. - YouLookFab Forum

Mo

I'm on the slower end of the spectrum. Usually, the precursor for a toss will be wearing an item and not being happy with it on all day. But I don't seem to mind letting things hang for a long time unworn.

10 years ago

Windchime

Veteran

I too tend to purge slowly and with care. Like Mo, if something makes me feel self-conscious or uncomfortable when I wear it in real life, I'll purge it.

10 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

Toss if not worn for 12 months or so.
I place in a holding zone, and might keep it there for months if it is off-season.
I like to do a final sort before taking to my car too.

10 years ago

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I'm in the slower to purge the closet group. I have a "holding closet" in the basement where I'll put items that I'm not sure about. If they continue through the season unworn, out they go.

10 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Well, it's bit by bit for me. Because A) my time is pretty limited to an hour here or there and B) I'd need a semi-trailor to offload it all at once...

10 years ago

LoriFLA

Active Member

A mix between your daughter and husband. I can donate without a second thought. Sometimes I hate everything, go into frenzies, and get rid of lots of stuff. A few regrets: An orange soft leather handbag with gold hardware, a denim jacket, and a dark lavendar workout jacket. I wish I still had those items, the rest...I can't even remember.

10 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

I keep a small closet, and purge items either because they are no longer presentable (old, worn-out, stained) or a mistake/don't love. I keep a bag or box on the go for the mistakes, and then top them up with seasonal purges of the old and worn. Since becoming a Fabber, the mistakes aren't so many.

10 years ago

carter

Veteran

Lots of holding zone folks like me so far. LOL rachylou! We filled up the back of my car and the back of my son's car (both SUVs).

10 years ago

carter

Veteran

fastkat, it's the regrets that keep me doing the holding zone thing. Those bug me worse than purchase mistakes.

10 years ago

Sal

Veteran

I purge at least twice a year. I also sometimes have a week where I try items that have fallen from favour. If they don't feel right they also go in a bag for the thrift/ op shop.

I do have one suitcase for items that I don't wear but keep. I have some square toed knee high boots, a midi denim skirt and a top in there. I may try the skirt again as it could work again with the right boots.

I keep all cocktail and eventing clothes for the future. I don't have many, I tend to adore them, and I pull them out even 10-12 years later and love them still. While I am not super thin, my weight rarely changes so I don't have clothes too big or too small hanging around.

I do try not to make mistakes but recently had to purge one unworn item and have a rarely worn dress ready to send to a new home. Unflattering and bought after caving in to pressure from a pushy sales person. Silly me!

10 years ago

cheryl

Veteran

Wow! Good for you. I am as slow as it gets in purging but I am working on getting better!

10 years ago

Zibbets

Veteran

I'm a holding zoner.

10 years ago

Susie

Veteran

No holding zone for me. I used to keep a box or two of things that were the wrong size but I don't think I ever ended up wearing something from there. I do have filled bags sitting waiting on me to take them sometimes so I guess I could dig something back out but I never have.

I've always been pretty quick to purge and I don't recall ever regretting something I've passed on.

10 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I try not to be an emotional tosser just out of frustration, since that isn't a good approach to shopping or purging for me, and especially not good to toss a lot of things as a reason to buy more if what's really the problem is I don't have a focus or plan.

The most helpful thing is to try on something, more than once if needed, or wear it, rather than have some hypothetical idea of how it looks or works.
And compare to some things I think are really great. If just not right, not working, I can usually toss it.

Another thing for the purge countdown is, if the issue is just length--too long or too short--but there are other good features--I will try to run a mental check of whether this could be a proportion thing that would work with specific items--long top over fitted pants or short top for higher-waisted skirts, or jackets for dresses vs. skirts vs. pants. These might go in holding zone if not sure, and I've dragged some things out for that reason.

10 years ago

deb

Veteran

Toss if not worn for most things, shoes and bags a re exceptions.

10 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I don't like to purge all at once in one fell swoop, because a) I tend to make emotional decisions that I later regret and b) it's a PITA to wrangle a bunch of stuff out of the house, into the car, and to somewhere that takes donations. I much prefer pulling stuff out as I do laundry, etc., and get rid of a bag or two at a time. I usually have one bag on the bottom of my closet that I slowly fill with whatever I want to get rid of. It's not a holding zone per se but since it usually takes a few weeks to fill it and put it in the car, I can pull out items that I was overzealous with.

10 years ago

Laura J

Active Member

I've gotten to a point where I purge well and pretty fast. This month I've purged a ton (hundreds of items of clothing) and not experienced a twinge of regret. I've kept anything I'm on the fence about (the fence period seems to last a week). Anything that doesn't fit that I love goes in a box that goes in the attic. If it doesn't fit in a year I'll donate it. Unless I really love it. I have a big attic. I felt overwhelmed by my wardrobe for years, but just this month got to clearing it out.

10 years ago

magpie

Active Member

I'm a hold-and-purge-r. I don't have a designated holding area, though I do have drawers and corners of the closet that get opened less often.

And emotional purging works in my favor, because I tend to hang onto stuff too long. If I look at something I haven't worn for a while and my immediate emotional response is "no," then there's a reason I'm not wearing it and I know I won't miss it. Just this weekend, I had a pang of regret over a jacket I gave away several months ago... until I remembered why the fit was not quite right on me, and the regret passed.

10 years ago

amiable

Veteran

I'm bit-by-bit. Most things I try on, and if I can't make it work, or don't like it as I'm wearing it, out it goes.

10 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm an incremental purge. Frequent mini purges. Usually items go in a holding zone for a month or so, and then get reviewed one more time before they go.

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Definitely one step at a time! I am currently still experimenting with my style. I've only been doing this for a year, and since we have four seasons here, something that didn't get worn all of last year still has a good chance to redeem itself this year, since it was out of rotation most of that time due to the weather.

I do the holding zone too. In fact, I've got "closet purge" on my list of things to do this week! I plan to cull anything that I thought I might still wear last year but didn't, and that will go in the zone, and then I am going to pack up my winter clothes to get them out of sight (not purging but just moving them out). I'm actually looking forward to it, because to me it seems kind of like a dry run on actually having purged the stuff...I get to see if I can live without it and not miss it, but it's still there if I discover I made a boo-boo. I don't expect to be emotionally pining over what I move to the holding zone; it would be more a matter of necessity (e.g., I might need a top to go with bottom X, and maybe the one in the purge pile is the only one that works...kind of like Rachy's "hated but useful").

10 years ago

doubleh

Veteran

If it's in good condition but I'm not sure if I love it, it goes in purgatory. If I love it but have realized it's a goner (pilling, etc) I purge asap, lest I be tempted to keep it on life support...

10 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

A few times a year I just get the purging bug and get really ruthless and get rid of anything that annoys me (clothes, I mean). Scratchy? Gone. Snug? Gone. Saggy? Gone. Orphan? Gone. One time I took seven huge trash bags (just my clothes!) to the thrift store. That was an especially good purge.

10 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I am like your son - don't take the stuff I just wore, take the stuff I haven't worn.

10 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Maybe a combination of all four? My innate tendency is to behave like your daughter, but I've learned that being too eager to toss can have a downside. So now, like your son, I regularly toss anything that I'm not wearing in a pile on the bed to get it out of my closet. Then I do a bit of assessing like your husband and try on some things that still look good but which aren't in regular rotation. If the item still strikes my fancy (or makes me feel guilty), I'll hang it in a "front of the closet" zone with the rule that I have to wear the item within a set time period--sort of like your two-step process. If I end up wearing the item but wanting to change out it in an hour or so--or refuse to leave the house in it--back it goes into the purge pile without a second glance. I do try, though, to figure out why the item doesn't work to avoid repeating the mistake.

My "front of the closet" zone, though, only holds things that are getting a very brief reprieve and my purge bags get moved out of the house very quickly. My only true "holding" zone is actually a very small garment bag and storage box that contains items which I don't really wear anymore but which I can't bear to let go, often for sentimental reasons. But I never allow that "holding" zone to get any larger, so every now and then items in it also get purged, after a bit of reminiscing and maybe a picture.

10 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Definitely one step at a time for me. I laughed at how you decided to purge your son's stuff--whatever was on the floor stayed. Ha ha!

10 years ago

Laurinda

Veteran

Slow and not so steady, but I am getting better. When I am feeling secure that The Universe will provide then I find it easier; when finances are tight I tend to hold on to things 'just in case'.

@Doubleh LOL Purge-atory.

10 years ago

Marlene

Veteran

Hmmm. I am a purge-in-steps person. I do a one-in-one-out inventory with a set number of hangers. First I start with a bag in my closet for the first purge step. I go through the bag about once a month and either recoup it in my closet (another piece out) or put it in the consignment box or the Value Village box.

After something has been in the VV or consignment box about a month, I go through purge step two and go through those AGAIN and either recoup in my closet (another piece out)

Step three is the REALLY big step...move it out the door.

I used to be a rash purger but lived to regret some of my purges later on. Now, I am finding this 3 step process easier on my nerves and I make better decisions. Having stuff in a holding pattern makes my decisions based on reason rather than some weird cleansing emotion.

10 years ago

Peri

Veteran

One step at a time for me. I've been in major purge mode for a year now, going in waves. First it was the obviously completely awful stuff, like 20 year old jackets and things I hadn't worn in 10 years. I'm telling you, my closet was a disaster.

After that I went by seasons...purging the not awful but still bad level at the start of the season and the medium but not happy things I didn't wear at the end of each season. That's where I ran into some trouble because I purged all but about 4 summer tops last fall, assuming I could replace them when the time came, but have been having a hard time finding colors I love this spring! I'm making some progress though.

I still have some things I'm questioning but I'm at the difficult place now. For instance, a dress I was so sure I didn't want to wear again, I had to end up wearing recently because I hadn't found anything better. I'm at the point where some regrets could happen, whereas the stuff I gave up earlier in the process was not possible to miss. So although I would really like to purge even further and only have things I love and want to wear, I have decided to now start replacing first and purging only then.

So yes, very step by step.

10 years ago

Category