How
long should you keep clothes? Do you
have a criteria for disposing, recycling, or donating old clothes and
accessories? Should you? How do you define “old” clothes? I know that’s hard these days because some 3600 fashions
could help you make a case for holding on to your clothes… forever! Or at least until you finally gain or lose those extra pounds.
So again I ask, when is an item too old to hold on to? I probably purge more than the average person because I shop often and don’t like a closet in disarray… It reminds me of a time when my sister talked me into shopping at a ‘fire sale” in Poplarville, Mississippi. Three words to describe the scene: A HOT MESS!
I use a 3D approach for purging my closet:
Dispose
- items that
have been in the “repair” bin for more than a year or are un-repairable. Before you toss it, take off the buttons and
put them in your button organizer.
Donate - items you’ve stopped wearing
or have never worn (for whatever reason) in the last 12-18 months.
Do-over – items that are dated, but in
very good condition and can be restyled or tailored for a new and updated
look. For instance, shorten a long
skirt. Shorten and cuff a pair of pants
or jeans. Add a jeweled necklace to a top.
While
the picture above is from the 70’s, there are actually items that can be worn today.
The pants may go in the donate pile, but the flower??? Flowers are back and they’re everywhere-- purses,
shoes, jewelry, prints, belts, hats… I
took my mom to Sam Moon today because she wanted to buy some MORE flower accessories
for her hair.
When
you’re trying to determine if an item is too old to hold simply ask yourself, is
this something I should Dispose? Donate? or Do-over?
Useful and thoughtful tips that I think a lot of women should take heed. Well done.
ReplyDeletei'm a chronic purger too. i'd rather see fewer clothes that i actually wear vs. alot of stuff that'll never see the light of day.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time letting go of my older clothes. Do I need therapy? I'll find a place to store away older clothes then pull them out several months later, forgetting I had them, but still not willing to give them up. Any suggestions for old clothes seperation anxiety?
ReplyDelete