Style crisis (is it just me who does this?!)

[MadameSapphire]

I have a lot of clothes collected over many years. I do dig sometimes into my wardrobe and wear an old piece, but I feel overwhelmed by what I have and don’t wear often. Every now and then, I have a huge urge to get rid of most of my clothes - many items suit a former lifestyle - and get a limited, stylish, much more simple, practical wardrobe of quality pieces. And then I get drawn again go through colour, pattern, eclectic stuff, please help. TIA. (Happy to add more info if it’s helpful.)

Can you put old stuff in the loft? Then if you don't wear it after a period of time you can get rid of it.

I'd also go through and get rid of stuff that's a bit tired/got a hole/hem come down etc.

I'm quite ruthless about getting rid, but now I have a teen daughter there is lots from my youth that I wished I'd kept!

It's very rare I regret getting rid of something though

I put a few things on Vinted and got nearly £100, some dresses that are too short now, some mens stuff, work out clothes. It's very easy to use.

I have a firm one in, one out policy when it comes to new clothes. If I haven't worn a tshirt/jumper/top./shoes etc for a couple of years then when a new one comes in an old one goes out. It keeps things manageable.

The only exceptions are a few (maybe 5) timeless 'posh dresses' that absolutely spark joy. I wore one I bought over 30 years ago last week and I felt as glamorous in it as I did when I first wore it back in the early nineties.

I think your closet needs a good decluter!!! 🙂

It's daunting, it's nerve wrecking, but it's so good after it's done 🤷🏻‍♀️

Keep what you love, what works, what fits now, what you want to be now! I was dressing like a university student with beautiful clothes getting dusty in the closet. I wanted to be that person who wear a blouse! But for me it almost felt like I wasn't "like those people", I wasn't good enough. Your closet can be emotional.....

I like watching Clutterbug on Youtube. Check her videos on closet stuff. She's really down to earth and funny.

This is so helpful, thanks folks! @grey12, I definitely recognise the emotional connection thing…

Yes, but I think in my case I used it to justify a bit of a shopping addiction.
I currently selling a lot of Vinted and it's opened my eyes into how much money I've wasted. When I used to put the clothes in charity collections I could close my eyes to it.
It's worth looking into videos on your fantasy self and being realistic about what you really need in your life.

I've never understood the decluttering business but then I love clothes for their own sake, and even some of the things I'll probably never wear again still give me pleasure. I don't have an in-out policy for books so I don't see why I should have one for clothes.

So maybe this isn't the thread for me but I'll just say this:
Anything that's trashed or no longer fits - obviously get rid. But if you have the space - I don't think you've said - then I would hang on to anything else if it's well made and in a good fabric. Put it all away somewhere if it helps (again I'm assuming you have space, apologies if you don't). Because the way fashion and the high street are heading, you'll probably never be able to afford anything of a similar quality ever again, and I can see us all ending up either having to learn to sew or looking for a good seamstress.

I do this! I can dress reasonably well when I put my mind to it, then get into a rut, put on whatever, get sick of it, start buying new things and dressing better and so it goes on.

When I declutter, I try to be really really honest with myself about whether I'll wear the clothes, whether I'll be comfortable in them and whether I like them - not just as a piece of clothing, but as a piece of clothing on me.

I sometimes get sucked into the trap of buying something just because it's a lovely piece and would look amazing on someone else, with a different lifestyle to me, but it would neither suit nor would I feel comfortable in it.

But I can't do a capsule wardrobe, I like to have bright colours and some oddball things.

I over the years have sold lots of clothes with a shop that sold them for 50/ 50, it's closed now, so I sell on ebay, there's are a few things I regret but not to many, mostly were high street so nothing of high quality, I now try to not buy hardly any throwaway fast fashion, and buy better quality, and I notice I don't seem to want to sell so much.

I think you need to set aside some time and try it all on. It might take a few hours but honestly it’s the best way to see the way forward. I do piles of definitely keep, these stay in the wardrobe. Definitely donate, straight to the charity shop. Things I like and want to keep but may or may not wear, these go into a box and into the loft/spare room/bottom of the wardrobe, for review at a later date. Takes the pressure off sorting it all out at once and gives you a smaller ‘working’ wardrobe of nice stuff that you really like and really want to wear without all the noise of other clothes that you’re not sure about right now. It also helps you fall back in love with clothes you’ve already got. A stylish wardrobe can still include loads of colour, pattern and eclectic mixes, it’s not all navy blazers and tan loafers!