Decluttering help/advice needed re: clothes

electric_comperella

Hey guys

Now I know there are various decluttering threads, but they're a little quiet of late and I need pronto advice

Firstly I'd like to say thanks in advance if you offer any tips or advice, MSE forummers really are the best and so helpful :A

Here's the problem;

I have a house that's bursting at the seems with clothes bought in my less than frugal days .... now they're nothing special - generally just high street rubbish in multiples...

How do I declutter them without wasting the money that was spent initially....

I just don't want to end up having to buy things again when I sold or got rid of them for a song...or have wasted all the money I spent initially buying them

all any advice greatly appreciated

thanks xxx

Linda32

This is what I would do, firstly sort into summer and winter clothes.

Then pack the summer clothes in a suitcase and put these in the loft, if thats possible.

Then lay your winter clothes on the bed and make up outfits. A pair of trousers with a jumper for example. Make sure you have enough layers for the weather.

Then put the top and bottom on the wardrobe and make another pairing. Carry on until your all done.

Only keep things that you are sure you will wear again.

Don't keep anything "for best", because you'll find that it never comes around.

I tend to make pairings like this as I put clothes away. Then when you get dressed in the morning, just choose the next pairing for that day.

HTH

Gingerbiscuit_2

Guess you have to ask yourself whats more important to declutter a little or not to waste any money? I always wear black tops I had a clear out and found that I had like six identical black jumpers I kept four and think sold one nice one and gave one away.

Anything not to worn that you can sell is good or else charity shop. You will need to pull out things and pile up so you can see what you have, you may get through say 20white tshirts in the next five years but maybe not 30! Fashions and sizes change so I think it is impossible to wear anything you own till its threadbear if you house is that full!

electric_comperella

Yeah the threadbare comment rings true gingerbiscuit...

the realisation that I could be wearing the same clothes 'til I'm 80 and still not wearing them out...!

redlady_1

If it hasnt been worn for a year then out it goes in my house. And no point in keeping clothes that dont fit either. Be ruthless.

serious_saver

I had a bit of a problem with old clothes too. Mostly because they didn't fit any more. A friend suggested a swapping party and we now do this every few months.

Everyone sorts through the things they no longer want/use (also applies for unwanted accessories, Christmas presents etc) we take them to one persons house, we have a bit of a party with wine and nibbles and a swap shop! Anything that is left behind that nobody really wants will go into a bag for charity.

It's a good excuse to get together with friends and, even though you won't make back the money you spent, you may come away with something that is actually of use to you. The rest goes to charity so you can have that lovely warm feeling.

Aarons_mummy

I would say to sort everything out into either summer or winter. Either a suitcase or a vacuum bag (£1 shop does these and they hold a ton!) and then you can swap them round twice a year. Anything that you definately won't wear get rid of, either charity shop, sell or a swap party is a good idea unless you are into crafts and can use the material for various things.

T-shirts, especially plain ones are good for round the house, pairing with trousers of various colours. Anything flamboyant and that I bought because it was in fashion I tend to get rid of because I didn't buy it for a specific purpose just because it was cheap or whatever. Classic items are always a good thing to keep in the cupboard at all times.

Another way to get rid is to put some things that you're unsure about to one side, in a basket or whatever and after say 2 or 3 months whatever you haven't worn get rid of. A full wardrobe is good but if it's full of stuff you won't wear it's pointless.

Oh and thanks! I'm going to have a sort through mine again and see if there's anything I can get rid of, I barely use a lot of what I have!!

kitschkitty

Great tips already. I would add - think about how you organise and store your clothes. e.g I organise my wardrobe by jumpers, tops then trousers and tops are all organised by colour. Makes it easy at a glance to see what I have. Also make sure you have enough hangers so stuff doesn't end up dumped on a chair/floor/in a basket.

Also if you are tempted to keep buying stuff, be sure to think what will it go with (that you already own), and don't buy things that won't go with items already in your wardrobe.

Some people also stick to a 1 in 1 out rule, if they want to buy something new.

CH27

I split my clothes into summer & winter & store the out of season ones in a large suitcase.
When I get them out I check if they fit & look decent & wash them.

BitterAndTwisted

Eh, you've already wasted the money by buying things you don't actually need. As advised split everything up into winter and summer. Put away all the summer things. Then make three piles: keep and wear, ebay/charity shop, chuck. Anything that doesn't fit well, doesn't flatter, doesn't go with anything else, hasn't been worn the last two winters or is a duplicate is not a keeper. Even if you only get a pound per item on ebay that's a pound you haven't wasted.

meritaten

one thing I would say - sort out the classic clothes and keep them, especially black ones- sounds awful but they do come in handy for funerals. Then when sorting the other stuff, try putting 'outfits' together - bit difficult to explain, but what I do,is take say a skirt or trousers and then 'trying' different tops with them! Get your basics (classics) then try out combinations you have never worn them in. If a top or bottom doesnt go with anything it goes in the 'chuck out' bag. Then either ebay, car boot or charity shop them! or offer them to friends, as others have said - a swap meet can be fun and you can aquire more stuff (keeping in mind your basic wardrobe).