Nina Garcia's rules for how to edit from "The Little Black Book of Style"

"I don't care if it is the latest trend or the 'must-have' item of the season. I don't care if you spent a week's salary on it in 1999 so that you could afford it. I don't care if you wore it everyday in college and you 'can't bear to part with it.' If it doesn't look good on you, it should not be in your closet."

I could hear Nina Garcia saying the lines above as I tried to sort out my closet.  Closet space is limited in our condo.  The unexpected holiday did not give me an excuse to procrastinate further. I had to clean out my closet because no matter how hard I push  I cannot make way for more hangers.

I'm still hopeful I can someday fit back in the Chloe dress I wore in my Despedida de Soltera and the Prada dress I wore in a bridal shower. But into a broken piece of luggage went my resort trousseau for my honeymoon and my finds from Australian designer Alannah Hill from that trip.

I can easily give away all the dresses in which I look like I'm expecting. But how can I let go of the bright green dress I wore in the baptism of my first born?

While trying to find a bargain, I probably ended up spending for something I never used so it's probably time I actually used my Stella McCartney for H&M cigarette wool plaid pants from 2005 to sport the androgynous look.  But will I still resurrect that Marc for Marc Jacobs black denim jacket which has gone with me on so many trips--that went into the luggage too.

I used to love wearing dresses, and many of them have marked milestones in my career. I found the orange striped maxi dress I wore on tv last summer, and I also saw the dress I wore on Project Runway Philippines while I was seven months pregnant. Here is a feather bolero I wore to the launch of the angel author, and another printed chiffon maxi dress I wore to a garden themed book launch.  With sadness, I'm putting a lot of  them in the giveaway pile. They are better off being used by someone else.    This was a time when I wore mostly dresses to work and events.  But now I want to move on to mixing and matching separates. 

What I really can't let go of,  I'm saving some for my daughter's future vintage wardrobe.

Here are Nina Garcia's rules for editing:

1. Throw out what you don't wear and what doesn't look good on you.
2. Buy the right size
3. Don't be sucked in by the sale tag
4. Don't play it too safe
5. Do not buy according to the trends
6. Be ruthless when you edit