I hold on way too long because I am always afraid that moment will come when I think, gee X would be perfect just now. I think it comes from a time when I couldn't buy much. I need to realize now that if I really need something I can buy it and don't need to hang onto ten years of stuff just in case it could be useful at some point.

I'm really enjoying reading about everyone's tendencies. I think my own proclivity for purging too soon is a reaction to how I used to be: incapable of getting rid of anything that "still had some wear in it" even if it was awful and not my taste and unlikely EVER to be worn enough to get worn out.

This gave me the illusion of having a wardrobe, when in fact I had a collection of out-of-date orphans and a few shabby pieces being worn constantly.

I now realize that part of this was an attempt, in the unhappy later years of my first marriage, to appear to be incredibly low maintenance. "I don't spend money on myself, I don't take a long time to get ready, I don't take up space with a huge wardrobe -- look what a good wife I am!"

Do I need to say that that approach was not particularly healthy?

I purge fairly quickly. I strive to have a smaller, functional wardrobe and I also really like variety. The only way to keep my clothes evolving is the purge them. Fortunately I have a couple friends that are the same size as me and I can swap with them. This helps a lot to keep the closet small in size but feeling fresh and not dated to myself.

I've done a couple of really big purges since joining YLF and those took a little longer. When I was getting rid of large volumes of clothes it was tough to let go, too much guilt over all the money I wasted on clothes even though I wasn't wearing them!

But Lisa, look at the priceless levels of gratitude you earned when you brought all those purged items to our YLF swap...

What a great thread. I really relate to the comment on Trust in Abundance. How do you get past the guilt feeling of donating clothing that still has tags. I struggle with that.

How do you justify keeping clothing that still has tags and is hanging in your closet, not being worn? Think about how someone else could wear it and would be overjoyed to get it. I'm not happy when I make shopping mistakes, and I try to keep those mistakes to a bare minimum, but once in a while there's a closet orphan that needs a new owner who will love and use it.

The solution for NWT clothing unworn is eBay!!!

Exactly! Donate it or sell it. Just don't let it hang in the closet unused and taking up valuable space.

I think April's statement describes my current wardrobe situation pretty well: "I had a collection of out-of-date orphans and a few shabby pieces being worn constantly. "

I hold on to things for far too long. Part of it is just a deeply ingrained procrastination habit, part of it is some kind of weird psychological hang-up which is complex but related to being unhappy with my weight and appearance, not trusting that I can get what I need when I need it, and guilt over letting go over things that are "still useful". I do have a huge pile of stuff sitting in my hallway to get rid of, but my closet is still bursting and I can't put everything away.

Sounds like another closet purge is in my future!

Mander, when I first joined YLF (3.5 years ago), it took me a ridiculously long time to do what needed to be done with my clothing. I needed to get rid of things that hadn't fit in a long time, establish a foundation of basic pieces, add in some pieces with interest, and develop a collection of accessories. I had a hard time figuring out where to start.

It sounds like you have made a good beginning by creating that huge pile. Can you put it in the trunk of your car right now so you're not tempted to put anything back into the closet? And then start on that next pile.