Too many clothes but finding it hard to get rid!

[Trickymoments]

We've just got back from holiday and the house is covered with clothes. Piles of dirty clothes waiting to be washed, some clothes that weren't worn & more clothes that were hanging around before we left! It is overwhelming & I'm fed up of the constant mess.

I know the only thing for it is to get rid of some but I'm finding this difficult as I like most of it, but even stuff that doesn't get worn much I think I'd better keep just in case or it's waste to throw it out.

I'm back to work Monday & with 2 dc now at school I need to get on top of this & have a better way of keeping on top.

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated please.

[wowfudge]

Start with anything that doesn't fit and take it to the charity shop.

Then move to what you haven't worn for ages and think why you haven't worn it. If it's because it's a long evening dress and you never get to wear it, try a dress agency or take it to a charity shop.

Anything which is classic and good quality, hold onto for another six months or a year and if you still haven't worn, get rid.

[e1y1]

I was exactly like this (still a tiny bit am).

Then I thought, what's the point of holding onto stuff that is just not seeing the light of day, and at the same time, cluttering up the house?

So if things haven't been worn for a year (I actually made it 2 years), then it went. I would rather it would go to charity, to someone who would actually use it and appreciate it, than it just sitting in a cupboard, not doing what it was designed for (being worn).

Plus, once I did this, it was FAR easier to find/see all my clothes, and start wearing more.

I have still got a little way to go.

Marie Kondo is a brilliant method (the "thanking" of each your possessions for a "life lesson"/job done was a little extreme for me, but on the whole, she is amazing).

[whirlygirly]

I have this problem. I've years worth of accumulated clothes but I do buy quality and have fairly classic taste so nothing looks especially dated. I sometimes choose my favourites of a particular item (black trousers, for example) then give the rest to charity.

I also eBay in fits and starts and have paid for mini breaks that way before now! I do try and minimise the issue by buying a lot less these days, but it's tough!

[whirlygirly]

I rarely miss anything once sold or charity shopped, by the way. It's just getting it there in the first place!

[randomsabreuse]

I also like the Kondo concept of getting everything of a certain type (tops, skirts, evening wear, trousers etc) and going through them one at a time and trying it on. If you don't like how it looks, think about why - shape, colour etc. Do you go out of your way to avoid wearing something? Then it needs to go. Is it your current taste/style?

I also have a "minimum" number of particular things in my mind - enough clothes for a week away without needing to do any washing and might reprieve things to fit that minimum but if I try hard not to wear something it might as well not be littering my house.

Event stuff (weddings/evening) can stay as long as it looks good even if rarely worn because events are rare and barring annoying timehop on Facebook people forget outfits!