The Great Purge Continues

Did you ever just fall deeply, madly, truly in love with a material possession, to the point that your devotion and attachment to said possession was even a little perturbing to you? Yeeeah, that was me with my Misfits hoodie. I've always been picky, but once I find something I love, I'll wear it to death. This hoodie was no exception. My mom bought it for me as a "you're-going-to-colllege" gift for $40 at Hot Topic, and I wore it for the duration of my BA until my mom noticed the holes in the elbows and it magically disappeared. I assumed she'd thrown it out. Man, I loved that thing.

Sidenote: my friend Sara is a first-class photobomber.

As some of you may know, I've been downsizing my collections and closet. I've always been a bit tidy and fussy, but lately I've reached this point where all of the clutter surrounding me feels extra-annoying, and I've gone on a major purging spree. At first I thought I was just frustrated because a lot of my lipstick colors didn't suit me and most of my jeans didn't fit me anymore, but over the past few weeks, I've realized that I'm entering a new phase in my life. I'm done with school. I'm almost 25. I'm emotionally prepared to completely move out of my parents' house and never move back in. It's time I got rid of the stuff I wore in high school.

I got rid of 6 pairs of jeans, none of which fit me perfectly anymore, and 5 dresses, most of which still fit me, but just weren't my style anymore. I'm at a point where I've had to stop buying semi-formal dresses because I almost never have an occasion to wear them. (Ugly old maxi dresses, though...)

But you can't teach an old dog new tricks. When I was finished cleaning out my closet (and ended up with 2 big bags full of stuff to donate), I decided to clear off the landing.

And sort through the stuff in the basement.

And check old bins and bags.

Because everybody does that at 3am.

And now I'm planning on replenishing my wardrobe with lots of weird, ugly stuff that's more "grown up me," which may defeat the purpose of reducing in the first place, but my closet is so naked. D:

ANYWAY. I realized that some of the things I was planning to give away could actually be given new life. I could rip them up, sew random shit back on, and stud them to death. I mean, that is my usual style. And if I somehow manage to re-teach myself how to use a sewing machine, that'll be even better!

And one of the things I found hidden in the basement, back in a corner where my mother had apparently cast it off and left it to die?

THE HOODIE.

Seriously, you guys, I squealed when I saw this. I still can't believe my mom kept it around instead of throwing it out; by the time I graduated college, she outright hated that thing.

Now, I could've worn it as-is. I stubbornly continued to wear it even when it had rips in the elbows, and I kind of like rips in my clothing. No big. But that just didn't feel right. It didn't feel very ME circa 2012.

So I just cut the shit out of it.

SLEEVELESS, BABY!

Now I'm just waiting for some studs to arrive so I can bling it out. I'm not 100% sure WHERE I'm going to stud it--probably back across the shoulders and up the one side of the hood, if I can manage it--but I know I'm going to avoid covering up the awesome bone patterns.

Yes, I'm a 24-year-old woman who still loves skulls and bones. You can't change everything.