Pant categorization
I just thought of a new system for categorizing my pants and thus making it easier to get dressed and organize my wardrobe. It is really quite simple – I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. Oh wait. I didn’t do it sooner because I have lived as a student/Mom of young children for so long I either a) had very few pants so no need to categorize beyond clean vs not clean and b) I didn’t have the time or energy to care about what I wore.
So this is my new method:
1. Pants that are uncomfortable but look okay on me. I wore those today. Examples include slightly high waisted khaki capris.
2. Pants that are comfortable but don’t look okay. Examples include velour lounge pants and sweats.
3. Pants that are uncomfortable and don’t look okay. Examples would be anything that my mother sends me.
4. Pants that are comfortable and look okay on me.
Thus – your ideal pants would be category 4. However – these are the pants you have to save. They look good and fit well but you might have a hard time finding anything that looks that good ever again so you can’t waste them. So you wear them when you will be seen by critical or hip friends, or family. Or when you have to do an errand on Broadway avenue where the cool people exhibit their coolness to one another. Also important when the winter parkas come off and everyone is now wearing their nice clothes to take the kids to school – the whole see and be seen/soccer Mom phenomenon.
Pants in category 1 can be worn when you want to look presentable but if you get chocolate on them you won’t freak out. They cannot be worn when you have to sit for long periods in polite company because you might cramp up.
Pants in category 2 are the ones you wear in mid-winter, -30C, and I don’t give a *&%#@ what anybody thinks, driving the kids to school day. They are the pants you wear at home or in the car and at non-critical friends houses. Also good for carting kids to swimming lessons where you must brave the wet locker rooms. NOT for soccer practice (see Soccer Mom phenomenon above).
Pants in category 3 you keep and rarely wear except when all clothes in other categories are in laundry pile under Pomeranian. Also, these pants may be more comfortable or look okay if you gain or lose weight – so you keep them. Just in case.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions to tweek the new system.
Pants in category 2 may actually look good (enough?) but do not meet the approval of some people for wear outside of the home. (ie. Stacy & Clinton, the yummy mummy crowd, my husband) To them I say ‘sod off.’ I like my terry cloth capris and I’m wearing them all summer.