I strongly recommend playing with a capsule.

Laura G, I did the same thing a couple years ago. I donated seven garbage bags full of clothes. Almost all were things I had thrifted. I had the same issue. I was willing to overlook problems because the items were so cheap. I was very picky with retail items, but not with thrifted items. I don't thrift much anymore, and have a more wearable wardrobe.

I found that I would repeat buy the same/similar items and it wasn't really necessary to do so. Over the past two years I would say I have challenged myself to a greater level of discipline, asking my self certain questions before I buy. Things like

• Would I buy it if it wasn't on sale
• What other items do I have to wear it with
• Do I already have something that functions as this would
• Is the quality up to the standard I now want

Jaileen - I bought almost a whole new wardrobe this spring. Paid retail and everything! I needed it. When I went thrifting again after that, it was a whole different experience. Having immersed myself in what's current and what's in the high end stores, I found I was much pickier at the thrift store. I wasn't after the thrill of the bargain anymore, I was after the thrill of the perfect item.

When I *only* thrifted and shopped the sales, I just didn't have enough information to properly judge the things I was seeing.

That's really interesting Laura. I think that's why, even though I'm still on a over 3-month shopping fast, I am still buying one magazine per season and glancing through my catalogues and having a quick look in shops. I would like to keep abreast of what's current, partly so I can have fun seeing if I can create looks from what I already own. And I am learning from the forum by posting items I am considering culling. Hope this is not a thread hijack Tammyb!

Jenni NZ- not at all a thread hijack! This has been a great conversation.

What Laura G said- not that I bought s new wardrobe , but he'd comment relates to ggd value of " retail research " by looking st a lot of different brands and styles. Often I would buy something- yes, usually on sale- bdcuae I could not IMAGINE there might be something better. Not even necessarily more expensive, but WAITING to run into the "better "- better color, fit, fabric, style. Setting the bar higher.

I approach Nordstrom Rack a bit differently than it sounds like many do: I don't make decisions in the store. Often, I don't even try things on there. At home, I "shop" the items I've found, trying them on for fit and for playing well with pieces I already own and love. I'm a rigorous returner, and knowing that I'm doing a return run makes me *extra* selective about what I do keep.

This churn isn't ideal for NR's staff, I suppose.

Extreme discount luck at NR has destroyed nearly all available sales goggles. Occasionally, I'll hold onto a 95% discounted piece for longer than usual, then return it because it simply doesn't have a place in my lifestyle. (DvF silk b/w graphic backless jumpsuit, I'm remembering looking at you.) Items that ring up at 1c, and don't have a place in my wardrobe, I give to a friend or donate. Can't bring myself to consign them, for whatever reason.

Some key items in my wardrobe were from sources that are always full price, and I'm happy I paid it.

Your mileage may vary.

There's a fine line between figuring out how much to spend, how often to wear something, and when the item needs to be moved on to a new home. It's a personal choice and something that took me years to figure out (I even ended up writing a book about it). At the end of the day, one thing I had to realize was that it's ok to spend a lot on something and not wear it often. In fact, often this is the case with special occasion wear. Making sure my clothes go to an organization or a friend who I know will give it new life makes the letting go process easier for me. I wish you best of luck with learning what quality vs quantity will work best for you.

Tammyb - My response was about things that were never being worn, and not going to be because they were mistakes. But I wonder if that's what you're looking at in your closet. Maybe your items are all winners but you just have too many of them to get in a reasonable number of wears? What's your goal for number of wears and how many years do you allow to get there?

Laura G- good question! I wouldn't call them all winners...they were a range of "what was I thinking" to "huh, I thought that would be a workhorse". Right now I am looking at a red sleeveless cotton blouse that I predicted would be a workhorse. It's fairly new, but I haven't worn it yet....

# of wears and CPW...I'm still working on...

This is a very thought provoking thread. A vast amount of wisdom is being shared. I appreciate and benefit from that .
Once upon a time, I was caught up the the Thrill of a Good Bargain Syndrome and when I found something I liked, I had to get it. How could I ignore the savings? I had a closet full of good bargains. My friends thought I was the ultimate guide to discount finds. Of course, there was a down side. Many of my items were not being worn very often.
I remember my Aha moment well. I was excitedly showing my parents a bag full of my great bargains. I had saved so much money! My father smiled at me and gently asked, "How often will you wear them and how much would you have saved if you hadn't bought them?" My dad was a very kind and wise man. From that day on, whenever I find a great bargain (of something that is not on my list), I hear my dad's words. More times than not, I save 100%, because I leave the bargain for someone
else to find.

Mainelady -- truly a lot of wisdom, now including your father's. I've favorited this thread and I think I'll re-read it periodically long after there are no new posts.

Since I don't have the lifestyle of a corporate workplace and live in a very casual lake area, I find that I usually do have too many clothes for my needs, but not too many for my likes. I like options. That said, I don't like having too many unworn items. Often the most unworn items in my closet feel like they require either a special bra, a particular bottom with a top (too limiting for my tastes) or a different handbag/shoe combo than I'm willing to wear that day (sometimes I just don't want to switch it up).

Overall, I've found the best thing to ask myself is one of Joy's questions:
"Do I already have something that functions as this would?" This stops me from making purchases more often than most other questions. Another question though I have more recently asked myself is "Is this really my style or do I just like the color, idea of it, or something else?"

Plus, my hair is greying faster with each year and I don't really want to color it, so I have to also consider if items will "go" with my new hair color as I like to keep quality clothing for many ears. That puts an additional spin on things.

This is such an interesting thread. Minimalist's idea of "style happy" expresses, I think, what I expected would happen with my buying once I came up with a coherent style. That must not be as "automatic" as I thought.

Tammyb -- so if you don't mind my asking about the red sleeveless blouse: why not?

Laura G sorry I didn't respond before- I was on a business trip. I haven't worn it yet because I only dress casually 2 x/week and I have too many clothes!