When do you retire your clothes?

[iloveallcats3]

I have quite a few items of clothing, so I don't feel right buying new things when I have a lot already. I think I'll operate a one in one out policy.

But when do you get rid/ recycle/ donate/ sell your clothes on? Is it when you are bored of them, or do you wear them until they are worn out?

Supermarket is a tricky one.

Our local Asda, go in wearing allotment clothes and silent judgment will happen. Whereas wear the same clothes to Waitrose and the assumption will be that you have come in after mucking out your horse! On Saturdays there can be a distinct whiff of horse in our local Waitrose.

It now has a gym in the same building so lycra is also fine!

It's one in one out, so I am ever changing my outfits. The only thing I have kept is my school tie. I don't remember wearing it.

I'm currently decluttering and being ruthless. My criteria is:

Bobbled/holey/stained = recycled

Doesn't fit
Scratchy seam/waistband/fabric
Fits and comfortable but doesn't feel like "me"
Looks like mutton dressed as lamb (I don't care that Mumsnet hates this phrase - it's a thing. If it fits and is comfortable and the style is "me" but it looks like I've borrowed the clothes of a younger friend then it goes)

All the above goes to charity shop

Usually 2-3 weeks before an occasion arises that that particular garment is uniquely suitable for. Which used to be fine, because it would be a happy excuse to replace it. But now I’m trying to do sodding low buy.

Change my wardrobe over twice a year for summer/winter and get rid of anything that I don't want to wear/doesn't fit/doesn't suit me.
Also get rid of old stuff when I buy new stuff eg bought new non wired bras, chucked out 99% of my underwired bras.
Don't wear heels any more so chucked those.
No longer need a formal working wardrobe so chucked that out.
Haven't done any exercise classes or running for years so binned 80% of exercise wear.
Still have loads of "funeral wear" although I don't go to many. So that's plainly ridiculous.

99% of cases when they are worn out. Not even suitable for resale, so go to recycling.

I absolutely wear them till they're worn out.
Either that or my shape has changed so they just don't look good on me anymore!
Apart from that though I don't tend to get bored of them no

I must have a few items I've had for 20 years and they're not special items or anything 😂

Only get rid of things when they have holes/the elastic has gone (although I have been known to replace elastic and zips etc) and that’s after they e been demoted to ‘gardening’ clothing for small holes and stains.

I do very occasionally charity shop something that will never fit again but I find I do suddenly rewear things many years later (have just rediscovered some jeans that I haven’t worn for 5 years and are at least 20 years old…) and my formal wear comes out very rarely but I love having the choice (and haven’t needed to buy more for a least a decade).

I tend to wear stuff until it literally drops off my body!

I "downgrade" clothes that have started to fade or slightly damaged to "around the house" wear or gardening etc.

Very occasionally, if I buy something for a specific event/occasion and know I'll never wear it again, I'll sell it on ebay if I can get more than a tenner for it after fees/postage, etc. Anything less and it's charity shop.

Some of my clothes are easily 10, 20 or more years old and still in regular use. Some I know are more than 26 years old because that's when we got married and bought our house - I can remember buying some of them, some of them had been Xmas/birthday presents from my (now) hubbie before we got married. I can also tell from photos from holidays and special occasions from that long ago, i.e. some "holiday" clothes I have photos of both in holidays from 20-30 years ago and I'm still wearing them in photos of holidays in the last decade, such as "smart casual" evening wear, even bikinis, etc.

I must be very low maintenance (and cheap!) to run!! I'm just not remotely interested in modern fashion, changing trends, etc. I wear what I like and when I like it, so fashion/trends just pass me by!

Sometimes they wear out - holes or rips. Sometimes faded, sagged, stained.
Sometimes I am forced to admit I should have bought the bigger size (had a skirt that always got compliments but was too tight).

It depends. I've just sold a load of stuff on Vinted - all my pregnancy/bf clothes plus some pp stuff that is now a bit too big. I sometimes get bored of things and charity shop them or sell them, or do so when my life circumstances change. I don't get very attached to clothes and I try to keep a fairly small wardrobe. For example, I just sold a few items from my "corporate past" because I didn't need that much formal office wear, plus I'd worn all those items a lot. Occasionally I try out something new (usually bought second hand) and if it doesn't work for my style/life, I donate it on.

I also usually have 1-2 occasion wear items at a time, so once that item has done its round at weddings/christenings/bar mitzvahs/anniversary parties/work events etc, I sell it on and get something different. I don't see the point in keeping a huge selection of fancy frocks when I need one 3-4 times a year.

I have a big clear out usually once every six months or so as I find that my drawers and wardrobe mess builds up in that time too so I then reorganise it as well. However, I have many items of clothing I have literally worn for years - some of which were bought very cheaply at the time, for example a skirt from Primark I've had since about 2016. I just try to look after stuff and don't over-wash. I have quite a classic style, I don't really follow trends etc and I like simple neutral clothes for the most part which makes it easier to re-wear stuff. I've actually ditched so much stuff over the last couple of years and not bought anything new (working from home so not really needing work wardrobe in same way, then having a baby so living in leggings and basics) that I'm now finding that I'm having to invest more as there are a few things I'm lacking in.

That is me exactly!

However, I do a cull in around Feb/March for Spring Summer (to make room for newer stuff) and the same at end August for Winter stuff.

I'm more or less on top of it now, but one thing I really have to cull is my huge collection of Winter coats and jackets, rain jackets, Summer emergency fold up in a bag jackets, and lighter puffas, and and and..... Might start later, but the time is not right at the moment. Too bloody hot!

Jumpers/hoodies/joggers - when they get really bobbly go in the clothes recycling

Clothes that no longer fit because I've put weight back on again, or they've shrunk in the wash - to charity shop

Sometimes there are things that I've bought and I just don't take to and if I find after a year or so that I'm really not wearing them then they go to charity. Most things in this category are things I've bought for a specific purpose eg dress for an occasion, jacket for an interview and it was more of a 'it will do' purchase.

I tend to go through my wardrobe a couple of times a year and appraise on the above basis.

What I was also going to say is that I keepc 2 bags in my coat closet - one for rags, so stuff that worn out (this us 80% socks) and which I will take to textile recycling once full. Second one is for stuff I've listed for sale/on it's way to charity shop . That way they don't clutter up my closet and I know where stuff is when it sells

I was having a sort out, and found some black jeans two pair that must be over ten years old, I brought them from oasis when they still had shops, I nearly put them in the charity bag, but tried them on and they still fit, infact they fit better than my newer levis.

I have spent years buying from eBay and Vinted in some kind of hurried 'one in one out' panic and keep making poor choices and it's never quite right and off to charity.

This year I am aiming to slow it down, lots of research and making sure it actually fits my style and will go in several outfits.

Still got a few misses to get rid of (probably to give your best) but I think by the end of this year I might actually have a wardrobe of clothes I like wearing. Hopefully!

Like other posters I love it when I have worn an item enough that it needs chucking or turning into rags rather than charity shop. It shows it's had a life well lived.

I also have a friend who mends stuff for me which is useful. She also helps me chop band t shirts into slightly cropped t shirts which makes them lots more wearable.

I keep anything that fits and isn't stained/ ripped etc.

There almost no movement in my wardrobe at the moment. I spent the last handful of years massively changing my style, so i got rid of loads. I also have limited space and now that's pretty full so if i get something it really needs to be useful. I see a lot of things i like but when i go to buy it i remember all the lovely things i already own. Everything is in great condition. So I can then step away from the urge to buy. I also don't have clothes for hard labour. I never do this. But if i had to garden or wash the car or something i would be wearing clothes i love. I do wash my dog, and I clean my home and I'm very careful with cleaning products!

I regularly sift through my clothes and give things I no longer wear to a charity shop. I’d rather someone else get pleasure from them than just have them in my wardrobe when I’ve tired of them.

I don't really 'get bored' of clothes. I don't expect my clothes to fill me with excitement. Generally either they don't fit well anymore, or something has happened to make them no longer wearable. Some things I bought because I needed something like X in a hurry, so when I got something I liked more that was similar, the thing that was tolerable but not great was no longer needed. Often it hangs around 'just in case' for a while.

I would say that stylistically the only things that I really just rejected at one point were: women's trousers, for pathetic pocket space, and tops cut lower than the collar bones.