https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:20:16 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1310793 Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:25:18 +0000 Lisa 1310793@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congrats on a very successful closet purge. &nbsp;80 items is a wonderful accomplishment! &nbsp;And a smart move to go into purging with some numbers. &nbsp;I was shocked at how little I need and wear once I started to crunch numbers for my wardrobe. &nbsp;But less clothes that are worn more often also means I get to spend money on better quality items. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309698 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:44:26 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309698@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Kate, Shevia and Melanie.</p> <p>Melanie it IS funny, isn't it.&nbsp; It's like being on vacation, but not having to take time off... all that TIME!&nbsp; And not having to nag, worry about meals....&nbsp; And then you can enjoy them all so much more when they get back. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309696 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:41:13 +0000 carter 1309696@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So, Elizabeth, if I'm reading this correctly, you just "earned" 16 new items! Sounds like a fab reason to purge! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309669 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:48:03 +0000 Melaine 1309669@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it is really funny that everyone (and absolutely me) is so jealous of the empty house....if i could pick going on a fabulous vacation or just being at home without the kids to simply get stuff done.....welllll I might stay home! Good job on all that purging! I am inspired! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309656 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:17:24 +0000 Jaime 1309656@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great work Elizabeth! I am completely distracted by the dieting analogy. Is it possible to have too much healthy food (yes, at least in my case)? What about a healthy at any weight closet? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309641 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 08:59:15 +0000 Kate 1309641@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow Elizabeth, 80 items is amazing! &nbsp;It must feel so freeing, especially coupled with having the house all to yourself! &nbsp;</p> <p>I'm right there with you about your style moving on. &nbsp;I used to wear tons of capris - growing up in Seattle it was a good way to acknowledge that it was technically summer without committing to shorts and then feeling cold all day long &nbsp;But since moving to AZ and realizing capris often make me look shorter/stubbier, I haven't owned any for years. &nbsp;I wouldn't be opposed to trying them again, but I haven't felt the urge. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309531 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 02:50:18 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309531@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Suz, Cheryl, Carter and Sandy. </p> <p>Sandy, good for you to get someone in to help you. I hope your wrist recovers soon, it must make every day so difficult.</p> <p>And yes Carter, must get a number :). I actually wouldn't have counted except a friend told me I should do "five out one in" so I thought it would be fun to see how many new items I've "earned". </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309525 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 02:42:20 +0000 carter 1309525@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Way to go, Elizabeth! And Suz! I've just been pulling but not counting. Must go back and count the purge items before I take them to the shelter. These numbers are so inspirational. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309488 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 02:14:12 +0000 SandyG 1309488@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Good work, Elizabeth! I enjoyed something similar a few weeks ago with DH gone for a week. (An injured wrist had kept me from doing this for years) &nbsp;A teenager&nbsp;helped me spread everything out and she separated, cleaned, sorted and at the end of each day hauled the donations&nbsp;to a friend's shop, so I could focus on the decisions and not have all that labor. It was so much work for my ADD brain and I really needed that energy from a helper. But it was do-able!!&nbsp;People don't realize how hard this can be when you let it go (and love clothes!) and end up with a mess. Only a few items broke my heart, and overall I had a victory. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309441 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 01:45:55 +0000 cheryl 1309441@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a great process. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309437 Mon, 21 Jul 2014 01:42:28 +0000 Suz 1309437@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>WHOO HOOT!!!!!&nbsp;</b></p> <p><b>PARTY AT ELIZABETH'S!!!!!!!!&nbsp;<br /></b><br />Can you imagine? I am wriggling all over at the thought of the house to myself for a whole week.....</p> <p>And you are not putting this opportunity to waste! It sounds as if you have done a brilliant job so far. 80 items is huge! And yet it's also reasonable -- you are not robbing yourself of the variety you need and your joy in having options. Way to go!</p> <p>Inspired by all of this stuff going on here (not to mention my NAS purchases or at least "considerations" -- because after all, they do have to fit for me to keep them, LOL) I also retired 20 items from my already quite well edited wardrobe today! Some are in season and some are out of season. There are a few others that I have on probation but will keep with me until the season is done.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309330 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 23:37:49 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309330@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sveta, I have EIGHTY items ready to donate.&nbsp; EIGHTY!&nbsp; Plus a pile for a friend, which I haven't counted yet.&nbsp; And the sad thing is, probably only a handful of the things in that pile are even on my stylebook app, which means it hasn't been worn, or considered being worn, in over a year.&nbsp; I still have along way to go, but it does feel good.&nbsp; Just being able to hang my off season blouses in the office closet is great - more space to SEE what tops I have for the summer!</p> <p>I'm working on getting obese down to overweight.&nbsp; Then I'll worry about getting into my ideal weight range :).&nbsp; I do think Janet had a great point with that... but trust me, I've been overeating this last last year or so, as I've been discovering my colours and style.&nbsp; Basically replaciing most of my wardrobe, just not getting rid of the old stuff at the same time! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309322 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 23:28:43 +0000 Sveta 1309322@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OMG, I have not had a house to myself like ever? Must be a wonderful thing to experience from time to time...<br />Good job on getting your closet in shape you like. It is very liberating, isn't it?<br />There is something in what Janet said on "over-dieting" in terms of a wardrobe. I like to have a managebale wardrobe where I wear everything on regular basis and in the same time I need to refresh it per season to feel current and not bored. i am still trying to figure out how I can achieve both goals... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309305 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 22:59:43 +0000 Caro in Oz 1309305@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree,&nbsp;doing the number crunching really works. as I said on your other post knowing what we&nbsp;really wear seems to be a key too!!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309284 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 22:34:03 +0000 E 1309284@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a smart way to go about purging! I am very impressed, from another closet maximalist/reluctant purger. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309242 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 21:56:51 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309242@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Isn't it great Janet?&nbsp; I mean, I love them and all... but wow, time alone is so awesome.&nbsp; </p> <p>I started following the Recovering Shopaholic a year or two ago, when she first started "recovering", but stopped.&nbsp; Sounds like she's reached a place where I could get a lot more from it.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309096 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:44:36 +0000 Janet 1309096@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LOL at having the house to yourself. How do you think I got so much closet purging done over the last week or so? You should see our garage now, though -- there is a BIG pile to take to the Goodwill. It will fill the hatchback of my Prius. Plus the big shopping bag in my room for niece #1 and the shipping box in my office for niece #2...</p> <p>I was just looking at that Recovering Shopaholic website Mo mentioned, and there was a blog post about closet "set points" like the set points people reach when dieting that our bodies revert to. It made the point that we each have individual, psychological set points that are comfortable to us for a variety of reasons. If we try to take our closets down too much, we feel compelled to fill them back up to a comfortable level. So, the idea is that careful, slow, gradual culling can be more effective in the long term than crash-dieting closet-cleaning. I thought that was interesting and filed that information away for future consideration. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309077 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:20:26 +0000 Vildy 1309077@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love how you use how well you know yourself to decide what the parameters are. And a coupla $16 costco pants? Nothing compared to what a professional organizer would charge you&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309074 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:16:37 +0000 Anonymous 1309074@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Haha, I think Elizabeth is feeling a fake "cough" so she can take the week off work, lol!<br />Ok, so <b>carter</b> and <b>Windchime</b> totally stole my first sentence, including <b>carter</b>'s use of the word INSANELY jealous in all caps. The house to yourself? There is nothing better in my book.&nbsp;</p> <p>Moving on (enviously). I think you have found your groove like you said. It sounds like the way you are cleaning things out is really healthy, with no angst or emotional upheaval. You've found a good system, and it will keep your lovely variety and zero in on those items that you'll never, ever miss and only remove <i>them.&nbsp;</i>I don't think you'll have any regrets. More power to you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309067 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:10:47 +0000 Mo 1309067@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sounds like a very productive cull session! &nbsp;I like the way you approached this. &nbsp;Well done. &nbsp;<br />Oversaturation can become very apparent once you crunch numbers. ;)&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309061 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:02:25 +0000 ElleH 1309061@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have the style book app but haven't taken the time to use it. You've inspired me to look at it. One thing I'm going to do that is similar to you is get rid of anything I don't love but I'm going to do it regardless of the numbers. I already did that due to a major move to another country &amp; back again lol. But I have some items that Angie would put in the not quite right pile in her closet editing piles to replace them with better items but I might just demote them to sleep/loungewear. They are cheap copies of my Alexander Wang Tees that have shrunk &amp; pilled. Good reason to buy the more expensive ones in this case. I don't want to dirty or ruin the Wang ones so I reach for these. It is ridiculous the way I save my clothes &amp; so I need to remove the lesser alternatives. I have 4 Wang tees &amp; might be enough &amp; if not I will just have to buy more. If you have the budget for it you may consider getting rid of what you don't like even if you don't have enough of that item &amp; replacing it with what you do like if you find you run short but you could follow Angie's suggestion of moving it to the category of keep until you get a replacement.</p> <p>I hope you aren't getting sick. Get some rest &amp; Vit C. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309028 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:09:51 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309028@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know Windchime, what's with that? ;)</p> <p>Thanks Carter.&nbsp; I'm starting to wish I had the week off... although that totally defeats the purpose of what we are doing - we each take a week w/o the other to cover the girls care.&nbsp; Oh dear, I&nbsp; feel a cough coming on...&nbsp; ;-)</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309019 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 17:55:59 +0000 Windchime 1309019@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>A whole week with the house to yourself--that's luxurious, isn't it? What a good idea to use it for intense wardrobe organizing, among other things.</p> <p>I'm in a similar situation with casual tops--way more than I need. I, too, decided on a number, and once I did that, found it easier to start letting go of some tops that no longer meet criteria--tops that worked a few years ago but that I wouldn't buy now. </p> <p>Oh, and what kind of tops are those that get smaller while sitting on your closet shelf?! I've had bottoms with the same weird problem. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309016 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 17:45:06 +0000 carter 1309016@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>First, can I tell you that I am INSANELY jealous that you have the house to yourself for a whole week! What a fabulous time to get projects done.</p> <p>I love your sensible, no pressure approach with some ballpark "need" number in mind. I'm not focused on a specific number either, but I would like to continue to weed out the lesser options in my closet while making sure I leave enough for variety. Love how you laid out the steps along with your thought process. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309015 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 17:42:25 +0000 Elizabeth P 1309015@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can usually tell as well, but only vaguely.&nbsp; And I may think I wore something several times and it turns out that "several" is only&nbsp; three.&nbsp; This does not lie, as long as you take the time to record it.&nbsp; And I'm a bit geeky, so its fun&nbsp; :).&nbsp; </p> <p>I got the app more for remembering whole outfits, recording ones that did/didn't work when I first get something new and try styling it with various things then forget.&nbsp; Or for creating my own based on pin inspirations, or YLF inspirations.&nbsp; The whole tracking. cpw thing is a side benefit.&nbsp; I also love it for packing capsules.&nbsp; </p> <p>I guess I'm finding it very handy now as I'm seriously trying to get a handle on my volume and do something about it.&nbsp; Numbers help me understand.&nbsp; Perhaps when I'm feeling better about things it won't be so useful for me.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1309004 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 17:34:00 +0000 Peri 1309004@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That sounds brilliant...logical purging. The emotions are what make it difficult and you found a way to move past them.</p> <p>One thing I'd like to understand from all this tracking everyone is doing. Just understand is all...I'm wondering if this ap you're talking about it is anything I should look at. I can tell you in one glance in my closet what I have worn and not worn. Not that I can tell you what I wore last Wednesday, say, but I can look at an item and know whether I've worn it this season or not. And also know whether I've worn it a lot or rarely and how that compares to how I used it the year before. Is this hard to do? Maybe it's because I repeat outfits quite a lot? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/on-purging---this-time-for-real#post-1308999 Sun, 20 Jul 2014 17:19:19 +0000 Elizabeth P 1308999@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My DH and DD's have headed off for a week, to visit SIL and FIL.&nbsp; This is heaven for me - a chance to putter around, start projects without worrying about finishing them in a prescribed time frame, etc.&nbsp; </p> <p>Other than the usual tidying/sorting of crap around the house that I usually undertake, this weekend I really really&nbsp; wanted to do some sorting of my clothes.&nbsp; I'm in the groove!</p> <p>Yesterday&nbsp; I went trough all my tanks, tees, long sleeved tees and gear.&nbsp; I was not ruthless, this was an exercise in seeing what I have, what still fits, and getting things in the right place (clearing out and rearranging drawers).&nbsp; But I definitely generated a few items for the donate pile.&nbsp; </p> <p>This morning was capris.&nbsp; And this was a great exercise, and one that might help those who are purge challenged like me.</p> <p>Before tackeling the actual clothes, I sat down and "did the numbers".&nbsp; Conservatively.&nbsp; For work... How many time a week do I want to wear them, how many weeks of capri appripriate weather do we get, how many times do I want to wear each pair....And then the same for my casual weekend/weeknight ones.&nbsp; And then... I checked in stylebook from this summer and last summer to see if my numbers remotely reflected my reality.&nbsp; (An aside for Stylebook users... I have been keeping a "packing list" of the outfits I wear this summer, so I can see what really does get worn, and I intend to do this for every season.&nbsp; Kind of an electronic version of flipping the hangers. &nbsp; I think it will be a really easy way to do some closet editing based on reality at the end of the season).&nbsp; This was quite illuminating... I do NOT wear capris as often as I had "budgeted".&nbsp; More reason to err on the side of being conservative.</p> <p>So I headed upstairs armed with a couple of numbers.&nbsp; Now, I'm a closet maximalist, at least at this point, and I do like variety, so I kept this in mind as well.&nbsp; In other words, I gave myself permission to keep things I liked and that fit - I was not trying to hit a magic number, or purge for the sake of purging.&nbsp; I've already bought them. and I have space.&nbsp; But I did know in the back of my head what that number was.&nbsp; I was in pretty good shape with my work ones.&nbsp; Casual... another story - I was way, way, over.&nbsp; So what this did was make it really easy to cull ones that were no longer in my colour palette, or that were just "okay". Because I knew how many was reasonable to keep.&nbsp; And I had that many, or more, that I&nbsp; liked far better.&nbsp; </p> <p>No guilt, no anxiety, just logical sensible decision making!&nbsp; And I think 6-8 pairs will find a better home.&nbsp; It kinda kills me that a couple of them were NOT cheap, and that a couple still have tags on (but were, like, $16 from Costco) but it also is great to know these are good decisions becase they are NOT my colours (and not longer even go with my tops), and that they do not have the right leg cut for me, or PPL, or something.&nbsp; We won't discuss the fact that a couple of them are a bit snugger than they should be either...&nbsp; :)</p> <p>I also realized that they were far more part of my style a couple of years ago, when most of them were purchased.&nbsp; Now I'm more interested in BF jeans or rolled pants.&nbsp; So this isn't just about excess, it's about my style moving on.</p> <p>Thanks for listening!</p> <p>Onward! </p>