YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Purge, part II

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Purge, part II https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:43:27 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Janet on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042283 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 13:31:39 +0000 Janet 1042283@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Anna, I don't see you as a uniform person so much. Neither am I. I think we're both too emotionally driven as shoppers and dressers, and our activities are too varied. However, I totally get the urge to purge. I've had it lately too, as I'm planning the installation of a new closet organization system (can't wait for lovely shelving to hold shoes!). It's made me take a closer look at things I have not been wearing, and many are going away. My advice? Take one small section at a time. Vests, for example. Or boots. Really look at and consider each item in that section. It was only by dragging all my shoes out into the light that I could *see* each of them for what they are and what they do or don't contribute to my wardrobe happiness. I've got some things in a holding area, as Angie suggested. Others have gone away (eBay, Goodwill). But I feel like I'm getting a grip on my closet. I suspect that's the feeling you want to have too -- perhaps, like me, your closet is overflowing (even though most of the options are fab) and it makes it harder to choose when you are ready to get dressed. rute on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042221 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 11:14:03 +0000 rute 1042221@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is such an interesting subject! I'm thinking also about adopting an uniform too! Caro in Oz on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042187 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 06:49:21 +0000 Caro in Oz 1042187@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree with IK especially about picking the best. If you have 20 of something but you always wear the same three or four or five then why keep the others? Also I don't think having a capsule wardrobe makes you less creative - I think capsules can really help you to home in on where you want to spend your hard-earned money jayne on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042154 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 04:36:27 +0000 jayne 1042154@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That time versus capsule was a real lesson for me too.  I spend most of my weekends in the forest and yet had the smallest gear capsule and the largest casual capsule.  It was a real struggle to turn those around because, lets be honest,, shopping for gear is just too practical, where is the fun?  But I did something like IK ,just tried to make 4-5 outfits for that casual capsule, the best ones i could and then tried to use them, even if it meant they only get used once a season.  The rest of the stuff that didn't make the cut had to go.  After two years of this, my casual capsule is probably still too big, but it is tiny compared to what it was.  So I didn't purge it all right away, but by combining the creation of usable outfits with a conscious decision to not buy anything new that didn't replace something already there, the size is getting to a level that is more reasonable.  I do looooove shopping, and it is so hard not to buy everything I fall in love with, but I try to tell myself that I do not need to own every beautiful thing, I can admire and move on.  Because, as you say here, we want to actually wear the things we buy, not just own them.  Hope there is some help in all that for you. Jeanie on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042143 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 04:22:58 +0000 Jeanie 1042143@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ahhh...  You don't need to purge you just need more time to wear more great clothes.   Anonymous on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1042107 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 03:00:32 +0000 Anonymous 1042107@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Anna, why purge if you don't want to. Keep it all until you really want to downsize or have a reason. In the meantime, enjoy your finds and play in your closet. It may save you money too. Mia on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041983 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:13:16 +0000 Mia 1041983@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ For my designer pieces I look at whether they still fit well, present an image I am still comfortable with and are in good condition.  If I still love something about them I keep.  Life keeps changing, sometimes in unexpected ways and I purged and regretted in the past.  Obviously storage room is a factor too. The "high street" stuff I am ruthless about purging. I never regret that. You have an enviable closet and like Shannon I cannot see you in a "uniform"  especially at your age.  It's selfish, I know but I would like to continue to see your lovely outfits. ironkurtin on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041968 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:52:14 +0000 ironkurtin 1041968@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Here's what I do. I hold something up, close my eyes, and picture myself wearing it.  If I can't see it, it goes. If I hold something up, and I've had it for over a year, and had opportunity to wear it, and didn't, it goes. If I hold something up, and I never had the opportunity to wear it, but I have three other things that do the same, then I pick the best two or three and the rest go. Out of the zillions of items I have purged, I have regretted MAYBE three or four, and even then I am very sure they were better in my memory than they were in life. Transcona Shannon on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041945 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:30:31 +0000 Transcona Shannon 1041945@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't know Anna - I really can't see you adopting a uniform of any type. You are such a creative person with an incredible natural flair for style. I think you would get quite bored with uniform type dressing. Mind you, as Suz pointed out, your commuting looks could be seen in that light I suppose.  Have you ever tried a capsule exercise? Would that be something beneficial in helping you identify what you have too much of, what works well together, what of your pieces you are naturally drawn to more often...thereby showing you what you really no longer need or want? Thistle on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041930 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:13:03 +0000 Thistle 1041930@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmmm, this is tough. You have a varied life with so much going on that you need a lot of different capsules. Can you identify which areas you haven't been wearing as much? Or perhaps which pieced in those capsules aren't seeing much wear? Like your dive bar capsule. Are there pieces you wear a lot less than others? Suz on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041928 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:09:15 +0000 Suz 1041928@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Anna, I get this. In my case it's not free time that is the issue -- I don't wear a uniform for a job and theoretically I could wear whatever I wanted for my work days. BUT. Practically speaking, I need to be comfortable, so what I end up wearing ends up being -- essentially -- a uniform. It's a varied and enjoyable uniform, like your commuting looks (except nowhere near as cool!) But it's the same idea -- casual, practical, movable, walkable clothes for the climate and the task at hand, with as much fashion flair as I can muster.  What I REALLY love are the less purely practical occasions -- and I have quite a few -- but they are incredibly varied in nature. From parents' nights at school, to teaching writing classes, to readings in heaven only knows what venue (could be anything from a dive bar to a hip Montreal gallery to the National Library), to theatre outings in the city -- and on and on.  I do try to have quite a lot of crossover items in the wardrobe. But even with those items, I need a variety of other pieces to create good outfits, and even though I have quite a lot of occasions, I end up getting bored if I wear the same thing all the time to each TYPE of occasion. Yet I only have so many of each type. And it feels like a waste to buy stuff that I might only wear twice or three times in a season.  Phew.  I don't know.  In the end, maybe it makes sense to do something like what Lisa did. Figure out how many of each type of occasion you have in a season. And then figure out your personal boredom threshold. If you can't stand wearing the same thing to the opera capsule during a season more than once -- well, so be it. I say, it's your income, your hobby, your enjoyment -- and if you want a new outfit every time, that is okay. After all, you really DO wear the same thing every day to work! So you deserve a little leeway in the off time.  OTOH, if you find you can double up, use items in a variety of ways, etc. then that is also a fine thing to do.  annagybe on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041922 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:58:03 +0000 annagybe 1041922@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think a major part of it is realizing I just don't have enough free time to wear my clothes. Mo on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041920 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:55:01 +0000 Mo 1041920@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'd start with why you feel you need to purge more.  Also, figuring out just how many outfits you'd like for each category could be helpful.  Maybe since you shop emotionally, your purge should be emotional too?  As in, love or don't love it anymore kind of questions, rather than use value, mixability, etc. annagybe on "Purge, part II" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/purge-part-ii#post-1041916 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:40:59 +0000 annagybe 1041916@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ After coming off a pretty busy weekend of call, and the doing the infamous boot pictures; I feel that I need to purge more. But the big question is what? I need clothes for so many different activities. I go out to bars and restaurants, everywhere from dive bars to pretty swish places. I go to the opera. Somtimes I wonder if I should adopt a uniform like Emmanuel Alt? But I like variety too.