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Purges & Replenishment Items

Sarah A

Veteran

Good Morning YLFers!

I have been giving some consideration to items that are basically placeholders in my wardrobe... black pants that are not an item that make me feel great, jeans that are not quite PPL, camis that are quite worn but arent really seen b/c they are always layered under another top, etc. Of course Angie's post of today has brought this thought right up to the forefront again.

As long as these items are there, I am not really actively searching for better fitting versions of these items (using my limited funds instead to find things that excite me more). So... my question is shall I just purge the offending items and try to make do with the rest of my wardrobe or in this situation do you bring home the replacement before eliminating the worn or ill fitting item?

Would love to hear your approaches. Thanks!

Shopping

20 replies

Latest reply was from memel

Kristin L

Veteran

How often do you need items like the black pants? I think that instead of putting most of your fund to things that, put about half towards what makes you excites and start replacing your basics or finding jeans that are your PPL or new dress pants. While Angie has a great definition of PPL, I think it's still very subjective to what works for you. My PPL is about 1/2 an inch above Angie's.

Anonymous

It depends on if I am wearing the not- so-fab item or if it is a closet orphan. If you can make do with the rest of your wardrobe, I'd purge the items.

Anonymous

I have to say that I often purge before I buy and then can't immediately find the right kind of replacement. Then I wish that I hadn't been so hasty, so I guess in an ideal world it is better to wait. For me it is only basics in my wardrobe that it applies to.You can often find something else to wear instead while you shop for the perfect items.

Raisin

Veteran

When it's not something I need very often or if I can get away with using something else, then I would purge it right away. Often if the item sticks around then, yes, I'm not really looking for a replacement.

Sarah A

Veteran

Thanks ladies! I have worn the black pants (well black straight leg jeans actually) 4 days in the last 2 weeks, but I think that is because I am trying to figure them out. The cami's I wear basically everyday, but because they have a shelf bra I then dont wear a true bra and when I review the photos I look so much better when wearing an actual bra vs. the cami shelf bra. Maybe I can cut the shelf bra out? The jeans I havent worn in about 2 months but I think that is more the result of my small weight gain and the fact they are a lighter summer-y wash. Hmmmmm.....

Glory

Veteran

I usually try and find the replacement before I purge on the basics, unless it is so dated I will never ever wear it. I would try cutting the bra out of one cami and see if it works for you.

Emily

Veteran

I think this situation is what the holding zone is for. I'd put the items in a box and keep an eye out for replacements. If you really need those pants, they're still there.

anne

Veteran

I'd go holding zone too. And second Glory's suggestion re the cami

Anonymous

I have been in this place, Sarah! I would take my few dollars and spend them on something (what did Angie call them?) fabulous and impulsive in the thrift store and my items never got replaced because some things were hard to find in thrift stores.

Emily has a great idea to put your jeans and black pants in hidden storage. Since you wear the camis on a daily basis, try to alter them and keep wearing them until you can find replacements. I know that is no fun, since they don't get seen, but maybe you can keep your eye out for a sale. Most people wear their camisoles to shreds so they don't really wind up in thrift stores do they?

Maybe you could start putting a few dollars aside (like in your sock drawer) every time you're temped to run out and buy something cheap and cheerful. Before you know it, you'll have enough for a nice, new pair of jeans. Hmmmm. Sounds like I've done that before! If the dollars aren't in my wallet, then when we're out and DD wants to get some junk food, there's no cash because it's safe at home with the socks.

Sarah A

Veteran

Great wisdom ladies! So my initial plan will be to box the pants/jeans and put in the basement. I have cut the bra out of one cami and am giving it a test run today. So far (35 min...) so good!

Claire, I love it! You post has actually allowed me to summarize my greatest shopping weakness "Goodwill takes VISA." I need to go on the thrifting ban, I am trying for 12 for 12 this year to slow that mess down. But yesterday I got this marvelous sequined pencil skirt for 50 cents! Oh my.... Habit is hard to break....

cheryl

Veteran

I agree with the holding zone idea. I definitely wouldn't get rid of the items before having replacements. Since you like to thrift I think you should share the budget between, replacements/staples, fun new items, and thrift buys. That way can you can focus on buying new the staple/replacement items and still have fun with thrifting an item or two.

Charmian

Veteran

I love the suggestions already on this thread: put 'em in the holding zone to see if you really needed them (and then do some hard thinking about why they were/weren't pulled out of the holding zone after some fixed period -- like 3 months).

And Claire's suggestion of "put a little aside everytime you get irritated" is pure genius!

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Sorry to be brutal but I've been in a similar place. I'd just like to add that it doesn't matter how many sequinned skirts you have or how much they cost if you don't feel good about getting dressed everyday.

I say this because although I didn't thrift I'd impulse buy here, there & everywhere. When I stopped this random buying I kept note of the price of all the things I saw. It was amazing how much it all came to - I realised I could afford better clothes:) I still allow for the unexpected brilliant find - but this isn't at the expense of my day to day wardrobe.

Thistle

Veteran

If I am not actively wearing it, yes I will purge it.

If I am actively wearing it and it needs replacing, I will replace it first. I HATE being cold, and I layer camis for just that reason!

Mander

(website)

Veteran

In the last year or so I have started "allowing" myself to spend money on basic items like camis and socks, and get rid of the ones that were getting old or that I just didn't like for whatever reason. I have a tendency to punish myself, as it were, by not replacing things until they have completely worn out in some kind of twisted sense that I don't deserve to get a new one until I have used up the old. I'm slowly getting out of this mindset, however.

Black pants that fit properly are always hard to find in my experience. I'd keep those in the holding zone in case it takes longer to find a replacement than you are hoping, but start looking for camis the next time you go shopping.

lamireille

This doesn't quite apply to your question--well, it does, but in a roundabout way.

I just read a wonderfully useful guideline that I think could be applied perfectly to either shopping or closet purging; actually, I misunderstood the headline, but I like my interpretation. The headline was "Will a $400 dress simplify my life?" And it suddenly came to me that that question would be tremendously useful for making purchasing decisions (for clothing, for kitchen items, for cable TV subscriptions, anything), because we all want life to be simpler--not necessarily more spare or spartan, but simpler.

I am very much not the kind of person who would ever consider buying a $400 dress, but I might consider, say, a $100 dress. No, that's a lie, because my lifestyle doesn't require dresses, so having a perfect little dress in my wardrobe wouldn't actually simplify my life. I would consider a $50 pair of jeans, though, because I have so many pairs of jeans that aren't quite right that when I want to look cute I have a hard time finding one I want to wear. But $50 is still a lot of money for jeans in my book, especially since I have so many imperfect pairs already, so that's where the question "will X simplify my life?" comes in. Are the jeans (or t-shirt, or sweater, or whatever you're trying to decide on) going to make life simpler by being a perfect, effortless, flattering go-to item, or are you only considering the purchase because it's a good deal and it will just be in the way once you get it home. And are the pants you're considering giving away simplifying your life at the moment, because you need something basic to wear until you find the perfect pair?

I only stumbled across the headline and had this epiphany a few minutes ago, so I don't know yet how well it will work when I shop or when I weed out my closet, but I thought I'd share it here because I think a lot of us with stuffed closets tend to focus on the joy of bargains when shopping or on the fact that we haven't gotten our money's worth out of an item yet when we're purging. A minimal closet really does make life easier (or so I hear--I've never had one). "Will buying it or keeping it simplify my life?" is going to be my new question the next time I shop or purge.

DonnaF

Veteran

I recommend Nordie's BP camisoles in the junior (Brass Plum) department; actually got them on Angie's recommendation. They are $12. I probably don't *need* any more, but have one on my Wish List to alert me in the event they go on sale. I've also picked up XOXO camis at Ross: two for $10. I got a black and gray set for my daughter and kept the black and polka dot set for myself. I found the polka dot one gets much more use!

I personally hate to purge borderline items until I have a suitable replacement and really try to be PPP on all my purchases. Camis are easy to find and replace unless one has an extremely long torso, but IMHO, finding the *right* pants or jeans are quite another matter! No sense in feeling pressed and buying a *9* or *8*!

Amy

(website)

Veteran

A holding zone is a brilliant idea here. I've ruthlessly purged things like less-than-perfect basics and really regretted it because I didn't have something to wear instead. I've made myself shopping lists to make sure I kept an eye out for those key pieces instead of getting side-tracked too much in the shops.

Sarah A

Veteran

I so appreciate all of the time each of you has spent in responding to my post!

@ Lamerielle -- I adore the idea of asking if things simply my life. Pants that are hard to pair tops with get a no vote here = brilliant way of approaching the dilemna

@ DonnaF -- Angie has converted me to a Nordie's online shopper. I find the retail offering in my town to be sparse and hardly worth the time to go out so I will be looking for those cami's online. Thanks for the recommendation and Mander i love the granting permission for these purchases ... definitely the way I feel sometime like I need to allow myself some luxury (of fresh items) to care for me not just everyone else!

@ Caro -- thanks for being brutal. Luckily I dont feel totally frustrated by my everyday dressing. But I take your point, a wardrobe has to be planned to be functional not just all happy accidents!

Off to create the holding zone... I have a few more items I think will join in too. And for whatever reason as I look at my remaining clothes... I doubt I'll miss them!

memel

Love the " will it make my life easier" approach... H+M has great cardies ,low price but i like the quality(at least the ones they sell in Germany)