Fashion Exorcism on TV

We had so much fun today shooting a real-life Fashion Exorcism today for a segment for That's Life on Fox 8, which will air sometime soon.

When I asked my community for a volunteer who would allow us to "exorcise" their closet, I got a lot of responses, but we ultimately selected the very best one. There was a lot that needed to be exorcised from inside the very small space, namely:

- her high school uniform skirt
- one of the worst pieces of Christmas-theme clothing I've ever seen (with reversible lumberjack print too - ugh!)
- her prom dress
- a looong potato sack "maternity" muumuu
- the first suit she ever owned, circa the early 90's - complete with - what else? - shoulder pads

I knew we had made a breakthrough when Krista, our, um, "victim" tossed the first piece on the floor, saying she was done with it! Good for her!!! We made a nice size pile on the floor.

My diagnosis:
Krista was hanging onto her happy high school years by keeping some of her old clothes in sight. But she now has a husband and three lovely kids. It's time to make some new joyful memories!

She can let her little girls play dress up with the prom dress eventually!!

L-R - Me, our segment host, Q-104's Rebecca Wilde and Krista

These are a few DIY Fashion Exorcism tips:

1) You should enjoy wearing and feel comfortable in your clothes. If you don't, get rid of them! Don't feel guilty - even if it's something you received as a gift.

2) Keep clothing in your closet that fits you NOW - not 20 pounds from now. Some people have their "thin" clothes right out in front, which can be a good motivator - or they can make you beat yourself up because the scale isn't moving in the direction you want.

3) If you can sell the item, try a consignment shop; if it's career clothing, donate it to a charity like Suit Yourself; and if it doesn't fit those two categories, your local Goodwill or Salvation Army will be happy to take it off your hands. Remember, clothing donations are great TAX WRITE-OFFS!

4) If a piece of clothing reminds you of a bad time in your life - a relationship gone wrong, a funeral, divorce, etc - by all means take it out of there. You don't want that negative energy hanging around!