New years resolution - wear ALL the clothes in my wardrobe

[therealmccoy1234]

Not outfits based on whether they need ironing, if I wore it last time I saw that person, how long it takes to dry in the winter etc etc Felt like a bit of a fraud the first time I wore some trousers that I usually save "for best" but I'm loving it! Trying to do a no spend 2026 and think this will help. Will be interesting to see if there's things I hardly ever reach for and whether there are any genuine gaps - expect there'll be a decent sized donation pile at the end of the year. Had anyone else done this before?

I love this idea. It will help you rediscover old favourites and focus on what is outdated, doesn't work for you etc. By the end you will have a very good idea what you need for a wardrobe refresh, or whether you need one at all, just to wear things in different combinations. My suggestion would be to find some way of remembering the results, such as turning the hangers around, hanging in different sections or something, because I know that for me, by the time I got to the end of my wardrobe, I'd have forgotten what I wanted to do about the clothes I wore at the start!

Love this and trying to do the same.
One of my issues is having hoarded some beautiful posh do dresses over the years that I can’t bear to part with. But sadly I never go to any posh dos…
Maybe I should reinvent that Covid thing where people were doing the bins in evening wear 😂

I think, for me, this is linked to the 'stop saving for best' thread which i'm also on.

I'm doing only ok i'd say....i'm still slobbing around the house in the worst stuff & really should invest in a couple of decent joggers & hoodies from Primark or h&m etc & throw out the disgraceful stuff i currently wear.

For various reasons we were in a v hard fiancial place the past 2 years. And i had a v v low / no buy embargo & being honest the fact that i kept my clothes in good nick & didn't wear them at home doing housework etc really saved my mental well-being at times. Because it meant when i did get dressed to go to work or to meet a friend etc i had decent, nice looking stuff to wear & it raised my spirits enormously.

I really did the 'wear my wardrobe' thing over those years, particularly last year. And it was fun to reinvent much older items in new ways.

We're in a far better position this year & i have really taken advantage of the january sales to restock my wardrobe & it's so great.

I found that i have been buying with my existing clothes in mind because i've been in that minsdet & that's new for me, not just picking individual items because i love them but considering if i can wear it in multiple ways.

For example i bought an expensive midi skirt but worked out 3 ways to wear it from v dressy to more casual including the footwear etc so i am trying to plan tat i don't wear it once to dinner & then it sits in the wardrobe for a year...

Omg the bins in evening wear!!! So much madness.

You probably feel much better buying the new stuff with intention than you would have five years ago with a 'yeah this will do' attitude?

@Missingpate i also have beautiful dresses but i really love knowing i have them.

I went on a city break with dh recently & brought some of my dresses & actually wore them to dinner each night & felt fantastic! I stopped worrying about being overdressed. I wasn't wearing a ball gown or floral wedding guest number (i don't own either) or anything like that! But old me would probably have looked around & thought nah i'll wear my jeans & nice blouse..

Can you see if by adding boots / oversized slouchy jumper or cardigan can you restyle any of your good dresses?

@therealmccoy1234 I love this thread idea. Will you keep it updated and share revelations please?

I really do.

2 years of tough times definitely gives me a different perspective.

The other observation i have is that i have always been drawn to higher end high street stuff, i'm not into designer names, but do like clothes from places like Sezane, me+em, maje etc & they have lasted v v well. As i said in previous post, i mind them & don't wear them doing housework or watching tv etv

So even though i could potentially have bought more things in cheaper shops for more instant gratification when times were lean, i didn't. I tracked stuff in sales & made a tiny amount of purchases of more costly items but made sure they worked with what i already have.

And that approach has stuck...and i'm delighted!

Love the idea of dressing some only them down a bit and will definitely do that! Some are still
on the far too dressy side, though - holding out for that elusive occasion!

Love this thread. Can I ask @2026IsMyYear to drop a link to the ‘for best’ thread you mentioned please?

@Missingpate i also found that the dresses work by adding new updates shoes / boots / sandals..

And i really love knowing that i have a perfect outfit ready to go if i get invited to a party / wedding / cocktails / whatever because i find its more difficult to find exactly the right thing for an event more difficult than buying regular clothes.

And that's where the 'it'll do' purchases can creep in for me.

I have about 9 or 10 beautuful dresses & a selection of ankle boots / long boots & shoes i can pull out instantly if we're invited to an event. It gives me great satisfaction knowing that

Last year when funds were super tight i had some birthday money & i bought a beautiful dress in the summer sales in Reformation. It is a perfect dress!

I had no particular place / event to wear it & dh asked would i not prefer to get 2 or 3 more everyday items given the non existant budget i had.

I hung the dress on the outside of my wardrobe for weeks after i got it & each time i saw it my heart lifted - it signalled that things would not always be this hard, that when an invitation came i would be ready & not making do, that no matter how hard the moment was there's alwats room for beauty

I don't regret that dress for a moment & look forward to wearing it again this year

@SoScarletItWas it's actually Style Goals 2026 thread

I am also doing this this year. I have bought very carefully/intentionally for a long time now, and I have good clothes that I have kept over a decade, sometimes two. I lost about 8kilos six years back and have kept it off, and that helped with bringing old friends in my wardrobe back into service.

Last year I bought a few new things: shirts, two dresses, a skirt, a jumper, a jacket, a pair of boots. But I didn’t really get a lot of wear out of them. I have a good MaxMara jacket which needs altering to fit me really well and then I will want to wear it.

So I am being strict with my shopping list this year- only replacing things like underwear, sandals- and I will wear my clothes! I was thinking that a steamer might encourage me to wear my nice shirts, for example (easier than ironing, and maybe kinder on the clothes? ) and I would benefit from making more plans to get out and about rather than mooch around the house/garden/neighbourhood with the dog!

@BigSkies2022 i too am losing weight slowly. 1.5stones last year & about 10lbs to go

This will unlock my whole wardrobe to me & i'm really looking forward to that

Found it, thanks!

Thank you for starting this thread, it’s made me decide to take action!
I go through my wardrobe every now and then and try to apply the ‘if you haven’t worn it in a year, ditch it’ rule. But then keep those items ‘just in case’. I am going to force myself to wear the the things I hardly ever wear/haven’t worn, and then force myself to sell or donate if I can’t find an occasion to wear them within a reasonable timescale.

Brilliant idea. And time to take a long hard look at things you don’t want to wear right now ….

While i agree with past 2 posters to a degree, i am not a fan of culling everything i don't wear for a while

If its because its worn, shabby or i never loved it in the first place then yes, i'll let it go. For me these tend to be relatively easy to replace items.

But if its something unique or i adored it & it just fell out of favour then i am a big fan of holding onto it particularly if it was not easily replaced

Last year i found a new way to incorporate a chunky knit into a new outfit & it gave it a whole lease of life. I'd had that knit about 15 years but it was special when i bought it & i would never find the same again today

I have given away some stuff & regretted it

i think there is a balance to be had. Sometimes there are pieces that only suit certain occasions but you’d be happy to wear again, for example. I’ll still hold onto those. But I definitely have too many that aren’t particularly special that don’t wear, so am definitely going to adopt a ‘use or lose’ approach for those.

I appreciate we can't keep everything but I strongly agree with this sentiment.

Some of my favourite things at the moment had spent the last 10-20-30 years in the cupboard (Levi flares, Gap Long n' Lean jeans, long denim skirt, Brora round-neck cardigan, long leather coat).

I've also spent ages looking for a replica of an ankle length, straight, narrowish skirt in a heavy cotton from La Redoute that I got rid of in the 90s. Finally settled for one in the Toast sale but I've paid £95. Don't be me.

Love the ideas on here, I keep things for best, and yes they hardly get worn, so this year I'm going to try and wear everything I own over the year, and then decide weather I feel good in it or not, if it's not then I will donate or resell.

Ooh I'm glad other people are doing this too. I've ordered my clothes into sections - knitwear, plain tees, graphic tees, vests, blouses etc and put the least worn items at the front of each section. Am going to take from the front and then put back at the other end to push the other bits forward into vision. I'm so guilty of the "that'll do" mindset. No more! Also gym wear is now only for exercise and I've gathered a few bits that are unflattering and don't make me feel great that I'll wear for housework. Actually excited about getting dressed again!

I've got 6 dresses that I've worn to weddings and posh events. Have kept 3 which are block colours and still fit well and given the other 3 which are patterned (so I'm thinking more memorable) and/or a bit ill-fitting to the charity shop near me that does formal wear. Going to look out for someone wearing them on bin day 😂

I'll join too please! It seems a lot of us have taken the same bug. I have been clearing my wardrobe over the last few weeks, either to vinted or the charity shop. I have lost weight too so once again fit into some bits I really like but have also accepted others I was keeping are no longer for me (a coral, Yumi jersey blazer - sob).

There are a few things that I'm holding onto (royal blue oversized cotton shirt) that I love in theory but I know just don't work for me. I have filled some gaps on vinted (my oasis pleather mini that was awaiting my smaller arse has fallen apart and a pair of leather trousers I couldn't justify spending £200 on when I didn't know how they'd actually wear) and some new underwear.

I'm guilty of the all day gym wear too as I walk the dog early everyday and try to get to the gym or run at some point too. I downloaded Whering last week and it's making me conscious of actually wearing my clothes and what I like as outfits. I'm looking forward to wearing what I have already, especially the good stuff (to walk the dog 😁), and being more thoughtful about any new stuff.

My ‘Where My Wardrobe’ item tomorrow is a leopard dress and brown knee boots. I’m WFH with a quick outing to the dentist so it’s a low-risk day to discover why I don’t like either of them 🤣 (when I consider leopard a neutral and wear it a lot!).