AIBU to think we all have too many clothes?

[OceanAvenue]

I’ve come back from my holiday and done the laundry and vacuumed packed my summer clothes. I wouldn’t say I buy clothes that often but I’ve brought out my winter stuff and I am OVERWHELMED by the amount of things I own and I don’t even like most of it!!

Any advice on how to streamline this?

Same. The trainers get swapped for boots and layers get added.
i might have summer/winter clothes if I had more space

Ive been on a ruthless cull since Covid, its a process

Get rid of anything too small, too big, torn or stained
If you have multiples choose the 2 nicest, get rid of the rest
Then things you dont like/ dont suit you/ never going to wear again
Look at whats left
Pack half away into zip boxes/ mothproof containers
Label with the date
If you havent worn them in a year then you dont need them
I have recycling, charity and nicer bits go on Vinted

Now look at whats left
Do any repairs, get winter boots and shoes reheeled if needed and clean , ditto winter bags
Look for gaps
I need a new winter coat , boots and gloves this year
Buy this rather than random stuff

I have attic space, so I sometimes don’t bring down all the clothes for a season (think 1 box of 3 left up there). I’ve started enjoying rediscovering clothes that I haven’t worn for a couple of seasons.

Had wl surgery 3 years ago so had to replace my entire wardrobe including shoes, went from a size 26 to a 12/14, went down 2 shoe sizes. I was working so needed reasonably smart stuff. Had some stuff in the loft from years ago and some ‘one day it will fit’ stuff.

I’ve recently retired so have no need for smart heels/suits (basically living in the garden). I’ve been ruthless, sold lots of very large clothes on Vinted, charity shopped crazy amounts. I’ve kept some smart trousers and jackets-had a bit of an obsession with jackets 🤦🏼‍♀️ It’s ultimately not too difficult to sort through stuff, but it is hard to get rid, fallacy of sunk costs etc. Lack of storage is not the issue!

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

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!

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 🤦‍♀️

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 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.

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 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??

@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 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.

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.

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.

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

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 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