The "wear-everything-you-own" challenge

I gave myself a challenge this summer: I had to wear every summer top I own. I imagine that this would not be difficult for most people, but I have -- ahem -- a lot of clothes. Two giant captain drawers full, not to mention the ones in the closet. I've collected these clothes over the span of several decades; the oldest one dates to when I was nine. (I realize that makes me sound like a hoarder, and I'm willing to accept that label if it's what I have to do to keep the shirt I got at theater camp in the 4th grade.) Anything I didn't wear by the end of the summer had to go in the donation bin.

In order to complete the challenge, I had to wear a different shirt every day, and a few times I even changed midway through the day. I gave myself a break and did not include my summery long-sleeved shirts in the challenge, since they go in a separate drawer and there is some gray area there that could confuse matters. While packing for vacations, the sole criteria I used to decide what to bring was whether or not I had already worn an item, which made for some interesting ensembles, like when the only clean clothes I had left were an army green tank top and my army green cargo shorts. And, as it turned out, I was so focused on packing my summer shirts that I did not pack a single long-sleeved item for a week-long vacation in Vermont where it was 60 degrees for much of the week.

This morning, I pulled out a hand-me-down from my friend Miami Nice that hasn't seen the light of day in several years, and as I put it on I thought to myself that I *must* be nearing the end of the wear-everything-you-own challenge. Unfortunately, when I did a quick count I unearthed ten shirts that have not been worn, including a black halter top, my Obama t-shirt, a shirt with the number 17 on it that a friend from Japan gave me in the late 90s, and a purple tank top with silver sequins.

There are nine days left of summer. Think I can do it?? I'd really hate to have to donate my Obama t-shirt.