But First, Wash It

I'm trying something new and that is to be very thoughtful in the purchases I make, especially in the clothing department.  I decided that when the bar in my closet started bending with all the clothes hanging on it, and I had use my body weight to hip check the dresser drawer shut thenI probably had enough clothes.  But, the question remains, do I have GOOD clothes?  By good clothes I mean versatile, staple pieces that are well-made and can complete multiple outfits.  I just did, in my opinion, a stellar job of cleaning out my closet (a post to come later) and faced reality-- what do I actually wear?  

Recently, on an impromptu shopping trip with my mom I made a purchase of a "good" piece of clothing.  It was a tank top that fit nicely, was a neutral color that could be worn with many different outfits, and was oh-so-soft.  I loved it!  After checking out, I said "Shoot! I should have got one in a couple other colors!"  I wore the top and a few days later I did laundry (ok, who am I kidding? I wore it twice and about a week and a half later I tackled the huge pile of laundry I was sick of looking at).  Since I loved my new tank top so much I wanted to take really good care of it and not put it in the dryer for fear of it shrinking.  Well, after taking it out of the washer I was surprised at how not oh-so-soft it was anymore and it seemed to have shrunk upward slightly.  I was a little disappointed, but also relieved that I didn't put it in the dryer and I didn't splurge on buying a whole bunch.  After the tank top dried I tried it on again, tugged on it a little bit to get it back to it's original length and love it just as much as the first day I bought it.  

So, what's the point of this story? Don't go crazy and buy a whole bunch of a piece of clothing that you love, at least not right away.  To make sure it's not a waste of money and that you love it more than just the day you bought it see how it washes and see how it looks with all the other clothes in your closet.  If you really love it after washing it and want more colors, then have at it!  As for the tank top I bought, I'll probably just stick with the one I bought and will get good use out of it but am glad didn't buy it in more colors.