Nine Black Skirts

I have three kids going back to school in a week and a half, and we’re going to my nephew’s wedding next weekend. This confluence of events means that I’ve been a shopping maniac for the last several weeks.

After several false starts, I think I now have my wedding guest ensemble (thank you, Nordstrom Rack!). Due to the vagaries of the fashion consumption cycle, it’s very difficult to find a nice summer frock at the height of summer, but I snagged a pastel orange and white silk dress and jacket off the clearance racks today. As I plan to wear them with a large black straw summer hat and strappy black sandals, I’ll probably be channelling the ghost of Halloween future.

After all this (I omit many thrilling tales of finding the Daughter’s dress and the Sons’ outfits), I decided it was time to take stock of my closet. I reduced it by about a quarter by removing everything that is now too large. The inventory of what remains includes nine black skirts.

This is surely too many black skirts. One mid-calf length Misook knit, bought on sale at the end of the season. One mid-calf length gabardine narrow wrap skirt, all buttons up the side, totally unsuitable for the wheelchair (too much stress on the buttons), but pretty stunning standing up. One very full dirndl-style leather skirt that I can’t bring myself to get rid of because my husband bought it for me in Germany just before we got married. One below the knee ultrasuede bias cut skirt that drapes beautifully when standing, and is great in the wheelchair because it’s not bulky at all.One below the knee very casual polyester skirt that I got at Target when I first started losing weight. Two knee-length skirts that were part of suits; I still have one of the jackets, but it’s too big. Two knee-length pull on jersey skirts, great for airplanes or with a casual jacket.

I guess I’d better not buy any more black skirts till I use all of these up.