How many clothes does a lady really need? Help

floss2

I had a big sort out last week (while DH was away & couldn't see what I had pulled out of the wardrobes & suitcases ) and took 3 bin bags to my local BHF shop.....

then I took another bag of shoes & bags to my local Sue Ryder shop....

then I took another bag of assorted stuff to my local hospice shop...

and in each shop I bought something because I felt guilty about leaving empty handed

I'm not sure which Barbie I am - any suggestions?!

sonastin

Ahh 73 pairs of tights. Sounds about right. I can no longer put socks in my sock drawer because it is overflowing with tights. Can't actually close it either because the tights have fallen out the back! Keep thinking I need to work out which are laddered, which are about to ladder and which are good. But I never do. And then when I'm going out somewhere where I want to look nice, I end up buying new tights because I don't want to wear ones that are about to fall apart.

The socks now live on the same shelf in the wardrobe as my underwear, because my underwear drawer is having the same problem.

Perhaps I should throw the lot away and start from scratch?!

butler_helen

sonastin wrote: »

Perhaps I should throw the lot away and start from scratch?!

I did this less than a year ago and still have the same problem... but I don't remember buying any new ones!

Although I am quite good at binning grotty and laddered tights, I have loads of new ones, as the end of line M&S sale was so good last year and I always find myself reaching for a new pair, rather than re-using the old ones.

That was until the cats slept in the tights drawer and Jasper took great delight in ripping lots of pairs. :eek: he's still not been forgiven. Albeit a quite way to declutter... I wonder if he'd use his claws on my wardrobe .... decluttering roulette!:rotfl:

lizzyb1812

OK - I've done it - thrown away several pairs of socks with holes in the toes without putting them into a "to be darned" pile because I've still got enough other ones to get through several weeks without washing any. Cottony ones have of course been cut off at the heel and slit to be used as rags.

For weeks I've been thinking "darn or replace" but now they've gone :T

Blouses next - stopped working in an office over a year ago and haven't worn one since so why am I hanging on to 24?

Not sure this is helping the OP but it seems to be helping a lot of the rest of us :T

kazmeister

Love this thread and the interesting views. Ihad a major clear out recently of both mine and DH's stuff but we did it together. He's a definite hoarder and has kept stuff for years that i wouldnt let him be seen dead in. We went through the list

is it in good condition, no holes, no marks or stains
does it fit properly/look good on
do I like it
does the other half like it

If the answer to any of those was no it went. Its surprising how much stuff we got rid of. It was also surprising to have the others opinion as often I thought something looked good and he didnt and vice versa.

I cannot however let go of my underwear collection. Underwear has to match, cant go out of the house without it matching. At the last count I had 89 sets and I'm sure I've bought since . I must have every shape and colour and pattern under the sun and I always try and match the colours to that of my clothing. Am I a hoarder if it all gets worn :cool:.:cool:

YORKSHIRELASS

Oh this thread is great - and its made me realise something.

The reason my drawers and wardrobes are stuffed full of clothes that I never wear is because they dont fit with my lifestyle - but I would like them to.

I am a carer and spend 80% of my time at home. No-one sees me and I need to be comfortable so mostly its jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt and a fleece or a sweatshirt.

My cupboards are full of pretty blouses and tops, nice knitwear, skirts and trousers that I would love to wear but they dont really fit with my lifestyle.

The sensible thing to do would be to ebay it all and buy some nice jeans and tops that I can wear every day. But I just dont want to do that!

I sometimes wish that I could ditch all my clothes and start again.

calicocat

Well.......I have made a small start...

Have thrown out 11 pairs of socks that were past their best. Next is knickers then bras.:T.

The trouble will start when I get to larger items and get the 'look and put back' disease:)

queena987

budgetboo wrote: »

The Queen reuses outfits.

My estimate for the average lady.

inter - One decent top coat for employment & respectable events. Pref black or navy in case you have to attend a funeral.
One decent anorak type jacket for leisure activities.
2 pairs black trousers for the office
3-5 nice blouses for the office
A couple of toasty jackets/cardies for the office
2 pairs jeans for leisure/school run
4 fleece jumpers for bitter cold.
hat/scarf/gloves.
shoes for the office
good pair of boots for bitter cold

Summer
3 or 4 T-shirts light tops
A couple of skirts/shorts
pair of crocs/sandals for leisure
shoes for the office
smart dress and cardie for nuptials/christenings etc
bathing suit.
layer up by using cold eather garments if you have to
raincoat

A little black dress for "events".
PJ's
1 back bra, 1 hite bra
7 pairs of knickers
7 pairs toasty socks
summer socks/tights.
A couple of aprons.

A sahm or retired bod can have less office stuff and more leisure gear, there'll be slight variations dependent on lifestyle. Trainers for the sporty etc.

This list above is likely more than your Gran had. Choose classic styles and not high fashion & you reduce the clutter.

I am agree with you!! Good post

black_cat

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Oh this thread is great - and its made me realise something.

The reason my drawers and wardrobes are stuffed full of clothes that I never wear is because they dont fit with my lifestyle - but I would like them to.

I am a carer and spend 80% of my time at home. No-one sees me and I need to be comfortable so mostly its jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt and a fleece or a sweatshirt.

My cupboards are full of pretty blouses and tops, nice knitwear, skirts and trousers that I would love to wear but they dont really fit with my lifestyle.

The sensible thing to do would be to ebay it all and buy some nice jeans and tops that I can wear every day. But I just dont want to do that!

I sometimes wish that I could ditch all my clothes and start again.

Instead of getting rid of everything couldn't you still wear some of it? You could wear your nice knitwear with your jeans and still feel comfortable. Are your trousers comfortable? Could you wear them instead of jeans? You see yourself, even if no-one else does!

GreyQueen

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Oh this thread is great - and its made me realise something.

The reason my drawers and wardrobes are stuffed full of clothes that I never wear is because they dont fit with my lifestyle - but I would like them to.

I am a carer and spend 80% of my time at home. No-one sees me and I need to be comfortable so mostly its jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt and a fleece or a sweatshirt.

My cupboards are full of pretty blouses and tops, nice knitwear, skirts and trousers that I would love to wear but they dont really fit with my lifestyle.

The sensible thing to do would be to ebay it all and buy some nice jeans and tops that I can wear every day. But I just dont want to do that!

I sometimes wish that I could ditch all my clothes and start again.

I once read a book called Orchids on Your Budget? which was written by an American fashion journalist in the years immediately after the Great Depression when a lot of formerly-affluent women were having to make do with a fraction of their former income. There was a very memorable line in there about how most women would love to be left "naked with a cheque book" to start again from scratch.

You might also want to wander across to missminimalist.com and read what she has to say about "fantasy selves". You know, those people who inhabit our heads and lead a very different life from the boring ones we're actually saddled with, and who require clothes and other acoutrements for that life, which end up cluttering our living space.

Being a saddo, my fantasy self would by Hiking Barbie. Now I do hike, several times a year. I do require boots, and waterproofs, and fleece things and.....and.....and......I have had to de-bookmark the Rohan website and hide my Go Outdoors membership card (the burgers keep sending me catalogues which I refuse to open lest I be tempted). I have enough "technical" outdoorsy clothes to last for several years and really don't need any more. But how lovely is microfleece? Let me count the ways........