The rules were simple. Throw away anything you don’t wear, or that you don’t see yourself wearing again. Throw away anything that does not lend itself to your current personal style, or what your mind’s eye sees as your classic style.  Throw away anything you wore in order to fit in with a certain group, or for a boy. Throw away all things that are faded or look too old.

Then convene with your partner and take anything you’d like that the other girl has tossed, everything else gets thrown out!!

Perry, my neighbor and I had a few glasses of wine when we came up with the idea. Maybe this is what made it so  easy to toss the pieces of who I had been. As I dug through the closet, tossing out clothes, I began to feel fashion baptized. I let go of nostalgia. I let the ideas of my future direct me, the pieces of clothing that made me feel good, safe, most myself.

I chose items to sacrifice that I knew were more suited to Perry, a sheer floral printed blouse, an oatmeal colored cob-webbed shawl, a lacy lilac top. We gave each other carefully chosen presents from our closets, taken with glee and appreciation.

This inevitably led to  a fashion show, not to mention an embarrassing glance into each others past lives. We bonded over various skull and crossbones prints and held up band tees in a form of self deprecating amusement.

When it was all over and we sat on the floor in piles of dresses, skirts and tops, our golden glasses of wine raised triumphantly. As women true to our word we packed the rest back into our trash bags and made the way down to our buildings dumpster, flinging the bags in.

The next morning as I got dressed for work I admired the immaculate minimalism of my closet, the crisp folded turtlenecks, the beloved hanging dresses. I got ready and felt lighter in myself.

I was working as a hostess at a restaurant. It was the morning shift and rather slow. I stood behind the hostess stand thinking of how clear I felt, wondering if Perry felt as great and hopeful. My thoughts were broken as a twig-thin woman with a strutted towards the restaurant.

I immediately recognized the burgundy colored pants with black lace overlay as a Christmas present from my mother years ago. They were a size zero and I had never been able to squeeze into them. This lady was rocking tose pants. On top she wore a tee-shirt that read “So Fresh, So Clean.” I remembered it from the night before, when it had resulted in fits of laughter when Perry pulled it from her trash bag.

The woman dramatically approached my hostess stand and asked “Can I have some matches?” It was the same homeless woman who lolled this neighborhood day and night. She was having a very on day.

I handed over a fistful of matches and watched in awe and she sashayed out.

So… throwing out things you don’t need can be good for your closet and your psyche. And maybe your friends and who knows who else?