairs gone through and limited, too. Master bedroom/bath downstairs. Our linen closet also had sheets/towels given to the  animal shelter with old beach towels, blankets we don't use since now since have a comforter, old bedspreads, etc.

 

It's a major job of clearing out, room by room, of what you don't need because you have excess, duplicates, no longer has meaning or never liked it, out lived it's usefulness (like my bread machine bought 20 yrs. ago when it was the fad...out!). All framed photos of the kids and grandchildren were reduced to 3 recent ones of each and the rest out of frames and stored in boxes. Shelves were cluttered with baby photos and they're 8 and 12 now. All shelves and surfaces now have only books, photos and "treasures" like collected pottery or things purchased on trips that I loved. 

 

The biggie was jewelry...an ongoing project. I sold most of my gold jewelry except several pieces I loved since I wear white metals now. I had many silver earrings, chains, bracelets,watches that were broken, I no longer liked...sold. My large statement necklaces and any other costume bulky jewelry accumulated through the years went to the local theatre comapny.

 

The rule, for me, was if I had not used or worn it in over a year, had no use for it or it had no real sentimental value, we sold it, donated it or the kids took it. We're looking towards downsizing if DH will ever sell his practice. We have no use for a house this size...There are many unused rooms now, a lot of money for upkeep.

 

 

Target has great storage bins for "maybes" or extras to keep stacked in closets, under he bed, so there is no clutter to be seen.

 

 

 

See below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of why "THE BIG CLEAN OUT", is because when the house is shown/sold, it needs to look spacious, not jammed full closets, drawers, garage, etc. 

 

OK, this turned into a novel, but hope I gave you some ideas and how to look at items to make it easier to toss them or keep them. certainly ask more questions if I missed anything you'd like to know.

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,053
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

CLEARANCE SALE PRICE:$51.89

64% Off the QVC Price
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,775
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

I have this jacket in green & wear it all the time.  I own 5 side stitch shirts & 2 jackets.  Four shirts are from as is.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,910
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

@Shanus - I'm so thankful you wrote your "novel"! It did help! 

There are a few areas where we are similar. I too have mostly neutral colors in my closet too, with a few colors mixed in. It's black in cool months and navy in warm for the most part. I have been a little more adventurous since discovering QVC! But I have a LOT of good black pants, and I think my days of needing that many are over! I even have one favorite pair that have a rip at the waist. I like them so much I just wear a top that covers it. I need to part with them!

 

As far as the dining room goes, I grew up in the South with relatives who entertained regularly, and formally! Of course now I have everything. I used to do that too, but DH was never that crazy about it. He likes having people over, but not for sit-down dinners! It is hard for me to part with dishes and silver, etc. They tell my family's story. 

 

The kitchen is another area. I have a pot rack over the island. I like your idea about donating the ones I don't use. My kitchen looked a lot different before I had to have EVERY gadget QVC offered! Some are great, but some I need to part with.

 

 

Thank you again for your tips- they helped!  Smiley Happy

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,598
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

[ Edited ]

@SharkE wrote:

CLEARANCE SALE PRICE:$51.89

64% Off the QVC Price

@SharkE @Susan Louise 

OK that did it.  At that price I can't resist any more. Just ordered the Woodland Olive.  I can't help it, I just looove jackets.

"Breathe in, breathe out, move on." Jimmy Buffett
Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,053
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Re: Side Stitch utility jacket

LOL I know the feeling

 

 

tee hee, tee hee