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Original poster

Is your wardrobe full of things you don't wear?

58 replies

Feelingoptimistic · 13/09/2009 21:33

I was doing bit of a wardrobe declutter today, trying to get rid of things I don't wear. I try to do this fairly often.

Anyway I always find that I even after doing this, I think I only wear about one third of the things I own. Because there are always things I don't wear, but can't bear to get rid of because they are still nice or fairly new, but I just don't want to wear them for some reason...

Is it just me or is this fairly normal?

OP posts:
LetThemEatCake · 13/09/2009 23:08

But I am Australian!! and we call them pants (or, as I prefer, a pant) over there!

and I did find it very odd, people referring to undies as pants when I first arrived on these shores.

TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench · 13/09/2009 23:14

Only kidding - of course you can call trousers whatever you like

DD has an American friend (age 7) who refers to her undies as "panties" which always makes me inwardly chuckle. I'm reminded of Stephen Fry talking about panty liners: " I assume a panty liner is something that lines a panty..."

Clary · 13/09/2009 23:14

I reckon it's pretty normal.

No point keeping them tho. Get rid!

I have a lot of clutter (keep artwork by DCs etc etc) but am genuinely good at clothes. About every 6 mo I go through an dlose anything not worn in past year (this allows for changing seasons).

Also if I buy sthg new, I try to get rid of something (eg if get new brown T-shirt, lose tatty one that has a mark that won't come out etc).

strumpetmajor, noooooo. When you get slim, you will want a whole load of nice new stuff, surely? Get rid of that depressing load of clothes you can't wear now and won't want to wear in future.

Actually tempted to do a wardrobe makeover now...bit late? Tomorrow then - the autumn does this to me

ROFL @ LTEC

happilyeverafter · 13/09/2009 23:22

I am cutthroat with my wardrobe and things have to earn their place.

I go through around once a month and put everything in order, refold knitwear etc. My friends assure me it borders on obsessive.

Anything that hasn't been worn for months goes to the charity shop, (obviously seasonal stuff like beach dresses don't apply here) anything that I buy a 'nicer but practically the same' piece of goes to charity shop, Anything that goes thin/shrinks/shabby goes straight in the bin, I can't bear clutter.

I do keep handbags and shoes much longer.

I would say that I wear 80% of my wardrobe the rest are very smart stuff that is for occasions or summer skirts/dresses that are only suitable for wearing a couple of months of the year.

I have about 5 clothing items that are more than 4 years old, after having DD most stuff didn't fit the same or I didn't feel nice in so it all went bar a few pieces.

It's lovely now as I can open my wardrobes and have a choice of what to wear instead of having to sift through undesirable/old stuff. I did used to be a hoarder pre kids, don't have time in a morning to mess about now.

LetThemEatCake · 13/09/2009 23:24

panties - just wrong!!

reminds me of sweaty, slightly dirty American teen movies "take off your panties" - up there with "titties"

shudders

purplepeony · 14/09/2009 08:02

The classic advice is if you haven't worn it for 2 years, ditch it.

That also goes for anything stained, frayed, too big, too small, dated, wrong colour etc etc.

I have pared my wardrobe down to about 7-8 pairs of trousers ( including 3 pairs jeans), about 4 skirts, ( 2 summer ones), 4 smart dresses- including 2 summer ones- and a range of cardis, jumpers, T shirts and camis, all in colours that tone with above. I've got 4 coats, including one classic knee length black crombie, 2 wool coats- one scruffy,two smart, and about 4 casual jackets.

Not sure if this is a capsule wardrobe or not!

NoahAmin · 14/09/2009 08:05

i think thats crap
and whenever I have done it I haev regretted it.
Have some stiacked mary janes in the loft I bought and hten never wore.
AM wearing this winter with work trousers.

i do think is a mistake keeping old suits once you give up work though.

Blackduck · 14/09/2009 08:15

I have waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much stuff and do regularly purge, but still find myself wearing jeans I bought 8 years ago!! However, I have tried to hang stuff together (all white shirts, all black trousers etc) in an attempt (usually vain) to stop me buying yet another one....Funny thing is when I go on holiday I pack really light and don't give a fig - I think I should just stop buying....

Romanarama · 14/09/2009 08:55

There's no way I'm chucking my Armani suits because I've stopped work. That would be devastating if I changed my mind and started again.

Bleh · 14/09/2009 10:50

Well, there's a whole section of the wardrobe that hardly ever gets a look in, but I have tried to thin it out and am working towards buy one thing, give something away. It is working in theory, but now I just have a bag of clothes that is cluttering up my room which needs to be taken to the clothing box thing across the street. I could NEVER do the capsule wardrob thing (as much as I love Gok Wan). Would be too boring.

MarshaBrady · 14/09/2009 10:54

Yes but beautiful stuff that I will wear one day, when not pregnant.

No way I am throwing it away.

eyes up unworn Vivienne Westwood dress, narrows eyes at potential moth bastards.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 14/09/2009 11:16

I have loads of clothes but I always regret it when I give something away. There is loads of stuff I don't wear for various reasons but I can't bear to part with much.

I gave away a wool jacket to the charity shop a couple of years back having grown too large for it. I've regretted it ever since, now being a bit slimmer.

Most things go up in the loft and every now and again I'll have a dig around up there and get a few bits down again.

BerylCole · 14/09/2009 11:40

I stop wearing stuff when I buy newer, nicer things. But I dont throw them out, because I know that when my 'new' things become 'old', my 'old' stuff that I havent worn for ages will seem more appealing. Fickle!

frakkinpannikin · 14/09/2009 12:31

Yes, mostly because they don't fit but I can't bear to get rid of them (in case I put on loads and loads of weight again )

Stephief · 14/09/2009 13:13

Very normal I would say!

I have just moved house and parted with virtually all the clothes in my wardrobe. Including all the clothes I had bought for 'when I lose the weight' I am never likley to lose since having four kids!

It felt like I had cut my arm off, but at least the clothes will get some use at the charity shop!

And I get loads more wardrobe space to fill up with lovely new clothes that I can actually wear!

mrstimlovejoy · 14/09/2009 14:21

i cleared out my wardrobe last week as had bedroom decorated so decided for a fresh start with everything took 3 bags to the clothing bank now i need to buy some new clothes
yesterday made a start on dd's clothes that are boxed up in the loft so far took 2 bags to clothing bank,3 bags to ebay or car boot and 1 bag of things i can't bear to part with.
i want to get back in the loft to carry on but won't go up unless dh is here have a fear of being trapped up there

TrillianAstra · 14/09/2009 14:25

Have to admit when I got back from NZ after a month it was nice to have different things to wear (even though I'd taken a massive bag).

I think I need more things, not less.

NewbeeMummy · 14/09/2009 15:11

Did a big clear out when I moved house, put all my clothes I hadn't worn for over a year in big boxes and took them down to the local charity shop - only one problem.... I also put all my summer clothes that I wanted to keep in one box to unpack later when the weather warmed up - and accidentally took that box to the charity shop too

Sadly when I went to offer to buy them back, they had sent them all to a central distribution centre, still miss some of my more girlie tops

MrsSeanBean · 14/09/2009 15:20

Decluttering is an emotional minefield for me.

There is a law which says that after giving away any item which has lain unworn for years, it will, the following week, suddenly feel 'right' again, or be in Vogue as the next big thing (case in point: grey tweed).

I once ebayed a favourite skirt, deeply regretted it, and rebought an identical one (untold delight emoticon) a few months later in a charity shop!

Original poster
Feelingoptimistic · 14/09/2009 15:55

I always find that even when things come back into fashion, they are always a bit different. So an item which is a few years old will often not look "quite right". There are, of course, exceptions to this...

OP posts:
SolidGoldBrass · 14/09/2009 16:16

I have lots of clothes. In fact, nearly half my wardrobe is probably older than most of you. I get rid of things when they are too wrecked to wear any more, mostly (hideously stained or simply falling to bits) when they really don't fit and are not likely to again (annoyingly, I have been wrong about this more than once) or when I'm utterly sick of them, which takes a minimum of 5 years.
But then I have never been given any advice on clothing that wasn't wank (and I have been given plenty, none of which was ever actually wanted) - all 'fashion advice' is for people who want to look Just Like Other People and that is No Fun.
I do remember that when DS was a newborn and he and I were living with my parents, I had about one suitcase-and-half's worth of clothes, the rest being put into storage. I think I ditched about 60% of those clothes when I finally got access to the rest of my wardrobe because I was so utterly sick of them.

MrsBoo · 14/09/2009 16:25

Mine is, but as we are about to sell up and move out into rented probably I am going to thin it all out.
It is full of stuff which i considered too good to throw out and I have been too lazy to get it to the charity or re-cycling.

bodeniites · 14/09/2009 17:13

i would say that is perfectly normali need new clothes especially tops i have about 6 tops to my name and 3 pairs of trousers and jeans that i wear on a regular basis lots of gorgeous shoes i cant wear as i cant seem to wear heels any more vast collection of coats i wear them all in the Winter wohoo bring t on ...hate panties too yuk

Fruitbeard · 14/09/2009 20:35

My excuse is I do amdram so I need to keep everything I've ever bought, ever, just in case we do a play set in that specific era... (DH has bought this so far, I'm not going to be the one that points out I've actually only used about 5 items of clothing in this manner over the last 10 years)

stringbean · 14/09/2009 22:23

I have been forced to de-clutter my clothes on a regular basis as, until recently, I have had to share a small wardrobe with dh. Admittedly, my stuff took up 80% of the space, but my rule has been, 'if I buy something new, something old has to go to make room for it', so I've acquired quite a cut-throat attitude.

Getting rid of stuff on eBay is always good - even if it's just a few quid, it's more money than the item will earn you sitting unworn in your wardrobe. However, I can see it all going downhill now as we have recently finished our bedroom (hmm, only took 7 years), so now I have my own wardrobe. And hey, dh's wardrobe is mostly empty now, so lots more room for my stuff!!