I just purged half my clothes. Yay?

ironkurtin

I love looking at my purged closet. But the out pile is so big I'm exhausted just thinking about ebaying it. And the money I spent accumulating it! Oy, do I feel like a dummy!

I decided for my birthday I am going to be an adult and modulate my clothing purchases. Because I never want a pile like this again.

13 years ago

General

35 replies

Latest reply was from

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Congrats! *hugs*

Happy Birthday ... and good luck with your new closet!!!

13 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

Yes, YAY!! I'm proud of what you've accomplished here - this is major!

Wise insights about modulating your purchases to avoid an accumulation again.

Both are great birthday gifts to yourself

13 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Wow - I don't know how that'd make me feel. Good for you! And yes, being a 'grown up' about our clothes buying is a good feeling and a great step. Yay!

13 years ago

Anonymous

Congratulations on the purge, it must feel great. Good luck with the e-bay.

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Wow, that is hardcore! You go, girl. I am exhausted thinking about my Ebay piles, too... and I bought most with the intent of selling! Best of luck with the sales. I am with you on trying to be a big girl and keep the numbers down... is there a 12 step program for this??

13 years ago

Debbie

Veteran

You should be extremely proud of yourself.
Happy Birthday!

13 years ago

Jem

Veteran

Happy Birthday! You should be very proud of yourself! Maybe break down your pile and only think of selling so many items at a time? Then once the money starts coming in, you may feel more motivated.

13 years ago

Kate

Veteran

Good going, IK. I'm getting ready to do this, and I can't wait.

13 years ago

jayne

Veteran

Good for you! Really! I have been through the same this year and it is sooo painful to know how little I used those clothes...especially since mine where all purchased in the last 2 years after weight loss. I can even tell you the cost since I track everything in excel now. But I don't want to know. The good news, you will know better in future, you will take care to purcase thngs you will wear and you will wear what you have. Right?

13 years ago

Mona

Veteran

Congratulations for purging! you must be feeling a 100 times lighter now. I need to do the same. I have a lot of clothes that were bought pre YLF and I am sure they have to go now. but i am just not brave enough.

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Congratulations! This is BIG for you. Your new light wardrobe goes with your new lighter self! Fantastic.

And happy birthday!

13 years ago

Anonymous

It must feel good though to have a closet full of only things you love! Happy birthday!

13 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Wow, IK! That sounds so brave to me.

Since it seems like your style is so consistent from what we see you post here: what were your parameters for an item making (or not making) the cut? How often an item has been worn, fit issues, how you feel wearing the item, etc? I'm always curious when someone can purge such a big percentage of their wardrobe.

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

You go girl! Fantastic accomplishment! But I totally hear you on the ominousness (word?) of the ebay pile. I have a few things I've procrastinated listing for so long they are now the right season to post again. Better get on it right? Tackle the pile with the same focus and maybe break it down a bit at a time.

13 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Well done IK!

13 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Oh - my birthday isn't until September 6! *Early* birthday present. But thank you!

Janet, I wore everything in the pile; some of them are years old. But when I looked at them next to other things, the other things won. They fit better, felt better, appealed to me more. The patterns seemed fresher, or the shape wasn't dated. For many of these things, I don't have the life to wear them (ahem black blazers) and I don't know if I ever will. So they need to be set free for someone else to wear.

I'm hardly going naked, I still have lots! But hopefully I have a closet full of winnahs and not just contendahs.

13 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

you wont regret it. lesson learned and now you can carry on your fabness unhindered by a cluttered closet

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*applause*

You could just donate the stuff, Dana. No ebay headache that way.

13 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I've given up on the ebay thing -- too many winning bidder unpaid items, etc. Just seems a lot of hassle to me. We itemize tax deductions, so I end up keeping good records and donating, or giving away to friends and family.

13 years ago

Anonymous

Congrats on your accomplishment!

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

Hurray for the closet purging. Helping yourself to feel good is the best gift ever.

13 years ago

Jonesy

Veteran

Congrats! I have been in major purge mode too, and it feels so good to open up my closet and see only fab stuff in there! I am definitely moving toward quality over novelty/variety now, and that makes me happy.

13 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I know the ambivalence you're describing, though. You feel (or I have felt anyway) foolish about spending the time and money. But, we're not perfect and omniscient! You can't always tell how an item will wear over time or the fit really works, or how you feel in it, or how your lifestyle will change.

Is there a consignment store near you that would be interested in some of the pieces? I too have given up on ebay - too much time for the money for me (if you have designer stuff it might still be worthwhile).

13 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

These are all marked fro charity, friends, or ebay. They're all high-end and in very good condition, so I should be able to get *some* part of it back. Maybe.

13 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I;m stripping down my closet too - it took me a while to figure out what I love, but I'm slowly paring down so that everything either IS a favorite or works well with a favorite. You've given me a sorting idea I want to think out and then post for feedback.

13 years ago

ButterflyLady

(website)

Veteran

Well done you, for doing it all in one go like that! I blogged that I have to declutter my wardrobe piece by piece, rather than trying to do it in an afternoon, but I think that's because I'm still feeling my way with fashion. I love the feeling of having purged unwanted possessions!

13 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I'm pretty draconian in purging. if I have even a moment of, "I could live without this," or, "I don't feel right in this", it goes. Since I mostly wear jeans, I don't worry much about work capsules. I imagine it might be harder if I needed very separate wardrobes. However, I do think that if I had that kind of job, I would find my "jeans equivalent" and dress around *that* as much as possible. Because IMO the less you need to think about one part that you know flatters, the more you can have fun with the rest of it all.

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Dana, a capsule is a group of wardrobe items that work together. Nothing more complicated than that. You totally think in capsules!!! It's just that the bottoms variety in your capsules is narrow - jeans, and that's it. Your capsules are further simplified because of (virtually) the absence of colour and pattern. So, it's not that you don't think of capsules - more accurately, your wardrobe is almost like one big capsule. I hope that make sense.

Now. Think back to this description of your capsules if and when you are bored with your look. Here in lies the key.

13 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

I keep coming back for more motivation and inspiration

I have carelessly spilled over into my daughter's empty room. Of course, she has lots of abandoned stuff in there herself, but I have all sorts of things waiting for me to decide their fate: donate, consign, sell, swap, reclaim(?) and I'm just shutting the door for now. . .

13 years ago

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