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Original poster

How long to keep clothing?

27 replies

cheeseslovesme · 10/09/2017 17:20

Just looking at my wardrobe of clothes, and thinking how long should I keep items for?

Is there a cut off point when items should be donated ect? Or kept and worn for years. I seem to have some items for over 3 years. What does everyone else do with their clothing? Keep or get rid every season.

OP posts:

rightknockered · 10/09/2017 17:22

Keep them unless they're worn out and/or I hate them. I don't usually buy high fashion so things don't date that quickly

Babyblues14 · 10/09/2017 17:22

I keep it, if it still fits and is in good condition then why not. I don't care about the trends, if I still like it I wear it but I try not to buy anything too similar to what I already have. It's a waste of space having ten identical tank tops

PurpleDaisies · 10/09/2017 17:23

I agree, there's no need to get rid of stuff unless it's worn out. I couldn't care less about what's "in" or not though.

BIWI · 10/09/2017 17:24

Forever if you like them!

imokit · 10/09/2017 17:34

9 years later and I'm still wearing dresses to work that I wore to my final year of school (and no they aren't expensive posh ones, they're h&m and I have it in 3 colours, two of which are currently in the washing machine).
Criteria for chucking clothes - no likey, no fitty (or broken), no weary in past year.
Age of clothes is not a factor.

Ginslinger · 10/09/2017 17:36

unless it's something very special I usually get rid of something if I haven't worn it in a year

Paintbox · 10/09/2017 17:51

Get rid every season op?? Are you serious? That's so wasteful and would cost a fortune to buy a new wardrobe every season. I've never heard of anyone doing that

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 10/09/2017 17:54

As long as;

It fits well
It is in good condition
I like it / it is still to my taste (not necessarily linked to 'fashion')

Floisme · 10/09/2017 17:57

Three years I've had some of my clothes 30+ years and they're in better condition than some of the crap I've bought recently. If it still fits, suits and is in good condition, it stays. If it's out of fashion or I'm bored with it, I stick it in the cupboard until next time. Nothing in fashion is new. I concede you need space.

thedevilinablackdress · 10/09/2017 18:28

I would never dream of getting rid of clothes just because I'd had them for a certain amount of time, it would seem very wasteful. As PP have said, apply the fit/condition/enjoyment criteria.

CountFosco · 10/09/2017 18:50

The oldest thing in my wardrobe is a Laura Ashley red woollen jacket. My Mum bought it for me when I was a student over 20 years ago. I'll be wearing it a lot this year again, the shops are full of red coats and it looks great with skinnies.

As others have said, my clothes are worn until they fall apart or they don't fit (although I've just had some woollen wide legged trousers taken in at the waist because that's cheaper than buying new ones) or I decide I don't like them any more.

BackforGood · 10/09/2017 18:53

I seem to have some items for over 3 years.

This made me howl

Erm - why not keep things until they are worn out or no longer fit ?

Latenightreader · 10/09/2017 18:59

I have skirts with a St Michael label (M&S own brand many years ago) - Mum wore them many many years ago but the quality is great, and once I'd changed the length slightly they are a dream. I only get rid of things when I don't like them or if they wear out.

A fair proportion of my nighties are t-shirts I wore at sixth form. The late 1990s was a baggy time and several reach my knees!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/09/2017 19:11

I did a wardrobe tidy/cull on Friday.

Anything Summery but still wearable in a SpaceSaver Bag.

Anything stained, not comfortable , not flattering (you know the clothes you put on and think Nope , or you fidget with) goes either to Charity shop or fabric recycle.

I took 10+ pairs of shoes to recycle today.

It has shown the gaps though that I know I 'need' to fill .

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/09/2017 19:12

10+ pairs of shoes were not all mine I hasten to add

Madeyemoodysmum · 10/09/2017 19:15

High trend tend to get removed earlier but staples. Jeans jumpers coats etc. Some I've had for many many years.
I also remove clothes that get bobbled stained after a few years.

VeryPunny · 10/09/2017 19:16

I have a cull twice a year generally - out of season clothes folded up for under bed storage and things that haven't been worn get ebayed/charity shopped or dumped. Knitwear, tee shirts and jeans tend to get worn out and binned when they are just too shabby; otherwise I've got skirts and dresses well over 10 years old.

sooperdooper · 10/09/2017 19:20

I only send stuff to the charity shop if I don't like them or they don't fit, I rarely throw clothes in the bin unless the odd thing is really worn out

I think the oldest thing in my wardrobe is probably 15 years old!!

BayLeaves · 10/09/2017 20:08

It would be odd to have an arbitrary cut off point after which clothes get thrown away, rather than just keeping until they're no longer wanted or worn out.

Having said that, there is a lot of "fast fashion" which stops being fashionable the next year. I love to try new looks out but I have to make more of an effort not to buy things that are a one-summer trend... e.g. all that Aztec print stuff that everyone was wearing a couple of years ago, on maxi dresses, crop tops, etc. I had a top I wore one summer and it was very stylish, the next summer it didn't fit as I was pregnant, got it out again the summer after and it already seemed so dated.

Judydreamsofhorses · 10/09/2017 20:26

I do a couple of culls a year - I'm due to do the autumn one about new. I ebay stuff I have gone off but is in good nick, store out of season things in vacuum bags, downgrade things to "house clothes" (bobbly jumpers etc) and put some things to the charity shop. I don't have space to keep everything indefinitely.

MikeUniformMike · 10/09/2017 20:29

If you never wear it and never will then get rid.
If you feel crap in it, get rid.
If you never wear it but love it, keep it. Pack away such clothes.

Ididnthearanything · 10/09/2017 21:08

Storage space is the problem tho.
I've lots of older stuff. I went through some of my stuff today. It's so hard to get rid of stuff that's still good but just out of fashion at the moment....so I keep. But storage is a problem. And sometimes I look at all these clothes and think there's something immoral about having all this and not wearing it. I'm good for 'selective' buying, but it does build up.

VeryCunningStunt · 10/09/2017 22:46

I've had one of my tops for 28 years.

Why on earth would you get rid of something that fits/is in good condition/suits you, etc., just because it had been in your house longer than an arbitrarily selected time frame?

It's no wonder the planet is fucked. Disposable fashion is a disgrace.

heldoglykke · 11/09/2017 01:22

Don't throw worn out clothes in the bin! Either use them as cleaning rags around the house or wash them and put them in a bag labelled RAGS and take them to a charity shop that accepts fabric recycling. Or ask around your friends if any do crafts like patchwork or rag rug making.

Original poster

cheeseslovesme · 11/09/2017 20:20

Thanks for the responses. I usually only get rid of clothing if they no longer fit or are damaged. I was just wondering really, as a few work colleagues seem to always have new clothes on and must have a massive wardrobe of clothes, and some never seem to have the same thing on more than a couple of times. I don't have loads of clothing. So don't throw lots away... Wish I would have kept some from the Eighties though as some items seem to back in fashion.

OP posts:

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