I don’t have any firm time rules for tossing items. A lot of cocktail or dressy items get worn very rarely, but if they fit well and I like them, I tend to keep them for a very long time. I have one (and only one) long formal dress that’s a pretty timeless cut and flattering color, and I have worn it only twice in 4 years. I’ll probably keep it for as long as it fits, I don’t see a need to get a new one every few years when I need such a dress.

I am much more strict with clothes that get worn every day. I do major sweeps at the beginning and end of each season and also constantly during it I weed out unworn items. If it’s not flattering or I don’t like it, then it goes away. But if it is simply a case of not having it worn for a while, I try to reevaluate why, and I usually keep those things for longer evaluation. For example, a bunch of shorter length tops from 3-4 years ago when that was the norm are perfect skirt tops now. And whatever the looks I am into change all the time, so I don’t toss out perfectly nice items just because I am into different look at the moment. Only if something that’s otherwise in good fit and condition has not been worn for 3 or more years ( and it’s not a cocktail item) does it get thrown away.

I’m an “if I don’t wear it in a year, it’s gone” kinda gal, but I suppose I’m in a unique situation. Still being in college, I lived in the dorms for a couple years and now in an apartment.

When in the dorms, I had to drag my whole wardrobe back and forth from my parents’ house to school every year. Definitely not a fun experience! So it really forced me to edit my wardrobe to the true essentials.

Now in apartment life, I’m still trying to hold down the number of clothing items I have b/c:
a. my closet isn’t all that big
b. I know I’ll have to move out eventually

To be fair though, the rule doesn’t hold out all the time. Before I toss something, I’m totally open to rethinking the garment and finding new ways to wear it. But most of the time they get tossed, which opens my wardrobe up to the possibility of fabulous new items!

This is timely because I still haven’t completed my fall/winter closet rotation. I’ve been so busy, and then there was my knee issue that made sitting on the ground to go through it all impossible. So my bedroom is awash in sweater and other clothing storage containers. I’m hoping to finish off this project this weekend.

1) I do hang on to items that fit, flatter, and are in good condition, even if they don’t fit my mood of the season. This includes quite a few formal dresses that take up space in a hard-to-reach corner of my closet. It also happens to include a handful of quality garments that I wore at a higher weight. Reality is, I may gain weight again as I enter perimenopause, etc. So despite most advice that tells you to let go of such items (on theory it encourages you to eat too much and regain weight), I have held on to an “emergency” stash of classic clothing that I felt fabulous in at a higher weight.

2) Otherwise, at end of season, I go through an do an initial pass, tossing out anything that is worn out, never flattered me to begin with, or just didn’t feel right for one reason or another. I do force myself to try to wear such garments at least once before end of season and making such decisions. Then everything I’m on the fence about goes into storage until next year.

3) When I bring it all out again, I’m always amazed – especially since following YLF – how my taste have changed. It is very VERY likely that I will be doing a MAJOR cull and only a small fraction of the items I stashed away last season will make it into my closet this season, or be stashed into storage for a later season when the styles come back around.

Most of the items that worked well last season, have already made it somehow from the storage containers on my bedroom floor and into the closet….. those were the obvious ones, the items worth risking straining my knee further to retrieve!!! LOL.

Everything else…. is in the questionable category. Some of these items I won’t even need to try on again – they will go to good-will without a second thought. Some will need a period of trying on and debating – but many in this category will end up back in storage, as I don’t see them working one way or another this upcoming season.

And I still have to put away my clamdiggers and white jeans!!! That’s how far behind I am.

This is a fantastic question, and a tricky one, too. I encourage purging – especially, as you mentioned, of ruined or ill-fitting or uncomfortable garments – but will admit to hanging onto higher quality items that get overlooked for ages myself. And they DO come into rotation after several years of dormancy sometimes. Trends cycle, and if you’ve got classic, well-made pieces that have been languishing, if you wait long enough they’ll be in style once more.

BUT, if you’re really short on closet space, this can get tricky. Storage is fine, but purging can be better. Especially if you feel like a newer version of the item in question could be more fun in future, and you don’t feel guilty about re-buying.

My rule is TWO years! Unless the piece is one of those classics that you just love then you can hang onto them. For example, I have a tweed skirt & jacket that I love but never wore in San Diego since tweed looks very out of place there. But here, in the Seattle area, tweed looks great. I am going to have the sleeves shortened since that will help with the proportions of the fit. But I’m excited to be able to wear a piece that I have had hanging there for so long!

I just did the first sweep of my closet purge and eliminated everything that looked worn out and the stuff I just KNOW is not working for me. One full green trash bag is gone! I put all the truly “summer” stuff in storage and will face all that once the seasons change again. But now, I am contemplating all my cool weather clothing with an eye towards what to keep and what to purge. Some things, I know I have not worn in a while but feel like the future potential is there so I want to hang on…some of my jackets and sweaters may still work if they fit and flatter.

One question that I ask myself when evaluating a piece is: Does this make me feel attractive/sassy/hip? Does it make me feel pretty? If the answer is no, then I decide if it is worth tailoring or altering. If not, then OUT. IT. GOES. I also ask myself if it makes me feel dumpy/matronly/chubby since I have a bad habit of buying pieces like that when I can’t find what i DO like. Those pieces automatically are eliminated. For me, it’s mainly a self-image concern, rather than trends.

I have gotten rid of things that I wish I had now. These were dresses made by me. I made my wedding dress and my prom dress. I got rid of them thinking I wouldn’t ever need them, but oh how I would love to see them now.
I made a beautiful white wedding dress once that was unfortunately not used by me. I sent it to a consignment shop and a lucky young lady bought it and said it fit her perfect. That made me very happy.

I actually just did a MAJOR overhaul of my closet and purged just about everything in it. It actually was quite easy to do because I had lost a significant amount of weight after having the last of our babies.

The nice part is that I finally fit back into some items that I had held onto for years hoping I would one day be able to wear them again and that they would either stay in style or come back into style.

I truly only hang onto very good, high quality items that I just adore and feel will be almost timeless like my denim jacket that bought years ago and still looks fabulous with everything, a cream colored European linen suit that has this amazing style and fit I know I will never find in another and few other items like this. Things I just know I cant replace if I got rid of them. Things that are worth making room in the back of the closet for (and trust me, European closets are TINY!)

Otherwise, I usually purge as the season change or as my weigh fluctuates. Which now that we are DONE with baby making should be NO MORE!

One of the things that I appreciate most in YLF is variety of so many choices and opinions. What is a pleasure then when I discover similarities, like lately reading San comments:-).
I can’t sew myself, but my mother is a real master even though she hates it! She has a particular hand in light things like summer dressed or very imaginative skirts. What she has is a gift.
I can still remember being a little child how her and her sister never could use a spare time for their own pleasures and the only chance to share time together was to do something useful: drawing, stitching and sewing their won outfits. They never used the form or the drawing. They simply put a piece of cloth flat on the kitchen table and started to draw with the saop what they dreamt of…
My aunt passed away last year, my Mother in her 80’s she seems to fade away and I cannot forgive myself to dispose of the pieces she made herself during the years and I, due to changes in weight/age/lifestyle so lightly passed to others. For years when I was living abroad it was just enough to tell her;:”Mom, I need a summer skirt for the office”, or,” I feel like navy bleu this winter”- and sooner or later there was an envelope with something made from the heart, fitting like glove, since my figure and dimension she knew by heart.
As, maybe you remember, this year I was really suffering from Milan summer and my Mother digged out 3 of the dresses she made for herself long time ago before I was born. They are absolutely perfect, didn’t need the slightest alteration and looked ever so modern and chic.

They spent in the closet more than 40 years. I cannot help but think that there is an emotional value in clothes we have which is impossible to replace and should be considered everytime we think of making some space in the closet….
P.S
I was really touched by Angies post on Mother’s Day. I regret now not expressing it then…

Oh. This is tough.

When grunge went out, I purged my Doc Martens. Now I regret it. When blazers were out and cropped jackets were in, I purged my oversized black boyfriend blazer – now they’re everywhere. Another regret!

I have a tough time with this because trends come and go, and what I hate one season I might love the next. Space permitting, I keep everything unless it’s worn out. I also replace layering basics pretty much every year.

Great post!

I recently found myself regretting that I had let go of a pair of black-and-white flats because I hadn’t been wearing them. Now that my wardrobe has changed some, I’d kill to have those shoes! What a shame. I think for the time being I want to just limit my purging to those items that are worn out, unflattering, or ill-fitting.

I have had things that I kept way too long taking up closet space and things I’ve gotten rid of that I wished I’d kept. Over all I suppose it’s best to get rid of it. Fashions don’t often come back in quite the same way, as Angie has said. My old oversized blazers had oversized shoulderpads. A great and timely post as we prepare for seasonal change.

The one year rule is a good guideline but by no means a rule. I live in jeans and very rarely wear a dress but I keep a couple of nice classic ones on hand. I have not worn them in a couple of years but they still fit and look good. So I keep. On the other hand there are things I toss/donate that I have not worn in a few months because I know I never will again. I take a good look at my closet every 6 months or so.

I would never keep something on hand in hope it will come back in style. But I will admit I have a couple of sentimental items that have come around again. I have a long laura ashley cardigan I can wear again Classic items can come around again but if you do not absolutely love it, don’t waste the space.

I tend to do a wardrobe overhaul at the beginning, and again at the end, of each season. I try to stick to the one year rule, but this year the summer was non existent in Amsterdam so I barely wore any of my summer clothes. I will have to (hopefully) reassess my summer wardrobe next year.

Like you Angie I keep classic well made clothes even if i have not worn them for several years, but am ruthless with very “trendy” items that I know will have a very limited appeal beyond the season they were bought for. My one regret if throwing out a Country Road dress that I have had for over ten years. It was beautifully made, but the cut was not in style for a very long time, and taking up space in my wardrobe. Of course as soon as I threw it out I was wanting to wear it gain.

The only unworn items I have kept long term are some good quality coats and dresses in great condition that fit me when I was thinner. Since they are a very simple, classic design and I am sure I will be able to wear them again once the pounds come off. I will get rid of something if it’s worn out, permanently stained/discolored, has an unflattering fit or color, is overly trendy, or is not well made if I haven’t worn it in 2 years.