Has anyone culled all/most of their wardrobe and started again more or less?

[WhatTimeIsItCuckoo]

And if so, how did you do it and was it worth it??

I turned 50 last December and, whilst I've always liked clothes, I've felt in a bit of a style rut for the last few years, probably since having my youngest of three children 7 years ago. I'm so tempted to have a massive throw out session to charity and rethink/restart my wardrobe, perhaps with fewer and better quality items, but I'm also too scared to take the plunge! Obviously I'm looking older now and my shape has inevitably changed over the years but I do want to (hopefully!) stay looking fashionable/stylish and not mumsy - I'm fortunate that I can afford some decent quality clothes but I'm also open minded re shops/brands etc. I just feel so meh about most of my things nowadays - there are few things I really love and I also have way too much atm. Has anyone been joyously ruthless and actually done this?? Your advice/stories would be much appreciated - positive and otherwise!

No but watching. I've been tempted

Be careful.
I chucked out loads of stuff a few years ago but then found most things in the shops are poorer quality man made material compared to the mostly natural fibre, classic items I’d got rid of, regretted a lot of it.

So true, the stuff is crap in the shops so I tend to hang on to things

I did this last week. 4 bags to charityry shop.
Today I threw away a big bag of old socks and bras.

I'm on a frugal streak at the moment with a challenge to not buy any clothing for 6 months.

Then discovered a hole in my favourite £10 pumps, and a tear in my favourite winter waterproof jacket. I worked out I've had it for nearly 9 years. Think it may last me the remainder of the winter but will defo need a new one for next winter.

I'm really not interested any more about fashion and clothes since I hit my late 40's. I like comfort and functionality these days.

I went through everything about 2 years ago and it was well worth doing. Since then I have been very careful to only buy things I really Love and not to buy anything in a sale that I wouldn't have happily paid full price for. I think I've only had one misbuy since I did it.

I got rid of anything that was worn / bobbly ( there's only so many things you need for gardening / washing the car etc). If I put something on and I didn't feel I looked good in it I got rid. I was finding I was wearing stuff I didn't particularly like and saving the stuff I did for best - but didn't even wear it then if the occasion wasn't special enough.

I'm lucky that I've always been a size 8-10 so didn't have clothes that didn't fit that I was hanging on to.

I've still got too many clothes but that's because of what I've bought since, but I do like them.
I find it helps if you find designers/shops whose style suits and tend to stick mainly with them.
I personnally buy a lot from Hush, White Company, Mint Velvet with a few basics from time to time from M&S. I think it helps that there is no Hush stores within 80 mikes so very few people here wear it.

Hi, belated Happy Birthday!
I'm in a similar age bracket and wonder if my Converse trainers and Adidas trackie tops are too young (yes they are but comfy!) but I'm going to have to cull too as due to an injury my weight has steadily increased and I've had to buy new trews, joggies and tops as I am spilling out of my old stuff and it is too uncomfortable to wear.
I've got a lot of favourites bagged up in a vacuum bag waiting for when I "slim back into it" (which has been in the loft for the last 3 years) but I think by that miraculous time my tastes may have changed, it may look too young for me and also clothes deteriorate in time so I've decided to have a big cull.

I mainly buy from charity shops anyway so I don't feel like I've wasted money when I come to re-buy but I notice I always buy the same style and have done for the last 20 years and can't see it changing.
Sorry, that's not all that helpful to you. Good luck

Agree on quality. Natural fibres come with a whopping price tag these days. I've got cashmere older then my secondary school age dcs gong strong.

I did this about 7 years ago. Before I had my DC I used to buy few, but good quality, classic clothes that I hoped would last, from shops like Jigsaw. Then, after I had my DC I didn't have money to buy myself new clothes and so made do with what I had, and started to look quite frumpy.

A friend encouraged me to buy some skinny jeans, and this meant I also need to get new shoes, boots and tops as they didn't go with anything I had. I started to buy more fashionable, but cheap clothes from H&M, Primark etc, and then got the bug, slowly replacing a lot of clothes in my wardrobe and really enjoying it!

I get inspiration from Instagram, and enjoy fashion more now than when I was younger. Maybe because cheaper clothes look better now. I bought a fake leather biker jacket from Top Shop for £50 and I've worn it for years. When I used to buy more expensive clothes I something didn't wear them as I was worried about ruining them or getting them dirty.

If you cull your wardrobe, make sure you get rid of anything that is bobbly, worn looking or doesn't fit you well. Anything that fits well, you like, but just doesn't go with what you wear now, pack away in the top of your wardrobe and have a look through occasionally. I bought a lovely skirt from Hush recently and wear it with a jumper that is probably 10 years old, that I'm glad I kept!

Thanks all! Still looking through replies and will respond more as soon as I'm able, thanks again so far though

Yes, I did a few rounds of Project 333 and realised I only liked a fraction of my wardrobe. Then Konmarid by wardrobe which reduced it by about 70%. Since then I've worked with a minimal wardrobe but am now adding more things I love. Often find the best things second hand so it's not necessarily an expensive thing to do.

Last summer I had a few days in the house myself but a single day would be enough.

I took out everything I owned got a mirror and put it against the kitchen door put on a bra that fitted and a pair of pants then literally tried on everything.

If it didn't fit it or I didn't love it I threw it in a pile in the corner.
Anything I loved or felt fitted me (properly) I dumped on the bed.

I then sorted the corner pile into charity and throw and made sure that I got it out the house as soon as possible. In the same week.

The stuff on the bed I sorted into item piles jeans, tops dresses etc.
If there was loads of one type I decided if I had enough space I kept them if not I culled again.

Since then Iv been very strict on buying new stuff. If I don't love it I don't get it. If I love it I need to have the space for it and if I don't then something else needs to go.

Generally the things Iv added have been unique items Iv found in charity shops or eBay so not a plain top from primark/George of Asda type stuff,

Nothing wrong with that but defeats the point as Iv got stuff like that and don't need more (until I do but then something else will go)

I get rid of stuff once or twice a year.

My rule: if I haven't worn it for a year, it's time to move it on. It applies to everything but evening gowns and 1 sentimental jumper.

I have done this. I currently own two pairs of jeans, a pair of comfy trousers, 4 t-shirts and a jumper. I have a 3 month old baby so took all my maternity clothes to charity and bought a few basics to last me until I lose the last bit of baby weight. It is refreshing but also frustrating. I have a savings jar so I can go on a big splurge in a few months.

My ex suddenly decided I had too many 'dark, old and frumpy' clothes. Whilst I was out one day he gutted my wardrobe and helpfully took all the bags to charity so I couldn't get them back.

I was really gutted myself. He'd left me with the odd too small or damaged items I'd never got around to fixing. He said he'd buy me a new wardrobe of 'young' clothes. He bought me a few 'mutton dressed as lamb' pieces and struggled to get my right size.

It's taken years for me to restore my classic, high quality pieces. I initially had to restock with cheaper items. I've never forgiven his favour.

paranoid your ex sounds like a complete control freak - best be rid of him.

I fell for the 'buy less spend more' mantra around 50 and it was a really bad move. I made some very poor choices, based on a life I didn't have and was never going to have e.g. the 'good' Hobbs jacket. I also hit the menopause and came out of it a different shape so at least half of those so-called 'investment pieces' no longer suited me.

I would have been far better off buying cheap and cheerful, experimenting with different looks and underpinning it all with good underwear. I am only now, at 61, cautiously beginning to buy the odd 'better piece' again.

I also only cull things that are worn out or no longer fit or suit me. Otherwise they go into a cupboard for tweaking and recycling further down the line.

I've done similar - I'm mid-50s and over the last year have lost enough weight that most of my clothes didn't fit. I've also had a major lifestyle change in that I left my job in London and am mainly working from home (not in London), so I don't need nearly as many respectable clothes. I'm still not thin, and I may still lose a bit more weight, but I'm finding the next stone quite hard, so I've been carefully buying a few cheap clothes which I can wear now and won't look too oversized if I lose a bit more. To be honest, I've found it quite challenging, because most of what I bought was defined by my weight - I was always looking for clothes that made the least of my bulk, and had lots of long-term habits (I had 5 oversized shirts from Cos, for example). So I've had to think more about what I want to wear and what I want to look like in the life I now have. I'm seeing it as a bit of a work in progress, with some wrong turns made along the way. Like skinny jeans, which I bought my first pair of in the autumn, and, however hard I try (and despite several compliments), I just don't feel like "me" in.

I was forced into this by a 5 stone weight loss over the last year. Plus I turned 60 last month, so significant lifestyle changes are starting to appear on horizon. I got rid of everything, including shoes, which also ended up a size too big. As Maude says though, I've had to really re-think how I choose clothes, as it used to be driven completely by size, now I get to think about shape/colour/fabric. My wardrobe (the clothes, not the furniture) is currently all hanging in a 3 foot space, plus a couple of drawers, although I have no summer clothing yet. But everything there, I love, and it fits me well. I've made the odd, small mistake, and I haven't let it hang around.

My biggest culls were when I got rid of anything black and another one when I did Marie Kondo, before she came along. I went along my rail and anything that made me feel uncomfortable or was associated with bad memories, out it went.

I am size 12-14, however I keep two carefully-stored ‘archive’ boxes for clothing: one for good quality items in size 10-12 and another for sentimental items.

I did. It was very freeing! About 7 bags went to charity. I now have less mess around there was just too much stuff.

There are some interesting and inspirational stories here ladies, thank you all! I do have some bits from Hush that I bought years ago actually, online as we don't have a shop anywhere near. Some of the things are nice but others are not so great, however they do still send me their catalogue and their pieces do look much better quality and more interesting now so I may try them again, I've also read a lot about them on here. Also I noticed a pp mentioned Mint Velvet, I discovered a new store of theirs had opened recently in a town near me and I loved so many things in there. Didn't have time for a proper browse/spend at the time but intend to revisit as soon as I'm able! White Company also looks interesting, as was mentioned by the same lady I think, and I do get a catalogue for Baukjen delivered regularly (think I maybe bought some maternity stuff from there years ago, did they used to be Isabelle Oliver?), has anyone had some nice pieces from there at all? I did have a big cull/reorganisation of my wardrobe, which doesn't feel that long ago really and did make me feel much better at the time, but it's perhaps coming up to three years ago realistically and it's now a jumbled mess again anyway! Your posts have inspired me to get in there and get it organised again then start to refresh carefully and according to my life style - SAHM. The pp who said they discard what they put on that doesn't look good at the time - this was my plan but I'm often in a hurry with the school run so end up keeping said item on anyway thinking I'll get rid of it later but then it just ends up back in my wardrobe, so I'm going to try and sort that too! Many thanks again for all the replies and please keep them coming!

ooh I would love to do this - I am in serious need to have a giant clearout!! I have a few hours to myself tomorrow daytime - I might just make a start on my wardrobe!

Just read your post too Honey, that sounds great and how I would like to feel again! I love Ash trainers too and have had several pairs but just haven't replaced the last ones as, as you say, I feel I've lost my mojo and I don't really get to go shopping for me much nowadays! My older two are getting into clothes now and by the time I've sorted them out there's little time and energy left for myself! I do keep up with my grooming/skincare though, I'm strict with that and it also means I can get ready pretty quickly due to feeling 'sorted' in that way, it's just my clothes that leave me feeling both under and overwhelmed, if that makes any sense at all?