When do/were you able to part with your old clothes?

[jojo2324]

I'm in the midst of "organizing" the basement, for what seems like the 8th time this year. I say "organizing" because as I go through my old clothes, I'm more reminiscing than anything.

I just LOVE my old clothes. LOL, I guess I'm a little like Carrie Bradshaw in that respect...My clothes are like an investment. And boy, do I have a lot of investments in the basement right now!! :P I plan on wearing everything again one day (if I'm lucky and my hips go back to where they once were...:)). But am I kidding myself?

Should I put everything on a three-year plan? DH says I should put them all in a "I dream of wearing this again" bin. But when do you break down and chuck 'em? (If you don't really want to?)

[Calmegja2]

I belong to the cult of Kendall Farr.

You must read the book, The Pocket Stylist, and then you'll look at your clothes with new eyes. Trust me.

I've always returned to my pre preg size when baby weans, but Kendall's book has shown me what's worth keeping, and what's not worth keeping. And I'm such a Carrie when it comes to clothes, but this book has shown me what's important and basic to keep.

I cannot tell you how much I was able to rid myself of, and I was able to really *see* what works for me.

I actually have more to wear now that I can *see* than I did before, when everything was crammed (and some was crammed in the basement).

[vikivoly]

I used to hold onto my old clothes for dear life. My new rule of thumb is if I go an entire year without wearing it once, chances are I'll never wear it again!

[JLiebCamm]

DH likes to remind me when I question getting rid of something that it makes room to go shopping and buy something new, which is always motivation for me.

The show "What Not to Wear" has also been very helpful to me. I put on alot of the clothes that I didn't want to part with and looked at myself in a mirror. If they didn't truly compliment my body or had styling that looked dated, they went into the donation pile.

Finally, I'm lucky in the fact that my mom wears the same size as me and appreciates my rejects. That way, the clothes stay around longer in case I change my mind and want them back (which happens next to never).

[jojo2324]

LOL...Well, I'm also realizing how much clothing my KIDS have!!!!! Unbelievable! Granted, lots are hand me downs from friends, and I have tons of beautiful smocked dresses that I bought years ago when I worked in a children's clothing store...(You laugh, but ALL the employees did!) But I still have my fair share.

Okay, I love the show What Not to Wear. I'm glad they got rid of that scraggly dude. I didn't think he had much place to give others fashion advice, honestly. But sometimes they're just a little too mean to the person. :(

One problem is that my mother kicks BUTT in the clothing department, and I am always trying to mooch off her! :D The woman needs (needs - has) about 4 closets for all of her shoes and purses. It's why she had to leave her apartment in Manhattan for a house in NJ. (Just kidding - sorta.)

So, I think I have come to the conclusion that I'm just going to keep it all. I can't believe I'm having issues over clothes! It's so silly...But it's like memories!! I just can't get rid of them.

[Jeanne]

I have not been able to part with much of anything over the past three years. Just about all of my clothes are classic pieces as I'm not one for trends. I think they look good on other people but I just can't pull them off.
I had all of my pre-pregnancy clothes in boxes as I never had anywhere to put them. And I never got the weight off between babies. We just added a second floor to our house and now I have this fabulous walk-in room just as my closet. As I started to unpack, I found clothes I never even knew I had! It was like getting a new wardrobe. And since I've lost 20 pounds, I was able to get into a lot of what had been put away. I wore a pair of velvet pants on Christmas that had been rolled up in a bag with the tags still on for over 5 years! And I still have a ton of clothes that are too small that I'm looking forward to getting into! I have 20 more pounds to go to fit into those but I cannot wait to wear them again!
I say save what you can if you have the room to store it and the clothes aren't trendy. Although, I gave away some trendy things and now 3/4 length sleeves are back again!

[amp]

I kept so many clothes for years thinking, "I'll wear it when I get down to that weight." Unfortunately, several sizes later, I'm still purging my closet. I'm even trying to get rid of clothes that barely fit before I got pregnant (and they sure aren't going to fit now!!), but DH just about freaks when he sees how many thing I get rid of. Why is it that every shirt that seems 'right' when I buy it, is too short months later??! I am sooo not comfortable with shirts that are too short now and show my latest belly feature (a flap from pregnancy)! I just wish I could buy some clothes and have them fit right after being washed over the season. Sigh...

Anyway, if you haven't worn it in about 2 years, chances are, you never will. Pitch it! (or donate or sell it, which is what I do).

[mharling]

I just parted with a ton of old clothes last week. It was hard. I know that I had looked at a lot of the same things before and always thought I would wear them. Well guess what? When I saw most of that stuff again last week, I realized I hadn't worn it!

The items I'm having trouble parting with (and won't, I've realized) are things my grandmother bought me. She was an incredible dresser and liked to buy clothes for me too, including my first suit when I was interviewing for my first job out of college. I'm sure I'll never fit into it again, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.

After seeing how many clothes I got rid of last week, I have vowed to make a more concerted effort about what I buy. For a long time, I was in the 'it's cheap, I might as well buy it' trap and bought tons of stuff I rarely, if ever, wore. With my already slimmed down closet, I can relate to what Jessica said about having more to wear even though there are fewer clothes.

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[MelissaTC]

You have all inspired me to clean out my drawers + closet...it is time to purge :)