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Original poster

Tips for a 'wardrobe audit' - binning the old, ugly and mishapen items that lurk.....

29 replies

Pollykitten · 21/10/2011 09:01

I've got some lovely clothes hiding in there, but a veritable snow-storm of cheap cotton, ugly vests, weird beige knickers and the like. Also some gorgeous things from when I was younger/thinner/braver. Any tips for how to tackle the mountain? What is your 'binning' criteria. Is it worth selling stuff on ebay? Would like to be done and dusted inside 2 hours if pos.

OP posts:
pissedrightoff · 21/10/2011 09:13

I am doing this on Sunday. Here is my plan...
Put into piles of

  1. All stuff to keep
  2. Anything decent to sell on ebay or if there is a local selling page on your facebook.
3.Stuff for carboot sale (someone will give you 20p or 50p for it and it all adds up, made £108 at my first carboot sale).

Then go through your stuff to keep pile and put outfits together, I am hoping this will help me be more organised.(and better dressed)

PrimaBallerina · 21/10/2011 09:15

You know what to do with the beige knickers don't you? Grin

Bin everything that is bobbly or misshapen, charity shops can't sell it and it costs them to dispose of it.

Try everything else on. Try to be honest. If it doesn't fit or suit you it should go. You'd have worn it recently if you could.

eBay is great and I've sold a few things. People like branded stuff and anything new and unworn. Definitely think about selling handbags, they're always popular, particularly leather ones.

I do feel guilty for not giving as much to the charity shop since I discovered eBay though.

MitrochondrialEve · 21/10/2011 12:50

Some charity shops will take clean but otherwise unsaleable clothing for rags - they are paid per kilo by the rag processing companies. Make sure you separate out your poor condition clothing into a separate bag and label it as for recycling - and ask if they take them when you donate.

If your local charity shop won't take them, there are clothes recycling banks at some supermarkets next to the other recycling.

LoveInAColdGrave · 21/10/2011 12:55

I have given up selling in eBay unless is actually a designer item and I will get some decent money for it - I found that otherwise it just sat around waiting to be eBayed for months, looking dreadful and making me feel guilty. I now just give anything unwanted to charity.

But when I go on maternity leave and have no money this may all change Grin.

My other tip is that if you have stuff you um and ah over getting rid of, bag it, label it with the date, shove it in the loft and if in a year you haven't missed anything out of the bag give it to charity without looking through the bag again. Once you look, the umming and ahhing cycle begins again.

MrsSeanBean · 21/10/2011 13:23

I was in a quandry over this the other day. After having given it a lot of thought, I'm definitely with ColdGrave over the Ebaying. Unless it's a 'major' item, I've lost patience with Ebay. Yes I could probably make 100 quid or so, but it's the time involved, the hassle of postage and increasinly unreasonable buyers, and - more importantly as LIACG said - the annoyance of it all hanging around in the meantime.

I've devised a system where I list everything I can think of that I know and love and would be devastated to lose if the house burnt down (or similar). I then compare with the contents of my wardrobe to check that there's nothing 'deserving' that's been accidentally left out. The rest is all heading for disposal.

I've decided my wardrobe should contain only those things which I really love and really enjoy wearing. Maybe space for two or three items which are just 'OK' for washing day emergencies - but no more.

OllieinOrange · 21/10/2011 14:14

Try on! I was terrible at keeping things I never wore just because I still liked them - on the hanger!

Once I made myself try them on (during the mother of all wardrobe clearouts!), I saw the reason I didnt wear them and they were banished from my wardrobe.
I think you also have to get over thinking how much something cost you in the first place - if you dont wear it, dont keep it!

A good tip I picked up from MN is thinking in terms of what you need to wear for occasions eg work, day at home with kids, shopping with friends, meal out in restaurant, wedding etc. This really helps you identify gaps in your wardrobe (which need to be filled) or stuff you have but dont have the lifestyle for!

Original poster
Pollykitten · 21/10/2011 15:30

I'm trembling in the corner here.... next I'll be told that a pregnant 35 year old isn't allowed to wear shiny green combat trousers from DKNY! [tragedy emoticon]

These are all terrifyingly organised tips.

I once tried to donate an old fur coat (bunny, vintage, gift!) to an animal shelter for the little ones to sleep on but they said it 'sent out the wrong message'. I don't know what that message was, but I didn't half laught my arse off!

Clear-out here I come...!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pollykitten · 21/10/2011 15:30

laugh, I mean... (in a Cruella deVille stylee)

OP posts:
Pigleychez · 21/10/2011 15:42

oh I so need to do this too. Keep putting it off though as I know ill have nothing left!

I have so many lovely clothes from pre DC days that I keep holding onto for 'when I loose the baby weight'.. however I fear that day will never come!
Do I keep hold of them of just dress for the here and now?

pissedrightoff · 21/10/2011 15:47

Get rid of them Pigleychez, Mine just laugh at me every time I open the wardrobe door.
They are going on Sunday, The good stuff=ebay/facebook, The mediocre=car boot sale, The crap=recycling.
Then I am going to do the same with all my cosmetics and accessories.
Ruthless, I will be ruthless.

Pigleychez · 21/10/2011 15:55

I know I should get rid of them but part of me feels I am giving up on my pre DC figure and am destined to be the flabby lump I am now. :(

I need a really a good capsule wardrobe but im terrible in knowing what suits me!

Maybe I will build myself up to do it next weekend! We should continue this thread as a support thread!

cyb · 21/10/2011 15:58

Hello MrSeanBean where have you been hiding

TracyK · 21/10/2011 16:33

If you have a spare room - take everything in there - then bring things back 1 at a time. Its easier to bring back than to throw out. So there has to be a good reason to bring it back to your main wardrobe!
Then send in dh into the spare room with a bin bag!

mirpuppet · 21/10/2011 18:40

I like that tip TracyK. Another is to turn hangers backwards and only turn the right way round once it has been worn. Anything that doesn't get warm in the appropriate season goes.

MrsSeanBean · 21/10/2011 19:55

Hi Cyb :-)

I've been training for a new role, am still getting used to having (some) evenings and weekends free!

MN has been a distant memory for a long time However, hope to rectify that a bit now.

MrsSeanBean · 21/10/2011 19:58

Piglychez - I sympathise re the pre DC stuff, but you'll probably find the moment has passed by the time you can wear it again. At least, that's what happened to me.

I think we can however allow ourselves a small area for nostalgia items. These would need to be tissue wrapped and boxed though, nit stored in wardrobe with current wear.

MrsSeanBean · 21/10/2011 19:58

Not (not nit, at least I hope :-O )

MrsHollywood · 21/10/2011 21:44

I'm reading this thread with interest, as this is exactly what I'm planning on doing this weekend.

Pigley, like you I keep hanging on to things in the hope that I'll lose my baby weight and fit into them again. Thing is, I'm not just fatter, I'm a different shape now and I reckon even a slimmer me would be a different shape, too. Even if I lose the weight and even if those clothes are still fashionable, it's unlikely they'll suit me! Actually, writing that down has made me realise how ruthless I need to be!

Original poster
Pollykitten · 22/10/2011 08:58

Lets do it - success stories on Sunday?!

OP posts:
CeliaFate · 22/10/2011 10:48

I did mine yesterday - went through my wardrobe and chucked anything I hadn't worn in a year. Didn't try it on or think too much - just chucked it in a bag and off it went. I filled 2 black bin bags in 10 mins Blush.

Next week - getting rid of awful underwear and going through my chest of drawers.

champagnesupernova · 22/10/2011 11:16

stuff you have but dont have the lifestyle for = that is my whole flipping wardrobe!

josephinebonaparte · 22/10/2011 11:27

I've put a couple of my really skinny beautiful dresses in case they are cool and vintage in 10 years time and my daughter wants to wear them.

OllieinOrange · 22/10/2011 13:27

Good luck if you are decluttering today. This blog makes interesting reading re changing over from summer to winter wardrobes
(I wish I had that many clothes to store and that much space to store them!)

WIT blog

PrimaBallerina · 22/10/2011 14:01

I am auditing right now thanks to you OP. I've just sold some stuff on eBay last week but now I'm really being ruthless and have attacked my drawers. There's some stuff in the bin and a big bag for the charity shop.

But I'm still holding on to:

Two pairs of French Connection jeans that were my favourites until last year. They are bootcut so unlikely to be worn in the near future but have the most amazing back pockets embroidered with sun rays in metallic gold thread... I just can't say goodbye. Should I take the pockets off and attach to some other jeans? (very basic sewing skills).

A battered and much worm slim fit Levis denim shirt. I have some notion that it may come back in and the kids may love it one day.

Impractical high heels worn twice but bought too recently to feel I can part with.

A black corduroy trilby hat Hmm There's no excuse for that really is there?

Still, I've got at least a big drawers worth of space back. Thanks OP.

champagnesupernova · 22/10/2011 16:30

Oh.
Shoudl I be binning bootcut jeans?