Clothes situation has got totally out of hand!

[WoodyAllenJesus]

HELP please, I need advice and inspiration for sorting out the vast mountains of clothes I've accumulated over the last 10+ years.

I currently have the following full of clothes: 2 double wardrobes, 1 single wardrobe, 6 large plastic crates, 2 binbags, 2 suitcases. I also have a small ironing pile and a small amount on the floor in the bedroom.

I just don't know where to start but I've made the decision to get rid, I just don't know what to get rid OF iykwim. I have work clothes which I need to hang on to as I'm returning to work in July. I have maternity clothes and may have another baby so need to hang on to those.

It's getting really depressing thinking about it and when it comes to finding something to wear I (strangely) have no chance as I'm so overwhelmed with stuff!

I'd like to make some money out of them if possible as I am raising money for an iPad, a lot of stuff is good brand name stuff like Fat Face but not designer. There is some stuff I haven't even worn

On the plus side I don't have many shoes so they're not as much of a problem :D

Can anyone help - some bitesize step-by-step guide would be great as it's all just too overwhelming. How do YOU organise your clothing? What decisions/questions do you make/ask when deciding what to dump?

This would be my tip as got to your type of position before I moved in with dh.

Make a day to do the sort out - get radio or music on to make it tolerable. Sort clothes into type - work, maternity, every day casual and going out.

For work given you are going back my view would be to weed out what looks obviously ragged or out of date (frayed shirts, marked or where worn). Also apply the "how often rule" (I binned a lot of stuff where I know I just don't wear it now).

With maternity, get rid of worn stuff or that doesn't fit (a few items I bought just never sat comfortably). eBay if in good nick .

Casual and going out stuff - get rid of worn stuff and put aside stuff you haven't worn in a year (18m if been pregnant). DO NOT be sentimental about it (ie keep this as wore it on birthday etc).

Undies- be ruthless and get rid of all grey fray, badly fitting stuff.

I would Ebay the good stuff (ESP maternity) and sell the older stuff to local cloth merchant (if you hunt yellow pages can find them- they buy bin bags of stuff for couple of quid each).

Also if you havent worn it within 6 months of new (unless pregnant), it won't be worn. EBay it- I think if unworn or ok brand it has better chance of going but start low on price.

I had a huge wardroble clearout a while ago helped by a very dear and honest friend who told me (kindly) what just didn't look good.
I got rid of a huge pile and was left with stuff that really worked together. I seemed to have more "outfits" but fewer clothes. It really helped.

We have a clothing exchange shop who will give you 50% of Next, M&S or better brands, 2 years old or less.
Very annoying because I had some lovely kids stuff worn for best only, but more than two years old and the nicest out fit was old very good quality H&M which see won't take.

imblet that is what I want - I have masses of clothes but I have no idea what I can put together to make an outfit. I am really rubbish at fashion so I just endlessly buy stuff that looks good in the picture but then never have cause to wear it.

Also I have a habit of saying "well I will need this if X situation arises" so for example I don't wear a suit for work but I think I'd better hang on to it just in case I ever have to... Multiply that by numerous situations "well I'd better hang onto this pair of pyjamas in case pairs 1, 2 and 3 wear out" :o etc etc ad infinitum

gigondas thank you for the advice, I have never heard of cloth merchants so excellent advice. It will take more than a day tbh plus have fairly new baby so it's the kind of task I want to complete to make more room for her clutter, but don't get time to have a really good go at it iykwim! Wish I'd done it while I was pregnant... I will follow the 18month rule.

Do clothes make much money on Ebay or is it not even worth the trouble?

sorry gigondas just saw your second post re ebay prices

They don't do too badly- maternity stuff and good quality named stuff goes easiest .

Woody that is just where I was before diplomatic friend came over. Now if she ever sees me in anything new ( not very often as I so broke) she quizzes me about what else I'm wearing it with. I'm now thinking I should rent her out, that might help me buy a few bits that I would never wear.

Maybe get a few friends (the same sort of size) over with a bottle of wine each and have a massive clothes swapping evening?

Expect to do a couple rounds of clothing culls. Start 'easy' and progress to more difficult items:
Round 1 should be clothes that are old/worn/faded/stained/torn/etc.

Round 2 can be clothes that are noticeably dated/out of style.

Round 3 can be clothes that no longer fit.
Round 4 can be clothes that fit, but that you haven't worn in a long time (perhaps 18 months or longer)

After you've done that, see what you're left with. And then you can decide if more needs to go.

A good tip for hanging the clothes you will wear back in your wardrobe is to put them back in colour sequence and by type. All shirts hung together going from light to dark, all trousers together etc... Another thing you can do is while you are going through your clothes you can check what matches with what and how many outfits you can make up. I always have one outfit that i Know i can just throw and look ok for work( black trousers and blouse with cardigan). You have to be ruthless and ditch anything that is stained etc and worn.