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Another note, when you do decide what to do without, you can cut up the ones that didn't make the keep list and use the pieces to make pillow shams, drapes, quilts, or re-usable shopping bags. All it takes is some thread and a needle. I do this and don't have a sewing machine. All by hand on those long, cold days of winter and rainy spring days.
[quote=South Jersey Styx;8760492]First, separate Fall/Winter from Spring/Summer clothes. Pack up the group that you are NOT using and store ,,,,,,,, text deleted
Much of this resides on what kind of lifestyle you have and how often you use certain clothes.
Donate/toss anything that is:
* poorly constructed
* cheap fabric
* looks terrible on you/ doesn't compliment the best
* doesn't fit right -- too tight, too loose, too short
* something you have too much of. IOW, if you have 20 white shirts, just keep 1/2 of them
* something you know you'll never use
* something with bad memories (i.e., a dress you wore when you broke up with someone you can't stand)
Great suggestions! Have been following this and have made some headway--also made some money on eBay because other ladies (one man) wanted them.
I've decided that you spend the first half of life trying to accumulate things and the last half trying to get rid of them!
Right on! My mother was great at getting rid of stuff (much to my father's chagrin) and ended up with a total of 10 dresses and one swimsuit in her closet by the time she reached 70. But then she never wore slacks and didn't ski, golf, bike, run, or hike. The more you do, the more clothese you NEED!
Has anyone else had far too many clothes and decided to do a MAJOR wardrobe overhaul to keep just the very best & basic clothes? I know to donate or sell on eBay, but how do you do the sorting process when you hate to get rid of any of the clothes because you like them and they all fit?
If I haven't worn the clothing for two years then I get rid of it. I go through my closet once a year to get rid of things, and I usually do that when I am switching my summer clothes back to winter, or vice versa. That's a convenient time for me to do it. When I have enough I donate them to the local homeless shelter or American Red Cross.
What I do is be brutal about WHAT I ACTUALLY WEAR. I too have some things in my closet that I liked when I bought them, but for whatever reason, I do not like to wear them. The older I get the more spare I want my wardrobe to be. I have realized that I need only about 4 really well fitting slacks, shorts, shoes, and a few really high quality blouses and sweaters.
I've noticed that I almost never wear a dress to an occasion more than once, so after a while out it goes. Once you get your stuff to a manageable amount..if you bring something in make sure you take something out.
I have learned NOT to give/throw stuff away. Winter coats I will give away to the needy. I regret some outfits I got rid of from ages ago that I would love to have again. My daughters see old pictures and drool over some of my "vintage" stuff from my youth. I buy those big plastic tubs with covers, and label them with a marker. Store them in the attic. I only do this for the $$ items/outfits or things dear to me that might not fit well anymore. Even if they dont ever come back in style it will be fun to go thru them years down the road.
1. I make outfits out of all of my clothes in my head. If an item doesn't go with at least two other pieces, I get rid of it (excluding evening wear, wedding dress etc of course)
2. I imagine that I'm only allowed to keep 10 items in my closet: what would they be? When you have a lot of mediocre stuff that's okay, you might find it hard to pick 10 whole things, because everything is just okay. That's a sign that all of those items have to go. Or put another way, which clothing items would you cry over if there were a fire in your wardrobe that destroyed all your clothes?
3. I made a list a year ago of what my ideal wardrobe would contain if money and space were no option: big surprise but so-so jeans, an okay-ish sweater, and a purse I kind of like were not on that list. I had five items in my closet that were on my list, and I donated everything else to charity. Seriously. Since I made my list a year ago I have been working my way down the items I want. It's great to go shopping for just ONE thing at a time!! You can go to a few stores, compare items, and then be done
4. Someone once told me that the ideal wardrobe was one that only contained stuff you loved and were excited to wear every day. Nothing in there should be just okay. Your pajamas should be soft and cozy and inviting, your athletic wear sturdy and supportive, and your evening wear really enjoyable to go out in. I try to live by that rule, even my staples like white tshirts (which I live in) I buy in good quality versions.
5. I'm a firm believer in 'keepers.' If there's an item you have that you think is just classic, well-made, in good condition, and timeless...keep it. But if you don't wear it regularly, store it somewhere else. In years you'll look at it again and think "I'd forgotten how great this is!" and wear it a few times, then put it in storage again, then repeat a few years later. My mom has been doing this with a coat she bought in 1978 that she gave to me when I went to college, and now it's in storage in my own house
Good luck! Having a new wardrobe of stuff you can throw together into outfits in 5 minutes is such a great feeling. Helps you get on with the rest of your life.
Last edited by violent cello; 08-26-2009 at 10:24 PM..
I did a version of the "turn the hanger around" last year. I put red ribbons on the hanger neck when I wore something. One year later, everything that didn't have a ribbon went to charity.
Woof Woof Woof, how can you own cashmere sweaters and NOT WEAR THEM? LOL That would be an impossibility for me. (I keep mine in space bags; that works well too)
I don't look for bargains any more either. I buy classic clothing toward the high end of my price range.
Things you do not wear much make excellent Halloween costumes, lol.
Seriously, though...I just donated 3 garbage bags filled of clothes I no longer like, wear or do not fit anymore...and I feel amazing. Not only did I free up space for new stuff but I gave things to people who are less well off.
The more free space in my closet, the more I can buy. Let's go shopping
I just parted with most of my wardrobe, but it was bittersweet. I loved many of the pieces I donated, they were just too large for me (too large for alterations.)
I'm slowly replenishing it, but it's taking time...longer than I ever imagined since I love shopping. I'm trying to make it a point to only buy things that I truly feel good in. If there's any uncertainty, then I won't buy it (or I return it since I do most of my shopping online.)
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) wanted them.
I loved many of the pieces I donated, they were just too large for me (too large for alterations.) 
