https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:19:41 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261797 Tue, 27 May 2014 03:40:46 +0000 Gigi 1261797@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Gaylene,&nbsp;</b>would it make you feel any better if every time you purged, you made a financial donation to some kind of foundation that helps educate women in countries where that is not standard? It is not your fault that the labor is not treated fairly, and that is a heavy load to walk around with on your shoulders. I'm just wondering if there's something small you could do to help relieve your dismay. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261794 Tue, 27 May 2014 03:34:26 +0000 Suz 1261794@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hear what you are saying, Gaylene. I get those feelings, too, even as I also feel what Claire does -- a huge relief and sense of clarity when I get rid of items that I no longer need, that don't fit, that are too worn.&nbsp;</p> <p>I edit regularly -- but I haven't had a big purge in a long time, simply because I'm buying more mindfully and successfully. Of course I do make mistakes, still, and I do tire of a few items after a season of heavy wear,&nbsp;but some of those go to my stepdaughter (if they are vegan friendly and her style.) That helps me feel a bit better.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261776 Tue, 27 May 2014 02:59:58 +0000 Gaylene 1261776@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just want to say that I'm definitely not claiming any moral high ground here; a full bag of cast offs from my last closet purge is a glaring testament to that. </p> <p>But Bella's question about the psychological effects of purging struck a nerve because I wish I didn't like the "high" quite so much. Like Caro says, I know it's a complicated issue and like Bella, Mo, and Rabbit have pointed out, there are alternatives that we can explore to lessen the impact of our discards, but I can't shake the feelings of dismay that I have when I see that bag at the door. It's not the money as much as it is the disrespectful way I treat these items and what that bag of discards says about my own lifestyle and attitudes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261507 Mon, 26 May 2014 18:54:52 +0000 rabbit 1261507@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Another thought&nbsp;is clothing swaps or trading circles, like this:&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/01/free_clothing_swaps_where_no_m.html">http://www.oregonlive.com/livi....._no_m.html</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261490 Mon, 26 May 2014 17:59:36 +0000 Mo 1261490@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Bella, I am so much happier giving my cast offs to another person and seeing them give them a second life than just faceless donations to a thrift store. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261484 Mon, 26 May 2014 17:44:30 +0000 bella 1261484@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You are all right about the side-effects of purging, which may lead to a vicious cycle of buying and purging. As I said in a previous purge thread before, one thing that makes it easier for me to purge is that out purged items goes to our cleaning lady, who makes sure that everything finds a good home in her neighborhood.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261474 Mon, 26 May 2014 17:17:30 +0000 minimalist 1261474@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What Gaylene describes is why I hate shopping in the first place and only grudgingly buy stopgap pieces while I hold out for ethically sourced garments.</p> <p>As soon as bf's sewing machine is back from its maintenance, I'll take a shot at simple wearable items. But frankly, that's removing just the assembly stage from sweatshop conditions. Even if I buy fair-labor fabrics, where and how are the thread, buttons etc made?</p> <p>Like rabbit, though, this doesn't stop me from discarding things I don't need. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261145 Mon, 26 May 2014 02:15:47 +0000 Caro in Oz 1261145@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with you Gaylene&nbsp;- if purging becomes just another part of a cycle of spend &amp; purge then it isn't a great thing for the individual or the&nbsp;planet. If it's a one off (or two or three off if you start from a huge base) then I still think it is a great starting point for becoming more thoughtful about <b>all </b>purchases. For me&nbsp;the keys were examining why the items weren't used/worn/enjoyed &amp; what constitutes "enough". This follows through to all areas of my life.</p> <p>Coffee/chocolate/clothes all have their good &amp; bad sides for the economies of developing countries.&nbsp;I remember having a conversation with a group of Australians, Americans &amp; a&nbsp;Balinese man about tourism in Bali. The group thought that "tourism" was ruining Bali.&nbsp;The man&nbsp;loved the tourists because&nbsp;without them he would have had far less control over his life. He would have been on the family farm working for his father for food &amp; board &amp; his children wouldn't be going to school. I guess I'm trying to say it isn't always simple.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261130 Mon, 26 May 2014 02:03:01 +0000 Jaime 1261130@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love to get rid of clothes maybe even more than acquiring them (mostly I enjoy hunting for them). Still I appreciate what Gaylene said above.&nbsp;Because all my better condition clothes goes back to the re-sale market I an extra&nbsp;step of denial away from the process Gaylene describes, but implicated nonetheless. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261114 Mon, 26 May 2014 01:27:51 +0000 rabbit 1261114@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Gaylene </b>- I hear you and go through the same thought cycle at times. &nbsp;My tendency in the past has been&nbsp;either to pass on something that is gently used but holds up well (like basic jeans in neutral washes or business wear), &nbsp;or to wear that fast fashion sucker or tee shirt&nbsp;&nbsp;to the ground as loungewear at&nbsp;home, &nbsp;until it's stained and holy and pilled and then I first check the rag drawer to see if there is space to cut it up and use it&nbsp;there. </p> <p>My husband is currently oiling his bike chain with what was once my VS flannel jammies years ago, and is now some scraps of red cotton. (We rarely buy paper goods except TP). &nbsp; I never quite know what to do with really far gone tennis shoes though - the ones that can't be washed and are disintegrating at the soles.</p> <p>I read that H&amp;M was collecting rag clothing for recycling, I wonder what they do with it?</p> <p>I have to say that if it was a choice between hoarding/collecting to the point of being overwhelmed&nbsp;and purging, I'd choose purging every time&nbsp;just for the mental health and quality of life benefits. &nbsp;I know from personal experience that it can be very, very hard to convince a hoarder to feel happy about&nbsp;letting go of things, and that the guilt is one of the road blocks for them.</p> <p>It's a good reminder though, to think about how long an item of clothing will be with me and how it will age&nbsp;before bringing it into my wardrobe.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261054 Mon, 26 May 2014 00:23:00 +0000 Deborah 1261054@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Bella, I relate to you 100%.&nbsp; The state of my wardrobe is often a very real reflection of the state of my life.:)</p> <p>I have gone from having two wardrobes and three large plastic tubs full of clothes, to everything now contained in one walk in robe and a couple of coats hanging in the guest bedroom.</p> <p>Being able to walk into my closet, be able to see everything, have it filled with items I really love and like, and be able to just grab pieces and put together an outfit is wonderful.&nbsp; It means less time fussing around, and to be honest, less time thinking about it all.&nbsp; I adore clothes and fashion but there are times when I am just consumed by it and that isn't what I want. That's when it stops being fun. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261033 Sun, 25 May 2014 23:47:59 +0000 Gaylene 1261033@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm conflicted when it comes to purging unwanted items. On one hand, I love the feeling I get when the unloved, unwanted, and unworn items are gone from my closet and my life--the purging "high", as Alasse so accurately names it. I might feel a twinge of guilt over wasting my money, but I can afford my regular purges without any major damage to my way of life.</p> <p>But I'm starting to realize that my purging euphoria has a much bigger dark side than I'd like to admit. It's easy to forget the top I so blithely toss into the trash is the result of someone else's labour--usually a woman, or child--in a third-world country, often working under appalling conditions. The labels in the rubble of that Bangladesh factory haunt me because those are exactly the kinds of items that I'm inclined to purge without a backward glance. My closet churn feeds the fast, cheap fashion industry.</p> <p>I've also come to realize most of my "gently used" items do not get recycled within my community or my country. Local thrift stores only put a fraction of what they receive back out on the floor; the vast majority of items get bundled and sold by the pound to jobbers who then re-sell the bundles in other countries--or the bundles just get dumped in the nearest landfill. Indigenous textile manufacturing in many third-world countries is fast disappearing, along with the associated jobs and families who produced the raw materials, because buying cheap bundles of discards and reselling them is easier and more profitable. </p> <p>So that's why I feel conflicted about closet purges; I love the look of my closet after a good purge, but I can't shake the feeling that I was just acting like a stupid, greedy, and entitled member of a first-world country when I bought all that stuff in the first place... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261006 Sun, 25 May 2014 22:36:16 +0000 Caro in Oz 1261006@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I used to keep everything &amp; try to make it work &amp; wondered why I felt confused about my clothes. Since joining YLF I realise I want fewer &amp; better so letting go of clothing&nbsp;is much easier now. I remember reading somewhere that the money is wasted as soon as the unworn clothes are <b>bought </b>not when you sell them or give them away. This shifted my thinking aka guilt </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1261002 Sun, 25 May 2014 22:29:00 +0000 Lyn D. 1261002@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is easy for me- the hard thing is stopping so many new things coming in that necessitate the old going out!</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260983 Sun, 25 May 2014 21:39:29 +0000 Gigi 1260983@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, I get that great feeling too. I am just starting to do a purge. I do have some mistakes that I have to come to grips with, but I accept that that's part of growing in my personal style and learning who I am. I did a bunch of laundry yesterday for items that I think I can sell on consignment. I can't wait until I'm done...I'm just doing the purge in bits and pieces.</p> <p>I think one of the reasons it's so freeing is because you don't have to constantly see all the items that you're not using. It's really just clutter, and your brain has to process all that extraneous stuff every day. Just having what you need is so much more peaceful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260980 Sun, 25 May 2014 21:32:47 +0000 Alassë 1260980@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, yes, the purging high.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260941 Sun, 25 May 2014 19:41:50 +0000 celia 1260941@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, purging and tidying up my closet(and shelves , and fridge ) makes me feel in control of my life. Someone told me once that it is because I am a perfectionist and tidying up around helps to organize my thoughts inside my head also.<br />They were probably right. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260930 Sun, 25 May 2014 19:29:04 +0000 bella 1260930@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mo- you're absolutely right. Purging can also be frustrating if you find out shopping mistakes. Sunken costs can be heartbreaking! I hope you can recover some of your money on ebay.&nbsp;</p> <p>As I said in a previous thread about purging, the items that stress me most are the gifts, particularly from my mother-in-law. But they cause more stress if they keep taking up space in my closet, so I eventually let them go.&nbsp;</p> <p>Vicki - I will try to take pictures if I can. It is not a super tight capsule, because I had to add one outfit for the actual day of my presentation, and one dress in case we go out at night.&nbsp;</p> <p>CC- High five! I love an organized fridge or pantry, as well. Gives me the same feeling! In fact, I also cleaned out the fridge and made sure that we'd&nbsp;finish everything perishable before we leave. We had to eat eggs today, and I baked an apricot cake/bread, which didn't turn out that good (!), but&nbsp;I am feeling very good about the fridge clean-up&nbsp;as well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260885 Sun, 25 May 2014 17:30:02 +0000 ironkurtin 1260885@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I find letting go of things very freeing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260872 Sun, 25 May 2014 17:04:47 +0000 rachylou 1260872@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, I love getting the bags out of my house! But purging is a total torture for me. I'm always - <i>That's cool! I could do this or that! </i>Very hard for me to keep the eye on the prize: My style and room for other things in the closet (I only have one now). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260860 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:44:25 +0000 Anonymous 1260860@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I haven't had a big purge in a long while, but I remember having the same feeling as you did after getting rid of a big bag of stuff. I enjoy it almost as much as I enjoy a successful shopping trip!&nbsp;</p> <p>I crave order in my life, and when one area is out of control, it tends to spill over into other areas. I've noticed that (conversely) discipline does the same thing. So when ever I clean out a closet, or my refrigerator for that matter, it's like having a clean slate. It feels like anything is possible and that's a wonderful feeling.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260855 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:39:08 +0000 Vicki 1260855@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Bella, I would love to see your capsule wardrobe for six days, when you return from your trip. &nbsp;I really enjoy knowing how YLF'ers streamline and minimize their closets to their best, workable advantage.</p> <p>I need to do more purging, and it always feels better when I let go of something that truly isn't working. &nbsp;Like Mo, I'll often sell something on eBay, and I think there are times I hold on to something purely for emotional or sentimental reasons, or because, I don't want to admit that I've made a mistake. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260851 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:28:25 +0000 MsLuna 1260851@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I feel a lot lighter after a closet purge. The things that I've been hanging on to, I'm ready to let go. Ive made a conscious decision recently to minimize my wardrobe and I've learned so much from that experience alone. I'll likely share this on a separate post. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260848 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:19:33 +0000 rabbit 1260848@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I echo&nbsp;<b>Diane</b> -- holding onto too many&nbsp;unfinished 'projects' - things that need repairing or altering&nbsp;drains my energy and I can't stand clutter, but also <b>Mo</b> -- I have a really hard time getting rid of anything I know I've barely worn and I try to recoup some of the cost. &nbsp;Of course it's a great lesson and makes me a more careful buyer in the future. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260841 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:07:51 +0000 lyn* 1260841@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It makes me feel quite fabulous because it helps me focus in on all the remaining awesomeness that I have left! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260811 Sun, 25 May 2014 14:55:11 +0000 Anonymous 1260811@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do think it can have a calming, refreshing effect. Gets rid of bad chi! I have to say I haven't had a big purge of clothes for a while as I'm still in the building up phase, but any cupboard and draw in our house is fair game. I'm not a hoarder by nature and I love the freeing feeling of getting rid of stuff. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260808 Sun, 25 May 2014 14:39:11 +0000 jackiec 1260808@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>YES! I feel so much better too! I did a purge of my closet yesterday. Last night as I walked through my closet I felt a sense of calm just looking at fewer hangers, orders, and a wee bit more space. I didn't do a lot, but just that little bit felt SO good. Cheers to inner peace </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260799 Sun, 25 May 2014 14:16:29 +0000 Mo 1260799@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It depends. &nbsp;If they are well loved items that have just seen better days, or are now dated, it's great letting go. &nbsp;On the other hand, items with tags still on that never were quite right but still hung there for a year or more, it's not such a great feeling parting with them. &nbsp;I am trying to sell a few on eBay right now, and so they still hang there, although I know I'm done with them. &nbsp;That's not easy either. &nbsp;But I won't just throw away hundreds of dollars in mistakes.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260796 Sun, 25 May 2014 14:12:49 +0000 TraceyLiz65 1260796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, purging things that are no longer working for me, feels freeing and like I am moving forward. &nbsp;It always feels like an accomplishment to self examine and look at where I really am at this time in my life...I did clothes this weekend as well, and next up is the shoes! &nbsp;Purses after that... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/psychological-effects-of-purging#post-1260790 Sun, 25 May 2014 13:32:23 +0000 bella 1260790@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am leaving for a conference on Tuesday and I just created a capsule wardrobe for 6 days. As I was doing that, I decided to go through once again my closet and did a big purge! I got rid of about one thrash bag full of clothes, including loungewear,&nbsp;a bag, and some costume jewelry as well. This is a lot for me, since I already have a small closet.&nbsp;I still need to tackle my shoe closet, but I already feel much better! Purging my closet gives me an immense sense of satisfaction, as if I have more order and&nbsp;control&nbsp;over my life. Does anybody else feel this way? Am I being obsessed?&nbsp; </p>