Friday, July 23, 2010

Lace Handcuffs

My lingerie situation is a bit like Sal's shoe situation: joyfully abundant. I don't know how it is that my drawers teem ever with frillies (ha ha, get it?!) but I recently found myself in the unenviable, nay intensely unpleasant, position of being unable to find things because everything is a mush.

You know I'm not a hoarder. I'm not even a keeper. I look for any reason to pack something away, give something away, throw something away. And yet I am continually acquiring beautiful bras and matching undies. OK, not continually, but when you buy high-end, the stuff really wears well and lasts. And when you have a critical mass of sets, each one is worn so relatively infrequently (but often enough) that they soldier on indefinitely.

How can I justify turning away from a gorgeous, perfectly-fitting, makes-me-feel-fabulous bit of lingerie? And then, once close to my heart, literally, how can I justify throwing it away (cuz you really can't pass it on), simply to make room for other pieces?

Seriously, it's one of those stupendously bourgeois problems that keep me up at night.

I've even become stressy about how I will have space for my homemade wares - not that I have, at this point, any real reason to worry about that eventuality :-) Thing is, when I finally crack the code of the couture bra, I'm going to have to make them tous le temps. Vraiment.

I abhor clutter. On my tombstone they may put something like "Clutter did her in". I know that everything I buy, make, every wonderful gift I receive is a thing I will be responsible to love and maintain. It takes the edge off, let me tell you.

On a related, but side note topic, yesterday I went to World Sew and bought 3 yards of chocolate rayon jersey to make the Drape Drape no. 3 gather dress (which is coming along - at least on paper). No, it's not "super cheap in case I wreck it" (thanks Scott) but it is stretchy and I'm starting to have concerns about the tiny Asian slopers (i.e. pattern blocks) which form the basis of the dress size/proportion I'm about to make. I'm not even risking Large in a woven. I'm building in some ease :-)

Anyway, even as I was buying, I couldn't stop thinking about how much material I was taking on - never mind the finished product I will, sewing goddess willing, need to find a spot for in my fairly full wardrobe. I don't know how much fabric the dress is going to eat (I can't figure it out in Japanese), but I sure as hell don't want to be 90% of the way there and 6 inches short. Alas, that's fabric I have to store and look at until it's used up and what if I use up too much to have enough left over for something else but there's still too much to feel ok about discarding. The world's not getting any tidier.

OK, I can see I need to stop with this. PMS has me in its grip.

Point is, next post, I will tell you what I've done to resolve the lingerie organization crisis. It's not pretty - oh, who are we kidding, it's pretty!

Stay tuned. And tell me about your own underwear storage concerns, fiascos, scenarios etc. while we wait.

5 comments:

  1. Ah, a concern after my own heart. I shall look forward to the solution immensely ;-)

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  2. Oh, this is a perennial one for me, although my lingerie collection is unlikely to be anywhere near as extensive as yours. Over the last few years, I've tended to solve it by some domestic imperialism, setting up colonies in my husband's side of the storage space, purloining a drawer here, a shelf there. Now, unfortunately for my wardrobe, fortunately for our time together, he's left the job that kept him in another city during the week. In short, he's moved back home and he's bringing his clothes with him! So I look forward to your wardrobe solutions eagerly. Bring 'em on, please!

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  3. My lingerie drawer is a mess! Good thing is a lot of the handmade stuff doesn't fit anymore since I've lost weight. I just need to pitch it. And really, you'd be surprised at how quickly your cast-offs would get snatched up at a thrift store. I stuck some of my old bras in a yard sale a few years ago just to see if someone would buy and they all sold!

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  4. I used to have that problem in the lingerie drawer but with weight loss I haven't built up enough of a collection yet, and since I intend to lose more weight if I get myself motivated, I have invested in only a few things which I wear over and over so they get more wear and don't last as long. Someday I hope to have this problem again.

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  5. Stacey: Let me know what you think of my solution!

    Mater: I LOVE that comment.

    Heather: I'm sure that's true! I don't think getting rid of bras is so difficult. I'd take a pre-loved bra if it was in great condition and it fit.

    Mardel: No time like the present for rebuilding! (Within reason as the weight may change a bit.)

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