https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:50:09 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-940263 Thu, 23 May 2013 23:27:28 +0000 Caro in Oz 940263@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sounds like a plan. I wouldn't cull yet if I were you. Just keep tabs on what you feel really great in - especially at the end of the day </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939943 Thu, 23 May 2013 17:01:30 +0000 ElleH 939943@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such great advice everyone. Really helpful.&nbsp;I'm glad I posted the question.&nbsp;</p> <p>I don't find it difficult to purge things I have had for a long time but last night I was trying different shoes &amp; toppers with the new dress that I will be wearing to a Summer wedding. I didn't like anything. I didn't even like the dress &amp; everyone loved it <a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-what-to-wear-to-a-casual-summer-outdoor-wedding-in-the-uk">here</a>.&nbsp;It doesn't help that no colours seem to go with it and look good on me but that is another post.&nbsp;I looked in my wardrobe &amp; didn't like anything. The things that I originally posted about that I don't wear are newish, a few months old &amp; haven't been through all seasons. I bought some in Summer un Australia &amp; we are not fully into Summer here. What I think is I am going through some kind of weird phase. I have things I bought 3 weeks ago in NY that I liked at the time that I am reconsidering. I think I need to not purge right now until this passes. I don't even know what is happening to me or why.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939629 Thu, 23 May 2013 06:35:30 +0000 rae 939629@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maybe the items you love more have raised the bar for the "love" category?&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939581 Thu, 23 May 2013 03:28:42 +0000 Deborah 939581@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Elle, I just did another purge on Tuesday afternoon.&nbsp; I have been having heaps of fun selling off things on Ebay and using that money to buy things I really want and will wear.&nbsp; So far I have purchased my black wedge booties and two complex geometries dresses.&nbsp; If it is not being worn I find it hard to justify it remaining in my closet.&nbsp; Even if it was expensive and beautiful, I do think it's best to pass them on and have a wardrobe of items you not only love but wear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939558 Thu, 23 May 2013 03:03:01 +0000 Caro in Oz 939558@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is so interesting Sorry for the length of this but as you can see I've been dealing with&nbsp;this very issue&nbsp;&nbsp;:)</p> <p>All the advice I've read over the years&nbsp;has never really helped me take those final steps &amp; only have clothes I love &amp;&nbsp;wear.&nbsp;</p> <p>This year I tried a slightly different approach. I picked out my very favourite things - the ones I's always be happy to wear - &amp; I used them as a benchmark for the clothes I was trying to make decisions about. </p> <p>For example: <ul> <li>I had a plain poly long-sleeve silky top that worked with most of my jackets - I didn't wear it very often&nbsp;but it always survived my culls. The reason I kept it was every time I tried it on as part of a cull I thought - this goes with all my jackets. Then when it came to wearing it I would choose another top over this one. The reason&nbsp;I didn't wear it was that it was poly &amp; it didn't feel as good as my silk tops.&nbsp;So I need to buy&nbsp;a better version because the style is great</li> </ul> <ul> <li>&nbsp;I tend to hoard jackets but when I tried some of them on they didn't work as well as my benchmark jackets. It was so much easier to let them go when I realised I had something better that I would prefer to wear.</li> </ul> <br />My big gains from&nbsp;this were: <ul> <li>I actually began to&nbsp;think about why I bought the clothing I did</li> <li>I discovered good enough will never work for me, especially with fabric &amp; cut</li> <li>I also turned all my hangers around &amp; realised that I wear the same few tops because they go with everything - so I need to buy versatile tops not more tops</li> </ul> I <b>have</b> kept a few&nbsp;things I haven't worn for a while&nbsp;but they are all top quality, well fitting pieces that I still love. Two of them are waistcoats that I've had for 20 +++++ years,&nbsp;I wore one with a white shirt the other day &amp; felt really&nbsp;good.</p> <p>I think that even if a wardrobe is full of designer pieces that fit well, there are always going to be pieces that are "better" than others because of fabric, fit &amp; the style of the wearer. My goal is to have all my clothing be "benchmark" standard </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939517 Thu, 23 May 2013 02:18:36 +0000 Adelfa 939517@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a hard one! I've been working on culling. (I'm fair at it already and want to get better.) I think the people who say that keeping things around can be confusing are right. But I often choose the confusion. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939475 Thu, 23 May 2013 01:29:44 +0000 Liz A. 939475@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Claire, what a great point! I totally do backslide when I allow myself to keep too many thing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939414 Thu, 23 May 2013 00:16:10 +0000 Anonymous 939414@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hmmm, I think my love must be a bit more fickle. If I love something, I'm wearing it (or I can't wait to wear it when the weather changes). Once I find something I like better, I start wearing that thing all the time, and my feelings for the other begin to cool off. If it's a style thing, and the item in question is no longer "me", then I'm pretty ruthless about culling it, even if I know it won't bring a lot of money. I only want things around me that represent the current leg of my style journey. It's almost like I'm afraid the old things will confuse me, and tempt me to regress, lol! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939392 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:52:32 +0000 bj1111 939392@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>elle, this is so timely. &nbsp;i just went through my closet again (third time this year) to purge things that i like lots, haven't worn in the past 18 months. &nbsp;i made a big pile. &nbsp;i'll sort through and keep a few things. &nbsp;but the rest will be consigned.</p> <p>i do have a few pieces that i wear one or twice a season (emerald washed silk sequined tunic, black beaded top) that i keep for specific occasions. &nbsp;i have a pair of navy beaded trousers that i wore this past christmas after 4 years! &nbsp;but so glad i kept them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939382 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:32:16 +0000 unfrumped 939382@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I like what Zapotee said and&nbsp;realize that my&nbsp;goals&nbsp;for a wardrobe review &amp; edit is to&nbsp;&nbsp;try to&nbsp;see the difference between things you really do love vs. things you're keeping for some other reason. Then relax. However, I'm not a big seller (ebay, consignment) so I don't aspire to much extra cash flow--it's more about storage space or if it irks me to have things not used.</p> <p>It was eye-opening to find several pairs of really nice loafers and slip-on shoes I hadn't been wearing, but had&nbsp;been&nbsp;keeping "in case,"&nbsp;started to deteriorate after some years--the insoles flaking apart. That helped me see how to adjust my thinking &amp; purchasing strategies. Some saved-up items won't necessarily still be good when you need them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939371 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:14:15 +0000 Anonymous 939371@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I personally don't do it. I keep whatever I love, regardless of how often I wear it. I like the feel of having my hidden treasures. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939367 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:11:54 +0000 unfrumped 939367@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have the same issues with some things. To still "love" it, it does have to fit, be flattering, nice color, &nbsp;etc, or otherwise it would already have a reason to toss. Also I'm leaving out items for rarer but special events that I can still see myself wearing (very dressy stuff or special gear are in these categories--however, these still need intermittent re-evaluating because things change).</p> <p>So it has to be in the category of,<br />"how come when I put it on, &nbsp;it looks perfectly fine, even great,&nbsp;&nbsp; but I am not wearing it?"&nbsp;</p> <p>Anyway, I agree that the things that help most are,<br />--outfit creation...it doesn't count to just put on a shirt, say--I have to put on a whole outfit or 2 using the item. Items in isolation can be misleading, but then you may see you just can't put them together with anything, for some reason<br />--forced wearing--make yourself wear something--find an occasion or reason. Then the little nagging things that might actually be wrong with it may come out. If you don't feel fab, then it's fair game for purging.<br />--make direct comparisons with similar items. If I have a pair of pants&nbsp; &nbsp;I can't seem to wear, pull out all my&nbsp;trousers and try them on in the same session. Does something click? I might toss the item, or I might end up tossing something else out and putting the orphan back into rotation!<br />--target something to be tossed if I am tempted by something fabber that is similar, or with a plan to get an updated version.<br />--identify a few items that I just put elsewhere and give myself permission to stop thinking about. Review annually. At some point--maybe it might be a few years--all will become clear! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939358 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:03:01 +0000 Angie 939358@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sometimes Vildy, if your head can't makes sense of something - you have to go with how your heart feels about it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939357 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:01:09 +0000 rachylou 939357@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I keep, personally. But my favourite book in the world is about a girl who loves her boyfriend <i>almost</i> as much as her clothes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939346 Wed, 22 May 2013 22:38:36 +0000 Vildy 939346@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hear advice all the time on how to approach purging items.&nbsp; I don't know that I've heard Angie's method of having your emotions rule and I find it compelling. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939333 Wed, 22 May 2013 22:20:46 +0000 Lyn D. 939333@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maybe try the one-in-one-out for a while?<br />I find this helps me to decide if a new item is truly worth getting when it means a similar item in my wardrobe has to go to make room for it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939332 Wed, 22 May 2013 22:17:07 +0000 Raisin 939332@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have been slowly getting rid of those items that I find pretty, nice, expensive, but I just don't wear. &nbsp;I mean what's the point of having them if I <b><i>never</i></b> wear them? &nbsp;Gives me room and freedom to have things I do wear.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939325 Wed, 22 May 2013 22:08:19 +0000 Suz 939325@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>If you can find a holding space for these items and put them aside for a month or two, then you could ask yourself if you missed them or reached for them in that time. If not, perhaps it would be time to wave goodbye to them, either via donation or selling.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939308 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:56:35 +0000 Angie 939308@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I guess Elle, there is no easy answer here. I have a 12 year old frock - vintage - that I wear once a year, and I LOVE it! I can't get rid of it. Ever. On the other hand, I had a pair of really comfy and beautiful designer black ballet flats that I got rid of this year because I just don't wear black flats (I'd had them for 6 years). </p> <p>I guess I let my emotions help me decide these types of decisions. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939294 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:43:08 +0000 ElleH 939294@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a small closet &amp; don't get to easily access or see what I have, which is a good reason to keep less items. It also could be the reason I don't wear them all. Perhaps I need a shelving unit that displays my footwear. It wont solve the clothing problem but at least I will see &amp; maybe wear more of my shoes. </p> <p>Men don't need as much variety as us. They wear the same thing to a wedding, funeral, job interview, maybe to work as well. Then they have their jeans &amp; short or tee for weekends. They only need 2 pairs of shoes besides workout gear &amp; shoes. One dressy coat &amp; one gear coat. No purse. No wonder I get comments like "you've got a bag" or "you have black shoes" lol.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939282 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:24:00 +0000 Liz A. 939282@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would venture to guess there are 2 schools of thought on this.&nbsp; I've noticed the difference between my boyfriend and myself in particular.&nbsp; If I have something in my closet, I force myself to put it into the rotation.&nbsp; My boyfriend won't think twice about wearing the same items over and over when he has a ton more he never wears.&nbsp; Actually, I think forcing myself works in a way, because I eventually come to realize why I don't instinctually reach for something... usually because it's not fitting with my current style direction.&nbsp; Then it goes to consignment! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939278 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:19:55 +0000 ElleH 939278@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes Mo I need to be more mindful. I didn't buy the Sam Edelman&nbsp;taupe booties I really wanted because DH didn't like them. I bought some flat Isabel Marant copies&nbsp;instead. But the I still wanted the Sam Edlemans &amp; got them anyway. When I bought the flat Isabel Marant copies I also bought the coral thinking it was better for Summer &amp; my colouring. I then thought taupe is better &amp; bought those too. I think it is more about PPP. I need to decide how much I love something. But I did &amp; do love these things I am pondering. Anything I don't love is easier to let go of. Maybe it is OK to keep them because sometimes I grow tired of something else or it wears out or I change a bit &amp; start wearing something a lot. And with my Frye Carson shorties I feel that they are not close enough to the ankle for my skinny legs.&nbsp;</p> <p>And it isn't that I mind DH being right. I just don't want him to use that against me when I shop in the future. We have a budget that I stick to but I still get negative comments.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939262 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:00:33 +0000 Mo 939262@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Elle, this also touches on one reason I have been trying to limit my acquisition of items within categories. &nbsp;One light neutral, one dark neutral, and one color or pattern to start. &nbsp;So for ballet flats I got 3 only. &nbsp;Cream, zipper black, and red patent. &nbsp;Drapey tees, I started with white and dark olive. &nbsp;Then I got a cobalt the next year&nbsp;and then a&nbsp;berry this year.&nbsp;Until I know I LOVE a certain category I limit myself to&nbsp;the 3. &nbsp;Then I don't have 7 versions of something when I find I&nbsp;only really wear 2 of them, you know? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939257 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:56:24 +0000 ElleH 939257@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LBD I think you are tempting me to sell! Thing is I seem too busy &amp; just put things in a bag. I was going to sell my wedding dress. I will never wear that again &amp; could get quite a chunk (I hope) for that &amp; it has been 2 years &amp; I haven't done anything. I need to think about what I really want to do with the money to motivate myself I think. Also DH didn't think I needed some of the booties &amp; now I will have to admit he was right. On Monday I pulled some of my boot boxes out, just the ones under the bed, to vacuum &amp; he freaked out when he saw how many Frye boxes I had.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939255 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:54:33 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 939255@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ahhh... gotcha! &nbsp; Then I think you should keep them, and maybe set aside one day a week as the day to wear your special pieces.&nbsp; </p> <p>Or...&nbsp; asking "do I love this as much as I would love having the money to put towards &lt;something amazing I've always wanted&gt;?</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939251 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:51:55 +0000 ElleH 939251@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LBD I don't have as much trouble with items that don't fit or don't work. It is the things that fit &amp; work &amp; I love but love something else more.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939246 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:49:01 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 939246@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Funny you should ask, because that is how I spent my day today.&nbsp; I went through my 'city home' closet (boyfriend's place downtown, where I keep the bulk of my wardrobe).&nbsp; Two items that I am purging are a vintage Versace dress, and a gorgeous black lace Lew Magram dress, because they are both too big, and would require extensive alterations now that I have lost weight.&nbsp; &nbsp; Boy was that hard!&nbsp; They are both awesome dresses. </p> <p>I offered to send them to my taller little sister, but with the<br /> stipulation that if she doesn't like them, to give them back so I can<br /> put them on the auction block :D</p> <p>I also purged a Missoni dress and a tube/halter sweater that I'm going to put on eBay.&nbsp; &nbsp; The tube is part of a twinset, really, but I can't quite bring myself to part with the cardigan just yet - despite almost never wearing it.</p> <p>'Breaking up' with a piece I really like, but never wear, is strangely hard to do, until I remind myself that if I save up enough money, I can go for something really high-end that I will love and use, down the road.</p> <p>One thing that made all of this easier, was, every time I wavered and thought, 'maybe I can make this work somehow', I would just put on a dress or skirt and top that really fit well, and remember that these are the things I need to be wearing, not the designer dress that makes me look like Charlie Chaplin.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939232 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:27:27 +0000 Mo 939232@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have been. &nbsp;I sent off my beloved cargo cords to Una recently. &nbsp;Every time I put them on, it was a tug of war. &nbsp;Too loose in the waist and too tight in the thighs. &nbsp; Totally love the style, but not the struggle to keep them where I wanted them &nbsp;<br />Ditto with several items that had nothing really 'wrong' with them, but they just weren't getting wear for one reason or another. &nbsp;Mostly bodycon dresses and some shoes. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/should-you-purge-things-you-love-but-dont-wear#post-939228 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:18:19 +0000 ElleH 939228@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have items that don't hurt (as in shoes), &amp; I love but I love other things more &amp; wear the other things. Should I purge? Some were expensive &amp; worn twice. I could sell them I suppose. Then I could use the money to fill a hole. </p>