How many clothes are really necessary? Wardrobes overflowing

Scrimps

I think I have 2-3 'sets' of usual clothes - i.e. around the house, gardening. Its just jeans and a hoddie and t-shirts (approx 10) / vests (aprrox 10) - stored kondo style. 1 checked shirt and 3 woolen jumpers - that dont get worn that much as cat hair stick to them and they look bad so they're for special only. I have approx 5 shirts, 1 cardie (partnered with vests) and 3 pairs of black trousers for work. I have 2 going out tops - they never actually see the light of day as I dont really go out. I have some cycling gear but I have found that I mostly wear merino wool which cross purposes to around the house wear and doesnt need washing much. I do have a bit of a summer wardrobe but that usually ends up being jeans/cords and a nice broderie (?) or 'gypsey' type top. I do still have 3 pairs of bootleg trousers I bought about 5 years ago stored under the bed that I nearly managed to get into once, I think I keep them to keep the hope alive - they would make nice going out trousers.;)

I really like not having much clothing now. Before we moved we had loads of 'stuff' - 2 of us filled a 3 bed house and garage and it was a pain to move it all. After we relocated we had pretty much no money,lots of my stuff was given away or sold because we needed space, and things just got whittled down, clothing wasnt replaced if it didnt need to be and clothes actually started to ware out! That had never happened before!! I have just worn out one pair of jeans and bought one pair to replace them, it got me thinking of getting some workwear trousers from a hardware store, I actually like the style and do seem to be getting through jeans a bit too quickly, I could keep jeans for light daily activity and use the workwear stuff for the gardening etc. I dont have any occaision dresses as I sold them, I had worn them to at least 3 weddings/christenings each so will buy new for a wedding I am attending this year.

However, it is not for everyone. I would prefer some nicer bits for going out in the evening and do aim to buy some in the january sales, once I have the money to go out I will have the money to buy something to wear I guess. Also, I dont like the faff of getting ready, too much choice = too much stress to me, when I had lots of clothes before, I wore the same thing over and over again anyway so anything more just seemed wasteful.

Its not for eveyone though, the lady I work with has loads and loads of clothes but she always has an outfit to wear, for me, finding something to wear that isnt jeans and a jumper is actually a bit of a struggle and I have to go and shop for it.

Lots of suggestions above, if it doesnt get worn, sell it, even if its only for pennies, it is out of your house and you have a little money and space back. Treat it as a process but if you actually love something I dont think you should feel bad about keeping it. I have 2 handbags, I use 1 only (job interviews and funerals seems to be its sole purpose), the other one I keep because I LOVE it, it was only £4 from a charity shop, its not good quality, it will probably never be used, but I LOVE it. so I keep it:D

jackyann

I came at this from a different angle. Yes, sort through everything and donate / sell anything that you are really never going to wear.
But then - as you have some space - sort everything into categories. I did this just after retiring.
For each category - best example is Tshirts: sort out "this year's" or "this season's" for wearing, and pack away (vac pack is good, otherwise box or drawer, and make sure you use moth repellant) the rest.

Around the house & garden, I wear old clothes - not usually dreadful, but not really nice enough to go out in. So on the go, I probably have 3 or 4 "old" T shirts and 3 or 4 tops that are nice enough to go out in. The rest are packed away, labelled so they come out when I need more, or if I need something particular.

This way, I get the full wear out of everything I have bought or made, but don't have to battle through it all every day. I retired 6 years ago, and have just this summer, bought 2 new Tshirts.

I keep "occasion" clothes for ages, and don't worry if I rarely wear them. The beautiful duster coat I made for DS' graduation 20 years ago has been worn about 4-5 times, but I don't get rid of it. I have worn the same dress, made out of beautiful silk crepe just after I retired, to several weddings (and actually 2 funerals as well!) why not?

But, rather like Ann Marie, I don't worry about "fashion" - just stick to my "style".

lessonlearned

I now come at this from a different angle too because in the past I have followed the "if you havent worn it in a while then dispose of it rule" and then bitterly regretted it.

I don't think it matters how long you keep clothes and how infrequently you might wear them - if you love them keep them - especially occasion wear. As jackyann says it doesn't matter if you wear the same thing - a fabulous outfit is a fabulous outfit no matter what.

I parted with some stunning evening dresses because "I no longer go anywhere". Ha. Fast forward a few years and then I went on a cruise and had to buy new ones. And......they weren't nearly as nice as the ones I had given away.

Edit out the frumpy, the unattractive, the stuff that doesn't fit properly (those jeans) the mistakes, but keep the rest. Seriously if you like it keep it. I have things I have had for years and I still wear them.

When my mum died we had her cremated in her favourite dress. It was 25 years old. She would have been pleased.

I really regret parting with some of my clothes, I won't ever be silly like that again.

The one exception is shoes, if they hurt me then I get rid. A few months ago I got rid of 7 pairs of shoes, hardly worn but they crippled me. I have gradually replaced them with beautiful and rather more expensive shoes that are stylish and more importantly - comfortable. I know I will wear them to death.

My advice is only get rid of the dross - keep some of it back for dirty jobs like gardening and decorating and then just make sure you wear your nice things more often.

And..........Don't always save stuff "for best" - you should be "your best" all the time.

rosie383

OP, have a read of the Kondo thread. Once I had been on there and read the book, my wardrobe shrunk dramatically. More surprisingly my dh who had the full to bursting wardrobes and drawers, also culled his too which shocked me. We now only have things which we like and which fit. We have space in all of the wardrobes etc and can see what is there. I also think before I buy something, usually in a charity shop or car boot, if I actually do need it and will got the wear out of it, rather than just if it is cheap and fits me.

ripplyuk

I've read Marie Kondo's book last year but it wasn't a great success. If I got rid of everything that didn't 'fill me with joy', I'd be naked! I don't really have anything that I feel that strongly about. I think clothes for me are just functional, and practical. Although, I like to look reasonably well dressed. Actually, the book might have made the problem worse because I then went out and got more stuff that I thought 'filled me with joy', but doesn't really. It was just the newness of them I liked. I'm going to try putting whatever I wear each day in a seperate drawer, and then clear out the stuff I haven't worn at the end of the summer.

I've far too much casual clothes that I only wear around the house but I could do with a few nice outfits. Not fancy stuff, just nice enough for dinner with family or going to the cinema etc. Most of my clothes shopping is in charity shops which can mean I end up with even more casual stuff. I'm obviously not very good at choosing what to buy. Has anyone used the department store personal shoppers? I think if I had a few nice things, it would be easier to get rid of all the junk.

MallyGirl

I have been actively losing weight and used this as a drive to sort out my wardrobe. I emptied the entire lot on the bed and then evaluated each item, trying them all on. Anything that was too big went as it would be too easy to move back into wearing them and have the weight sneak back on. Anything I couldn't see me wearing - or never had worn and still had label attached after several years - went.
I ebayed the good stuff and made a couple of hundred quid and the rest went to CS. I got rid of about 10 pairs of jeans!
I got rid of several pairs of shoes I had bought because I needed them rather than liked them - with size 9 feet I can't be that picky. They always sell on ebay and more than once have been posted out to squaddies at various barracks!!!!
It was all very liberating.
My wardrobe is now organised, I can find things, and the clothes don't get crushed.
I do have another wardrobe with 'posh' stuff, work suits (rarely need these days but I would hate to have to buy another one if it was a requirement), evening dresses and some summer wear that is kept for holidays to Muslim countries - we have been to Oman a couple of times and hope to go again and it is important to cover shoulders, knees, collarbones etc but it gets darned hot too.

rosie383

Mallygirl, I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. So I got rid of all of my 'big' clothes. And like you, have bought things in the past just because they fitted. Not anymore!

OP, if you use the personal shoppers, then surely you will just be adding to the ever-increasing pile of clothes!
I don't think that is the answer. Like you, I'm not overly bothered about clothes, but when I did the Kondo thing I just honestly asked myself... Does it fit? Do I like wearing it? If things didn't fall into these categories, then I just got rid of them. Some ebayed, some to charity shop, some to clothes for cash places.
If you already have lots of t-shirts in all different colours, do you really need them all? Why not keep a few in colours which are most useful to you and which make you happy when you wear them. Get rid of all the things which annoy you when you wear them. We all have things like that. They are the wrong shape, or the wrong size. And before you buy something else even in a charity shop, have a think if you really do need it.

pigpen

none are really necessary..

though in the interests of warmth you may want some.

I wear the same stuff year round, until it falls to bits.. I just add layers.. long sleeve tops and jumpers and socks in winter

cyantist

In a couple of weeks I'm going to start on a big throwing out mission.

My plan is to throw item of clothing I own into a big pile and grab maybe 6 items at random, 2 I get to keep, 1 gets chucked straight away and the rest go into a maybe pile. Then I'll do the same with everything in the maybe pile.

My problem is I have so many items which were bought on holiday, and although they no longer fit me or aren't practical I only have to see them in my drawer to remember the holiday and feel all happy.

I wonder if I could recycle them into something that I would use, like use several items to make a cushion cover.

Scrimps

ripplyuk wrote: »

I've read Marie Kondo's book last year but it wasn't a great success. If I got rid of everything that didn't 'fill me with joy', I'd be naked! I don't really have anything that I feel that strongly about. I think clothes for me are just functional, and practical. Although, I like to look reasonably well dressed. Actually, the book might have made the problem worse because I then went out and got more stuff that I thought 'filled me with joy', but doesn't really. It was just the newness of them I liked. I'm going to try putting whatever I wear each day in a seperate drawer, and then clear out the stuff I haven't worn at the end of the summer.

I've far too much casual clothes that I only wear around the house but I could do with a few nice outfits. Not fancy stuff, just nice enough for dinner with family or going to the cinema etc. Most of my clothes shopping is in charity shops which can mean I end up with even more casual stuff. I'm obviously not very good at choosing what to buy. Has anyone used the department store personal shoppers? I think if I had a few nice things, it would be easier to get rid of all the junk.

Most things dont 'spark joy' with me either, except that one handbag. Another method could help you is something I read in the money moustache website......would you buy it again now? You have to be pragmatic with yourself. You used the Kondo method to rationalise buying more stuff which isnt the point, so you need to be a bit more honest with yourself. 'Would I buy it now' meant that I got rid of some things that were alright at best, I must have liked them at the time, but if I had the money in my hand would I purchase it now? No. So I sold them, the attitude earned me a few hundred off ebay, paid off my overdraft and Im not missing what I sold.

You have stated that you need/would like some nicer clothes, the same boat I am in. When you go to a charity shop, why are you looking at the casual clothes? You have too many You dont need any, so you should stop doing that.

Identify what you need. Identify what you like and what looks good/fits. Remove the rest and stop buying more.....also stop rationalising buying more....even thought it is a charity shop purchase and therefore cheaper, its only a bargain if you get the use out of it.

A bit overly directive, sorry. Its the tone of the 'strong' inner voice I use to tell myself off for things like trying to justify keeping the trousers that I got n the sales even though they look 'meh' at best and I dont actually have any tops that look nice with them.