Help this hoarder thin out and reduce my wardrobe

[IncessantNameChanger]

I have too many clothes that I dont wear and possibly will never find a reason to wear again. I have too much of everything really but I have been steadily thinning out quite successfully.

I find I keep things for the life I had or the life I want. Not the life I actually live anymore. I dont really buy tonnes of clothes simply by consciously avoiding the shops. I have had CBT for buying and not letting things go.

So. This isnt a natural process for me. I normally thin my wardrobe a few times a year and get rid of at least 20 things.

But recently I'm not sure what has gone wrong. I know I have going out type clothes that I honestly have zero occasion to wear. Recently my husband seems to not go out at all but I do go out with my friends but it's not every month.

How do I start? I tried turning the hangers around but that didnt really work. I dont want to try Marie Condo. It's like asking a shopaholic to burn down Thorntons. To harsh. Too soon 🤣

But I do want to get rid of things I wont get a chance to have to use of. It just makes me feel sad seeing them ( or what I can see it's very over stuffed)

Any ideas? Even if it's just chipping away slowly for a few months.

One thing a day.

Get a big bag ...put it somewhere outside of your bedroom such as in the garage, every day, take on outfit out of the wardrobe and put it in the bag.

It's easier on you and you'll gradually fill it up.

If on some days, you feel you can take two or more outfits, do that. If not, make sure there's always one...

If it's not been worn for more than a year, then it goes.

When the bag is comfortably full, take it to charity or give to a friend.

I find it helps if I want to buy one expensive item, say a pair of £100 trainers. I'll then go through my wardrobe, think would I rather the trainers than this jacket/top/jeans, I then put the bits I've discarded on eBay and I won't buy the trainers until I reach my target - so generally I can clear out 10 to 15 items to buy one thing for £100.

The life I had or the life I want struck me and I think this is the reason clothes can be hard to get rid of. When I stopped working I got rid of all my office wear apart from one very decent black jacket.

I bought a black cocktail dress when I was pg with my now 9 year old. It has just occured to me that I have never worn it. I'm going to dig that out and hang it my bedroom door to remind me that I need to be realistic.

It's much easier to be in denial and take no action