Too many clothes?

[Darlingdahlia]

I have been going though my clothes trying to be quite ruthless about getting rid of things. I am a bit appalled by how many things I have. It has built up over many years, I probably have had a lot of it since I was in my early 20s and there are lots of clothes from when I had a job which required me to be very smart, plus things from when I used to go on fun nights out with friends, through to sports kit, maternity and breastfeeding clothes for 4x babies over the past few years and now here I am in my mid 30s, job where I need to be comfy but not smart, an occasional wedding to go to and lots of being at home with 4 young children. It seems a shame to get rid of things that I loved and wore a lot once but equally life has moved on and I now provably look better in much more classic things. Anyone in the same position? Should probably just make the charity shop happy and get rid of most of it. Maybe I need to Marie Kondo... How have you lot approached this? I also want to get more things that suit me now, but it seems so naughty when I am getting rid of so many good things that I just don't wear...

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I was/am a terrible clothes hoarder. About 2 years ago I decided I was not going to buy cheap clothes anymore. I did kondo, starting with clearing out all the dross I was never going to wear. I'd just had a baby so I did keep various things that were good quality in different sizes. Since then I have re-kondo'd a couple more times. My wardrobe now is all things I like, they fit, they wear and wash well, they suit me. I don't have multiple items that do the same job. I wear things until they aren't really wearable then replace (or demote, eg. What was a nice t-shirt for casual is now my decorating t-shirt etc)

I have a strategy- anything branded, in immaculate condition or otherwise Ebay worthy gets one round on a buy it now listing (30 days)- I might reduce the price weekly if they don't sell. Anything ok, worn, 'plenty of life left' goes on FB as bundles or eBay, or charity if I don't feel like the hassle of selling.
Anything unwearable goes to clothes recycling (not charity as I read on here that it costs them to dispose of unwearable clothes)

I reckon in two years I have probably made £1000 maybe more selling things on. Yesterday I bit the bullet and listed loads of 'dressy' dresses that I'd been keeping- my reasoning being that I couldn't think of a dinged formal event that I wouldn't buy a new dress for so keeping loads of old ones was pointless- I've already sold 3 and made £100.

It's really made a difference to me- my wardrobe is manageable. I only buy things that fit the criteria rather than loads of tat, I know what I have got and what i need. There's often things I want, but I step back and think about where it will ' fit' in my wardrobe and often don't buy it or look for it online for less money. I'd really recommend it.

My biggest issue was vest tops. I got rid of over 40 of them. Kept only the best one in each colour yes I did have over 50 originally and have since got rid of more. Even now I find myself looking at them in shops but I (almost never) buy them!

[thedevilinablackdress]

Not quite the same but I had a tendency till recently to buy lots of glamorous vintage party gear when I just have no use for them. I decided I need a wardrobe for my real, current life. Not a previous/fantasy life. Set your old things free, pass them on.

[fafflygood]

I did this a year or two ago and have never looked back.

I mostly wear casual, around-the-house stuff anyway and I had work clothes and formal wear just sitting there doing nothing.

Cleared the lot, and I've hardly noticed. Now I hardly have any clothes TBH (by Western standards) but you wouldn't be able to tell by seeing me in my day-to-day life. I wasn't wearing the other things anyway.

I don't have a huge budget but if I needed a new formal dress for something unlikely I would splash out. I'd prefer to wear something that suits and fits me as I am today, rather than an outdated dress that looked fab on me pre-kids.

I'm big into capsule wardrobe blogs too, and am slowly trying to make my everyday work-from-home uniform into something just slightly more stylish than my usual basics.

[Darlingdahlia]

Ok, I am going to bite the bullet and just clear out loads of stuff. Do you ever think you wish you hadn't got rid of something though? I know I probably will never miss the vast majority of things, they're just stuff from a whole different phase of life. Did you have to buy any more things once you'd got rid of lots of old things or did you find you actually had everything you needed? I find shoes so hard, I have loads but only wear Toms, trainers for exercise and the occasional pair of smart ones, plus winter boots and doc martens. But I can't get rid of the spares!!

[fafflygood]

Do you ever think you wish you hadn't got rid of something though?

Possibly but I'm usually misremembering it - the collar is more dated than I remember it, the material is slightly bagged out, or it doesn't fit me the way it used to.

A friend and I car-booted a bunch of stuff and made some beer money. It was a fun day and an eye-opener about how little we actually cared about that stuff in the end - we wanted it gone so we wouldn't have to pack it up again!

If you're worried about missing things, why not pack them up somewhere else, not in your wardrobe? Your wardrobe should be for clothes you actually wear. The sentimental stuff can be stored elsewhere. (Then in a year or two you can charity shop it once you realise you really don't want it any more.)

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I honestly have not missed a single item. I have bought some genuinely nice things with the money I have made and wear them a lot.
Make a maybe pile/drawer for those bits you just can't bear to part with (even though deep down you know they won't be worn) and get rid of them at a later date if needs be.

It is so liberating; that sounds bizarre I suppose to anyone who doesn't feel that way or hoard stuff in that way, but honestly I felt so free and liberated after I chucked out all the things that were making me feel unhappy because they didn't fit or weren't comfortable. And the space in the wardrobe/drawers is a reminder every time you open the doors.

MK has a special folding method for your t-shirts and that also really helps. I've done all of the kids stuff and dh's although he don't let me throw out any of his treasured tat.

Do it!

[Darlingdahlia]

I have started and I feel better already! It's just so much nicer having less in the drawers and wardrobe. Half the reason I can't ever find anything and keep thinking I need more things is that there is just too much so I can't think clearly. Have cleared out about 2 IKEA bags worth of stuff easily that I KNOW I won't wear- it hasn't been worn for at least 2 years anyway so I'm sure I won't suddenly need it again. I have found things I really love too that I had forgotten I had. Have had a look at Marie Kondo already, so rolling my things up in the drawers is the next step.

[Zxyzoey31]

Read Marie Kondo, even if you can't do it all I like her advice to appreciate what each item once meant to you and then let it go. It might help you address your concerns.

Also the folding technique is great...I know that sounds stupid.

The best Kondo I did was the bed linen and towels, I chucked 2/3rds and I can now get to the bed linen without the whole cupboard falling out. I appreciate it everytime I open the cupboard.

[fafflygood]

The best Kondo I did was the bed linen and towels, I chucked 2/3rds

Yes we kept 2 nice duvet covers and ditched all the rest (via Freecycle). They wear out faster when on heavy rotation, so last year I treated myself to two new ones when the old ones were worn out. It makes life SO much simpler!

[thedevilinablackdress]

I do a bit of Kondo-ish folding too. It really helps with knowing exactly what you've got rather than just being able to see what's at the top of the pile.

[Darlingdahlia]

I have folded everything Marie Kondo style and it looks good. Not sure I will manage to make it last, but will try. Linen cupboard is a good call. Ours is full of old sheets and towels that we have had since we were students that definitely don't need to be kept. Clothing wise I've ended up with lots of navy, white and black in my drawers, some more colourful dresses etc in wardrobe, some nice jumpers that I love and wear a lot and have culled a huge amount of socks, tights, bras and knickers.
Shoes I still find harder, but have been ruthless with bags: 4 or 5 left!