How do you purge summer (or seasonal) items? - YouLookFab Forum

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How do you purge summer (or seasonal) items?

Helena

Veteran

Hi all,

First of all, hello! I've been gone a while - looking forward to reconnecting with everyone

Elizabeth has a great thread going about when to purge summer items - adding to that conversation, I'd like to ask HOW do you purge your summer (or other seasonas) items?

I have not done a purge in a while and am getting that itch. Thinking of going through the summer stuff. My usual rule is, if I didn't wear it all season and the season is well and truly over - unless I really LOVE it or it's very occasion-specific and I might have said occasion at some point in the future - it's gone. Think I've gone a bit purge-crazy in the past though, and now I'm a little gun-shy ...

So ... how do you do it? Thx

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

Staysfit

Veteran

I take whatever items I am assessing and will purge them if: 1. I no longer like them, or they no longer bring me joy (Kondo). 2. Anything torn, ripped, pilled, or stained beyond repair. 3. Anything that doesn't fit. 4. Anything that was fast fashion and is now outdated. I will keep items that haven't been worn in over a year though, even if they are not special occasion items. For example, I have a denim jacket that I have kept for over 20 years, maybe longer. I can go a few years without wearing it, but then I pick it up again. Perhaps these would be considered classic items? It seems like most of the items in this category are outerwear, dresses, and shoes.

shedev

Veteran

I'll get rid of items that look tired, then things that I kind of moved on from. I do this beginning and end of season, in spring and fall.

Helena

Veteran

Great suggestions ... Staysfit, that is a good point about classics!

kerry

Veteran

I have a very casual style so I'm often in easy care items. Sometimes items get demoted before they get purged - mostly tees that get those annoying little holes in them. I'll use them for loungewear. When I purge something it has to leave the house right away. That's part of the reason I got fed up with consignment. I used to donate to Goodwill - it was so easy - on the way to Costco, drive through, take everything (often if I start a purge in the closet it'll lead to other places in the house). Now I use a donation bin. I'll sometimes donate to Value Village (it's much farther away). I went online to find ones the were legitimate first. I've heard these bins can be scams.

I purge often, definitely seasonally but also a few times in between. Something usually sparks it, frustration with clutter for example. My closet and bathroom cupboard are the only places in my house where I get to make unilateral decisions so it's easy to start there.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I purge at the end of a season, and then again at the beginning. I think it's more useful to a charity shop if you give them things at the beginning. If you purge at the end of a season they have to store it until the next season, so it incurs a cost to them. At least that's the way our local shop works. I'll just hang on to it for 6 months then take another look at it before I give it to them. Although this approach means I might hang onto it/change my mind. Or it may get discarded.

I am not thinking clearly at the moment; it's late and not sure this was any help. I just spilled an entire bottle of liquid laundry detergent on the floor, that's how tired I am!!!

Sal

Veteran

I do a bit of both, and during the season as well. We have a couple of large garage/yard/fundraising sales in our area that I give clothing to. And occasionally I will just realise I am done with an item and donate/scrap it immediately.

I always have a box or bag on the go for the thirft shop/garage sales. I don't just have clothes, often toys, kitchen ware and books too.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I edit pretty often (big ones after each season and before each season and smaller ones in between) and mainly go on my gut.

If it's worn out, doesn't fit, doesn't work as I had imagined or doesn't fill a purpose, or I no longer look forward to wearing it, out it goes. I don't pay attention to whether I wore it in a particular season, necessarily -- if I still love it I will keep it. Contrariwise, I have been known to edit out items I'm wearing regularly if they are bothering me for some reason.

LaPed

Veteran

I do a batch of consignment seasonally, 2-4 times a year, but it's mostly gear, not fashion-wear. I don't do much fashion consignment lately. I have better luck with eBay when I have something worth re-selling, and I do that on a rolling basis throughout the year.

To be honest, most of my street clothes get worn into the ground and get turned into rags. I've gotten pretty good about returning things right away that I dislike or that don't fit right, so what stays here stays for a long time. My donation box (mostly kid's stuff these days, but every now and then something of mine or DH's) goes whenever it's full -- the local thrift store is within walking distance, so I'm there pretty often anyway.

Nishaa

Agree...
I purge before and at th end of season. Before, to see if there are items I can't see myself in right away and end of season, while storing.
Though I'd keep it till next season to be very sure and not let it be a burden to those I pass it on to.
Sometimes I purge mid way also. Like when I realised this season that I want to wear natural fibres mostly... Cotton and silk and linen.... I did give away a few chiffon/poly stuff that was in regular use.

chadya

Veteran

I usually do it at the end of the season, this weekend I starting putting away some summer things and weeded out stuff I wasn't sure about.

I will re-evaluate next year.

Funny thing in the bags of stuff to go, I found 3 items I wanted to keep!

Liz A.

Veteran

I'm in Suz' camp. Constant purger here, or call it purge-as-you-go.

If I notice something is starting to look worse for wear, has holes, shrunk, stretched out, otherwise ill-fitting, out it goes! Well, not really out. I keep 2 bags on hand, one for items that I think consignment might take, and one for donate items. I don't take special note of what season the item is, except occasionally the consignment shop will mention that I should bring something back next season, and then I may or may not decide to keep it that long.

It's not often that I'll toss something because I just decide I'm over it. But then again I don't have a big wardrobe, so I wear things through pretty quickly. Plus, my size fluctuates so I can often use that as an excuse. I'm very good at rationalizing why I need to purchase something new.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I sort of purge as I go these days too - if it doesn't fit right or doesn't feel good, I put it in the box right away. If it's just a style issue, I put it in my holding drawer. I have a few big boxes ready for donation now that I've been collecting over the past year or so. I sometimes try an item again after putting it away but rarely choose to keep it, so my original intuition is usually right.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Things leave my closet when I realize I am done with them, and after a big closet audit. I used to take some for consignment, but it was a lot of work for not much money, and I never seemed to time it right. Some fall items that I meant to consign last year are still in my garage closet. They need to leave the house, after I make sure that they don't fit now that I have regained a few pounds.

I prefer that the better items go to consignment or Image for Success, both of which are season sensitive. Wearable clothing in decent shape go to the Salvation Army, which is a mile from my house and easy to get to, and they are not season sensitive.

Oh, and yesterday I was admiring my friend's blouse. After a while I realized that it was an older shirt of mine that I had passed to her when it became too big for me. She had done the same for me previously when we both were losing but she was ahead of me.

I often take a break from wearing something, so if I like it and it fits, it stays. If it is too big it either gets altered or goes. If it is too small but I can imagine realistically that I will fit in it again, it leaves my main closet but stays.

I am learning that sometimes I don't love an item in and of itself, but it is very useful and makes an outfit I love. So, that's something else to consider when purging.

Also, since you think you may have over-purged in the past I suggest you move anything you are not sure about into a holding zone.

Thanks, this is reminding me to get my fall consign/donate out of my garage.

Helena

Veteran

A double apology ... For disappearing after posting this, and now for bumping my older thread! But wanted to thank you all for responding ... This has been very helpful and I am looking forward to getting into the closet to do some purging!! Thx all