I've had a major wardrobe clearout and it's just BRILLIANT!

[becstargazeypie]

I'm all evangelical about it. Do it! Do it now! It's brilliant!

My last major clearout was a year ago, but I was more ruthless this time - I invited a very candid friend over who knows what I wear and I like her style. She sat on my bed and asked searching questions like 'When did you last wear this? What do you wear it with? How did you feel when you wore it? Isn't it exactly the same as the other red t-shirt over there? Do you really need two?'

Three big refuse bags full of clothes have gone to the charity shop - I don't have a huge amount of space (narrow IKEA wardrobe and three drawers), so it's pretty amazing that I had enough clothes to get rid of that many and still have anything left.

My clothes hang freely in the wardrobe instead of being bunched against each other, and my drawers open and close smoothly without having to cram things down. Everything is sorted into tops, bottoms, jackets, dresses. I can see exactly what I've got and I only own things that I feel fabulous in apart from a set of comfies, and two sets of exercise clothes. Everything else has gone. Ahhhh. Better than shopping...

Marks and spencer say they will take anything as even the really awful stuff can be broken down and recycled. I have two bags of clothes to take to their shwopping bin.

Throw away anything that you think 'Well, I don't like it, but the only other thing I have that's similar is too lovely to wear so I'm saving that for best, and will wear the blah one in the meantime

Thought I was the only one who thought ridiculous things like this! Actully your whole post resonated! I have a ridiculous amount of clothes but have paid good money for them and like the vast majority so just can't part with them.. Would love a wardrobe with space - it does stress me

I did this two weeks ago and agree with everything you've said.
It feels great, I got rid of 3 bags of stuff that either didn't fit, didn't make me feel great or was hanging onto for sentimental reasons.
Some of it dd took but most went to charity.

Then I went on a bit of a spree and bought some stuff I love and now I wear stuff I love everyday, not just 'for best' what a waste of time!

Do it do it do it, you will feel great

I had a good clear out a week ago and I feel much better for it! It's nice to get rid of clothes that you're saving for when you lose/gain weight as they either remind you you're not as slim as you once were or make you feel you are going to gain weight. I really need the space too!

I've made a promise to myself that I will only buy things that I really love and that are good quality so will last longer. I'm also going to stick to colours that I know suit me and hopefully by doing that I'll be able to mix and match my clothes together more easily!

I did this a couple of months ago and it really is great.
Strangely it now feels like I have more things to wear - because I can see everything properly rather than always just grabbing the few things that are at the front of the wardrobe.

Inspired by this I decided to do the same.I clear out from time to time but some things i cling on to like a security blanket but never wear! I was ruthless and left myself with only my faves. Have a lot of shoes now and a few lovely dresses but need every day stuff. Off tomorrow to stock up. ~Feel like a change anyway and am going to make a list

Oh, I'm glad I inspired a few people - hope you got as much of a glow from clearing your wardrobes as I did mine.

noddyholder - I did that! I made a list afterwards. I asked my stylish-and-tough friend if she'd noticed any gaps in my wardrobe, tried putting together outfits out of what was left and noted what I'd need in order to get more wear out of what I had. And I've been shopping. I spent a grand total of £35, and I know I'll get lots of wear out of everything as I've bought each item with very specific purpose in mind.

I bought this belt to belt my black cardigan over dresses, this top but in bubblegum pink to 'lift' some of my neutral separates which are mostly grey, and this T shirt to wear with pretty much everything I own.

And I also bought a bag which wasn't on the list... and before I got it home I turned around and went back to Top Shop to return it. Clearing so much stuff out has made me go all discerning and picky about what I want to put in my nice tidy wardrobe now!

Can your friend help me op? Be my friend?

I have one double dor wardrobe, and a thirdr of it is 4 shelves and a little drawer, and all my stuff fits in! I did clear out a bit last week, stupid stuff that I wasn't wearing for work / everday or going out.. also gave my sis a load of my shoes...

Todau i have overhauled the dc's wardrobes, got rid of loads and gne through big bags of hand me downs from older cousins taht are now in theor wardrobes... am feeling v pleased with myself!

I need to do this again. Every time, I look and say but why did I buy this? It doesn't go with xyz - and realise I liked it or it fit (most likely the latter), and thought I'd find something else to go with it.

And I never do.

I also have bags and bags of fat clothes and think clothes that just need to go. I am fat, if I lose it, I will probably want shiny new things anyway!

Yes I'm lucky to have such a friend - must think of a suitably stylish gift for her...

Oh JoyceDivision DCs wardrobes too - you deserve to feel pleased with yourself!

Thank you! I even moved the rail and shelves around too because i was having so much fun!

I'm in a bit of passing on group, my friend gives me her ds clothes for my younger ds, and my dd's clothes go to her younger dd, so stuff still gets use and I'll get something back to use in the future too!

Only thing is a jumper that is too big for me and the neck gapes and shws my bra, I can't bear to get rid of it but it's ages since I've worn it, but its a loose batwing shpae with massive exposed zip uop the back, tis a beautiful item and I hardly wear it but I can't bear to bin it! I'm 99% good at this clearing out thing!

Oh I kept a few things out of love, even though I don't wear them much - there are limits! I kept my Dad's old jumper which has moth holes, but makes me feel like my Dad is hugging me. It's so delicate now that I only put it on when I really need it. And my Mum's cardigan which she bought with her first pay cheque as a trainee nurse 55 years ago and she was wearing it when she met my Dad. That kind of stuff I keep - if I feel a surge of love for something (not attachment, but love). But it feels more meaningful to make a positive decision to keep and treasure those things - rather than just to keep them in a huge pile of other crap that I'm not letting go of.

Inspiring thread, I have bags and bags of clothes tucked away from when I worked full time which I keep telling myself I will wear again. I have recently been ruthless in a clear out of cheap tops and 3/4 length cardigans but my issue is not being good at accessorising!

I need a stylish person to advise me on how to make 'outfits' from my wardrobe and how to accessorise with a few key pieces

I did this yesterday....thanks for the inspiration!!

I did exactly the same a few months ago. Unfortunately as my wardrobe was mostly full of tat old, badly-fitting clothes which all went, I now have very little left and can't afford to buy new stuff. However it's my birthday soon so I'm hoping to get money or vouchers to spend. I need everything, from underwear to a new winter coat.

I bagged my cast-offs up for ClothesForCash and got a cheque for £15 odd in return. Not a fortune but better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper.

I don't have many clothes.

Last year I had my colours done and immediately had a ruthless clearout as I agreed with my colour anaylsis and like the colours in my spectrum. I'm a HoC Winter. I also got rid of sentimental suff (shrugs galore from Mum), expensive but not really my style stuff, anything that didn't fit me properly and that i didn't really feel comfortable or 'me' in.

I am, and will be for another 9mths, on a tight budget, so don't buy many clothes but what i do buy can be worn with everything else in the wardrobe. I can see all my clothes at glance which makes getting dressed each mornng so much easier.

Generally, I sort my wardrobe on a fairly regular basis, I like having less.

I am ruthless wardrobe sorter and find that the best thing is to sort twice a year, once at the end of summer and once at the end of winter. I plot which items I am going to dispense with - for example, I have several pairs of summer trouser that are near the end of their life and they are not going to sit in my wardrobe until next summer but I am still wearing them around the house until they become too torn/stained/whatever even for that.

I am taking the opportunity to have a bit of a change of style too. Lots of things I was hanging onto were just not me anymore not sure why i kept them. Am going to make a list this week as I don't want too much.

I like the idea of making a list, think I'll do that before I go shopping with any birthday money. I'm also trying to stick to a few neutral colours which I'm accessorising and/or wearing with items of a brighter colour. I'd have to have my colours done!

I'd love to have my colours done, that should be.

Inspired by you lot, I have just returned from the charity shop - 3 huge bags taken in and some more to go tomorrow!! I've another pile of ebay items and am enjoying myself hugely!! Well, best get back to the sorting ..........

Yay ? I love that this thread is inspiring people. Go doglover go, you sound like you're having a blast! And wools and all who are taking charge of their wardrobes. I love the idea of sorting twice a year Bonsoir. And Napoleon66, I nodded a lot at your post. I know just what you mean about preferring to 'have less'. I am certain that the most stylish people aren't the ones with the most clothes.

I?m really looking forward to going through my new slimmed-down wardrobe and creating some new outfits out of what I?ve kept this weekend. And for shopping, I?ve created a list on my phone now so that I?ve always got it with me. It?s more to stop me buying things that aren?t on the list, rather than as a list of things to go out and buy iyswim, and it?s a very short list!

I know just what you mean noddyholder about realising you've got stuff that just isn't 'you' any more. I realised I was still hanging on to stuff because I didn't want to accept that that phase in my life had ended - eg yes that top is easy to breastfeed in, but I'll never have another baby, and I won't wear it again and yes, those trousers looked great on me when I was a twenty seven year old junior but I'm a forty year old senior manager now - and while that was a fun time in my life, I needed to let go of the trousers and embrace where I am in my life right now. Fashion has changed and my personal style has changed and although I can fit into the same trousers I had when I was young, my body shape has changed with age and childbearing - and they aren't as flattering as they once were.

i did this and sold it all. £1 -£5 each and made loads!

i have had a look. Masses of tops - all ok to be ebayed - do you reckon I could get away with doing a bundle? Not sure how people react to bundles.