My closets are full of too many clothes – more than I could comfortably enjoy. It’s because I have grown attached to too many things in my life, really. So I started to collect things up. Sweaters, t-shirts that I never wear any longer, t-shirts with graphic designs printed on them (including band tour shirts). Dress shirts that have seen better days. Sport coats I thought I would like and never wore. Henley shirts that I am not young enough to attempt to enjoy. I will donate everything that is close to new and dispose of the rest – pairing my wardrobe down. For some items I will replace with high-quality items like Mercer & Sons OCBD shirts, cashmere classics, etc. Any jeans that have started to look ragged are gone. Too many jackets as well. And shoes… I’ll keep two pairs of athletic shoes (one all white and new, the other Scarpa for yard work). All the older monk strap shoes, gone. My Steve Jobs New Balance sneakers – gone. I’ll keep a few pairs of the loafers I already own and add perhaps a pair of Gucci 1953. Shorts, bathing suits, etc. All paired down. Simplify. Remove the extra cruft around the edges. Start replacing things I purchased with higher-quality items. Pare down my watch collection considerably. I only really need one, but I’ll keep perhaps up to three pieces… and while doing that replace a gold grail watch with the same brand but in a much more legible and less pronounced model. I have cabinets full of bath & shower supplies left over from my search for favorite items – expunge all that and settle in on a core collection of those.
Cooking has been a nice way for me to escape the doldrums of life, and I will continue to explore the culinary arts. Higher quality ingredients and recipes. Branch out even more in the pursuit of the new, wholesome, and the exotic. Grind my own coffee beans more often (less of the electric grinder). More all-natural things while staying away from chemicals and processed anything. I’ve done well in that regard, but make it more important in my life.
Simplify, replace, and renew.
I think that it’s time.