There was this crazy moment earlier last month that I was clearing closets, throwing old clothes into bags for Goodwill and just generally marvelling at the amount of clothing that I actually own and wear on a regular basis.  MUCH  different from my days in the last 2 years of high school back in the Cretaceous period when I owned:

2 pairs of shoes
1 pair of snow boots
1 pair of sneakers
2 skirt and vest sets ( navy and bronzy brown)
a skirt and tunic top made by my Mom out of burgundy polyester
blouses to go with -- one mustard (YUCK!), 2 white and at least one other that I have blocked out of my memory
2 pairs of pants: 1 wool, lined and 1 pair of polyester
some tee shirts
3 or 4 accessorizing scarves for hair or neck.
1 pair of jeans
the infamous purple outfit:  a poorboy sweater and sweater pants (both made out the the same purple sweatery knit fabric, accessorized by the more than infamous purple belt with the yellow smiley face buckle.

The hideous Yellow Skort and its matching tunic top in waffle weave polyester.  My mother  (who sewed this monstrosity) had this really weird idea that I looked great in yellow because I had dark brown hair and eyes.  It makes me look like puke.  Like death warmed over.  No one who is fair and dark haired looks good in yellow.  I avoid yellow to this day, and scream at my mother when she says that she thinks that I should wear something "brighter".  My idea of bright is burnt orange or lime green or burgundy.  NO CHROME YELLOW.  

and oh yeah, the yellow clogs that went with it AND the purple outfit!

a couple of jackets and a winter coat.

and my favorite dress of all time, the purple and yellow  striped granny dress with elastic empire bodice!!  (The yellow was in the skirt stripes, not up by my face....) I wore that poor dress every where for years:  high school, during my early marriage and while I was pregnant with the ManChild until I got too big for it, and then afterwards.  I took it out of the wash one day and the skirt had just dissolved into tatters.  I cried for a good half hour, as I had lost on of the few happy parts of an otherwise unhappy youth.  It went into the garbage, and I OBVIOUSLY miss it to this day.

So, my resolution for 2008:  No new Clothes.  The Empress does not need new clothes; the Empress has PLENTY of clothing.  If I feel the need for it, I will make it, which is what I'm going to do with the steampunk stuff for January, and I have plenty of fabric and patterns for dresses (which I am dire need of) and other whatnots.  THIS EDICT DOES NOT COVER SHOES AND UNDERWEAR.   I have the amazing ability to destroy underpants in the wash, so those need to be exempt, and shoes, well, DUH.  Life without new shoes would not be worth living and I am always on the prowl for new comfy footwear.   So it makes it ok for me to have ordered a new skirt and blouse from Wild West Mercantile YESTERDAY, which was still 2007...right?!