Heeeeeere's CATHY! (Peter's Makeover: DAY 1)

Greetings, all!  Cathy Lane here.

Cousin Peter has told me so much about you and I am tickled to death to get to speak to you directly.  

Frankly, isn't it more fun to share some girl talk for a change?  What's that?  There are boys here too? Prove it!

Yesterday I started Peter's makeover.  What a challenge I have before me! Peter may be a quick study when it comes to sewing, but as far as assembling a wardrobe... Well, let's just say my cousin isn't quite the prodigy you might think.  It's no wonder he's never had a look.

I decided to approach Peter's makeover from the inside out.  That's right, girls: Take me to the underwear drawer! 

Well, actually the underwear shelf.  Peter doesn't keep his clothes in a piece of furniture like the rest of us, but rather piles it up wherever he can find the space.  And there's not much of that.

To look at Peter's collection of underwear is to know everything you need to know about my cousin's approach to fashion.  Feast your eyes on this -- and please click on photo to supersize for maximum impact!

What you are looking at is Peter's more than forty pairs of underwear.  Did you get that?  Four-zero.  And that doesn't even include "sports briefs." (He's quite the athlete, don't you know.)

This profusion of panties is not the result of too many trips to Lord & Taylor's mens department -- if only!  This collection, assembled over more than a decade, includes thrift store finds (appalling), others' laundry room discards (pass the smelling salts), and even a few souvenirs from assignations past(ugh).  

Peter's problem with underwear is representative of his approach to his entire wardrobe: He simply has too much stuff, has owned most of it far too long, and badly needs to edit.  

That's where I come in.  After laying it all out and archiving, I set to work sorting the wheat from the chaff.  

What, pray tell, is this?

Can someone -- perhaps one of you male readers -- explain why a man with more than forty pairs of underwear still holds on to this bleach-stained travesty?

This pair of discolored Calvin's nearly sent me into apoplexy.

I wanted to dump two-thirds of it.  But let me tell you, Peter is very protective of his underwear and it was like pulling teeth to get him to surrender any of it.  Luckily, he was willing to let me make a small pile of discards in exchange for my buying him lunch.

Later, he let me sort the rest (an honor).

Briefs...

Boxers...

 

Boxer briefs...

 "Other."

 

By the end of the afternoon I was exhausted and badly in need of some fresh air.

We accomplished a lot today, but there's so much more work to be done.  Today we tackle accessories -- shoes, hats, scarves, etc. -- and we may move into basic skincare if there's time. 

Ladies, do the men in your lives hoard their old underwear?  Are they resistant to throwing away anything that still has an identifiable waistband -- though not necessarily functional elastic?

If so, however do you handle it?

Peter has handed off blog duties to me this week, so don't mince words: it's just between us.  (This is the time to ask those indiscreet questions!)

Have at it!