AIBU to think we all have too many clothes?

I have a double wardrobe with one shelf. It’s rubbish but DP won’t change them.

I go through my wardrobe every couple of weeks and get rid of a few items each time - I’m not brave enough to do all at once. I stick it all on Vinted.

Summer/holiday clothes stored in an Ikea box under my bed although the aim is to move at least some of these to a shelf inside my wardrobe. I’ve got some things in my summer clothes I do wear all year round - vests, skorts (with long sleeve tops) etc

I’ve set myself rules to get rid - if I wouldn’t buy it now, if i haven’t worn it in a year, if I can’t see myself wearing it in 12 months - it goes. Anything that’s starting to look tatty goes. If you don’t love it, just let it go

I also have a ‘one in one out’ policy - just ordered new bodysuits for work so my old ones will be coming out of my wardrobe as soon as they arrive. Very select with what I buy now.

the whole world has too many clothes. there are enough clothes produced to last the next 6 generations of clothes.
reformed shopaholic here it hit me during covid of how much I actually have wardrobes heaving. tried to do a cull but mentally wasn't prepared then moved a few times and now finally in my forever home a year and a half then i was ready to do my cull. a big mindset change. for me it was accepting to buy clothes for my current life not for my wish life. it hasn't been easy have had to let go some fab stuff. selling on vinted and resellers has helped. started small a drawer of black tops tried on and halved. I also deleted all apps I don't go into zara primark avoid the clothes section in tescos. was only buying as cheap. not that I needed.highly recommend andrea chong why I have nothing to wear and watch her tik tok and Instagram. with holiday stuff I have a rule now what only fits on my suitcase. taken alot of time it's not easy need to be in the right frame of mind too. I also did the only buy 5 new items this year too. buying less but better

Also, buying quality rather than quantity

I’m going to listen to the podcast suggested.
I also have a lot of clothes. I know a stylist who is going to come and help me organise. One of her suggestions is to hang things in outfits so I’m slowly piecing things together. I had my colours done so I’m also trying to stick to the shades that suit me.
I think it’s a long and difficult process, especially as we get older and body shapes change.

I read that we are now in the habit of buying the time/ space/ feeling we long for

So if we are tired, sleep stuff and sleep apps
Need to relax, scented candles/ fluffy blankets
Feel crafty, craft stuff
Except we never stop and actually prioritise the time so end up with a bazzillion scented candles, throws and craft kits
Same with clothes, the buying not the wearing

I definitely do, we converted a bedroom to walk in wardrobe and we just have so much storage that we don’t need to be discerning.

If you want to streamline, first easy step is to get rid of the items you don’t like. I would just bite the bullet and do a cull to items that you often wear!

I made myself count 10 things for charity bag yesterday. Need to keep repeating the process!

if you don’t like it or it’s getting worn out ditch it or charity it

see what is left and what you can make outfits from. I did end up buying a couple of neutral t shirts when I had a clear out a few years ago ( I had so much stuff that was really only suitable for dusters )

do keep outfits for rare events - I have a dress for weddings , some black jeans and a jacket for formals. and I have a few things that only wear around the house or garden. Too sad for anything else but might as well wear them out. Ie don’t over do things

then operate a strict one out one in policy - don’t buy anything unless you have thrown something out

and when you do buy - think “what does this work with” it might be a lovely colour but if you don’t have the trousers to wear with it, just leave it on the hanger.

Just because we like something doesn’t mean we have to have it. That instant gratification, that “because we are worth it” “treat yourself “
mentality must tap into some very basic subconscious stuff. So it’s effort to resist.

i have a double wardrobe - half is normal clothes ( summer and winter ) and the other half is full of sporting activities stuff oh and two drawers of undies.

Yes I only have one wardrobe and one set of drawers (no separate space to store out of season clothes), I go through all my clothes about 4 times a year and always end up with a pile for the charity shop. Im getting really strict with myself about buying new, I'm particularly refusing to buy any cheap tat that won't last years.

I need HELP. I have a 6 foot clothes rail cluttering up my bedroom and three wardrobes full of clothes/shoes.
I like all of the clothes I have but dont get the chance to wear them.
I wear a clinical uniform for my day job so that only leaves the weekend for wearing normal clothes.
Im thinking of turning my small third bedroom into a custom made dressing room with built in shoe racks and clothes rails.
I grew up never having any nice clothes and was then a single mum and all my money went on DS. Later on I was fat and just wore horrible clothes I could squeeze into.
When I lost 6 stone I went a bit mad and bought loads of clothes to celebrate my new figure and I am drowning.

@OhHobnobs I mainly wear dresses so linen dresses with sandals in summer
spring autumn mid weight fabric dresses with pointy flats
Depths of winter thick material of sweater dresses with boots and opaque tights

I find this very odd .... in my exp only tops and tees can become winter tops. The dresses in winter are thicker weight. The colours of things are more autumn like and moody. The skirts have check or block and are darker and heavier. How on earth do u take a flower skirt or dress or a flimsy viscose skirt and make that a winter staple ? I would look like a clown lol. I can only imagine u don't wear much print at all and so easier to transition and possibly wearing thick tights with all clothes??

We definitely buy too much stuff! I learned this week that there is 6 times as much clothing manufactured as what we actually need. I’ve ended up spending hundreds this week updating my wardrobe and still feel like I need more and worse - it didn’t make me feel happy!!

I don't pack away summer / winter clothes - making sure your whole year of clothes fits in your wardrobe is one way of keeping the volume down.

When you have worn stuff put it back on the left. By next year anything on the right probably hasn't been touched, get rid of it.

Yep me and DH have so many clothes between us - he’s worse than me as he never gets rid of anything even when he doesn’t wear it. But it’s the shoes and trainers, I swear they multiply. We have a small house and I’m constantly trying to sort out and rearrange things to fit them in!

I tipped out every thing and only kept 3 of each item, some I ended up keeping more of if I genuinely liked/ wore them but it forced me to create outfits and keep only the things that I would actually wear. I think you need to see it all together, I piled mine up in categories and went through each category at a time. I had over 50 pairs of socks 🤦‍♀️

I am OVERWHELMED by the amount of things I own and I don’t even like most of it!

Go through one drawer or shelf at a time and start by pulling out all those things you don't actually like. You don't deserve to wear clothes you don't like @OceanAvenue

I do this thinking of some friend who wears nice clothes. I imagine myself meeting up with her wearing an item I'm not sure of. If it's a no the item goes in the charity bag.

Also sell anything decent on Vinted then you can buy a couple of nice things with the money that you really do like.

Yes, you are absolutely right. And it spawned a whole economy - people send shite to each other on Vinted non-stop.

In general, yes.

If my friends and I go out etc, they will always be wearing something new. My sisters, mum etc all regularly shop for clothes too.

Its very rare I get anything new. I would wear the same things until they can no longer be worn. If I do need clothes now, I tend to get them off Vinted.

On holiday, for a week, I will generally pack a new tshirt for each day but only about 3 shorts. Two swimsuits in rotation. 4 evening dresses in rotation as only wear them for a few hours.

All of my clothes fit in a single ikea pax wardrobe and if I'm honest I probably still don't wear half of it. Out of season clothes get folded and put to the back. I only really wear the same 4 or 5 outfits on rotation. I predominantly wear black though so everything matches and I'm not a huge fan of shopping.

I feel you OP. I have SO many clothes it’s ridiculous. Yet when I want to find a nice outfit, I realise I have nothing i actually like! I think having too many options actually makes it harder to pick out outfits

I only have a handful of seasonal clothes - very thick jumpers and lightweight dresses so I don't really pack them away but I do pack away clothes I'm not wanting to wear at the moment.
I then periodically go through them and swap them back into my wardrobe. I call it my free shop.

If something stays packed away repeatedly I then think about donating it.

I adopt a 3 times rule when buying something. Unless I have looked at a item three times and still want to buy it I don't buy it.

Ive just taken my winter stuff out, it wouldn't all fit in my drawers so I put my favourites in and once the drawers were full the rest went off to the charity shop.

I did two years where I was only "allowed" to buy a maximum of one piece of clothing a month and that only to fulfil a specific need - that definitely helped, but eventually my wardrobe started looking a bit dated. So I am less restrictive now but still pretty restrained in my purchases.

I've also let go of lots that I loved, but never actually wore 🤔

I have got to an age in life when I am simply not interested in things - Including clothes. I tell my family not to buy me stuff as they will simply have to decide what to do with it when I die.

I have however been forced to buy some new clothes because I have lost such a mass of weight after being ill - I was drowning in my existing clothes.

I do think it is possible to weed down your clothing stock - lots of good ideas above - you will feel better for it and someone on a low income will be able to get a bargain. Win-win!

14 full rails. 64 full drawers. I definitely do.