Boomers such as myself were raised to believe that every spring and fall, one's closet needed to be "changed over". The process entailed considerable labor, with all clothing items having to be laundered and folded away to make room for the next season's worth of adornment. To compound the procedure, my beloved Gran (with whom I shared a bedroom, but thankfully not a closet) put some gross-smelling camphor flakes into the old Electrolux and reverse-vacuumed the fumes into the sacred space that housed her clothes. Moth larvae didn't stand a chance. I vaguely recall having made a childhood vow to myself regarding camphor flakes.
When we finished our own basement many moons ago, we had quite the cedar closet built in, allowing us to switch with relative ease. That approach worked for awhile...until the climate began to change. Global warming? Whatever; I clearly remember a turning point in my thinking:
My Mom and two of her very glamorous friends visited during an early fall month, way back in the seventies. Their closets had been dutifully prepared. Their wardrobes offered nothing cool and light. It was a rare (at that point in time) 90-degree day. Each looked fabulous in her long wool skirt, tights, boots, and layered sweater, blouse and scarf....VOGUE-worthy, for sure! But, as they sweltered, I experienced a lightbulb moment, deciding that some myths needed to be dispelled. Did I want to inflict this custom on my kids?
Can allowing a tank top to share space with a ski sweater actually thwart one's ability to succeed in life? I think not, and I've never seen a clothing moth! Momma Nature seems to emphatically agree. "The Switch" is a waste of time, if her worldly messages mean anything.
Two nights ago, it was 82 degrees in our upstairs bedrooms, necessitating the use of air conditioning. Last night, it was 52 degrees in the same location........
You know the rest! As chilly waters rain upon my garden, the sun not due to return for three days, I find solace in the ability to grab a sweater from my multi-seasonal wardrobe.
CHEERS TO YOU, regardless of what season you're wearing today!
PS - Mom still "changes over".....gotta luv her. xo
