The other day I was doing laundry and I realized that most of the pairs of jeans I have I've owned since high school. These pants are on the better side of a decade, but I can't really bring myself to toss them. Other than a few minor holes here and there and some distressing, they're still completely wearable. Am I crazy for not wanting to part with them until they completely fall apart? There are other items I've had no problems with throwing out/donating to charity- "funny" T-Shirts I've owned as a teen, etc. etc. But these jeans are just so comfortable and still look really nice. I even have a pair or two that are a size smaller that I still hold onto in the hopes that I'll lose enough weight to fit in them again! So what factors go into your decision to get rid of clothes? Weight changes? Changes in fashion? Until you can no longer mend and patch them up?
I generally get rid of my old clothes when they don't fit me anymore or when they are too old for me to wear. I don't usually donate clothes I just used once or twice, I use up my clothes until they start looking ugly, specially jeans, which tend to get more comfortable only after much use.
I usually get rid of my old clothes when I can't fit them anymore and simply give it to my siblings or friends who want them. But I don't actually put a weight on often, instead I lose weight more so I've had some of my clothes for as long as 6 years or more.
I get rid of old clothes when they're 'past their prime.' Since I like light-colored clothes, if an old one gets a permanent stain and the stain is so bad that the shirt or pants can't be worn in public, I'd consider that as the appropriate time to get rid of that particular shirt, pair of pants, etc. And if the clothes are damaged in such a way that they can't be mended then quite obviously it wouldn't make sense to have them around in your closet.
I tend to wear the clothes I like for years on end and even when they're worn out I still wear them in the house as work clothes. Most times it's hard to find clothes I like, so when I find them, I never stop wearing them. Now, if I manage to stain my clothes with things like paint or unremovable oils, that's the end for them. But this happens rarely and I take good care of my clothes since replacing them is not cheap
I have a hard time letting go of clothes. I still have clothes in my clots that I haven't worn in years and some articles are a little snug as well. However, when I finally do get rid of I usually ask younger relatives if they want the clothing. For the clothing they don't want, I drop them off at the local Goodwill store.
I usually get rid of my old clothes when they don't fit me anymore, or there's no more room to store my clothes. I also have clothes that are a decade old already, and I still wear them because they still look presentable and they still fit me.
Since I'm the sort of person who wears clothes until they are quite literally rags, I usually don't get rid of my clothes when they're still wearable. Usually, if on the very rare occasion that I AM getting rid of clothes, I donate them to the local thrift shops. I have been donating a lot of old clothes that are from when I was like, 13 or something. So they're way too small for me anymore, and also it was stuff I never wore. I used to buy a lot of clothes and then never wore them, but now that I'm older (and buy all my clothes myself, haha) I only buy what I'll wear.
You can either give them away to charity or you can drop them off consignment shops for an extra few dollars of kickback. But I don't throw my clothes easily, I sometimes wear them until they fall off and clothes nowadays are quite expensive so it's not always practical to throw away old clothes and purchase a new batch.
It sounds silly, but my answer is "when they don't fit me anymore". I have lots of clothes in my cupboards that are at least three sizes too small due to me bulking up with my workouts. I normally have a good sort out twice a year and any with holes in go into the bin and any that are good quality go to the local charity shop.
I never hold onto clothes that are too small in the hopes I'll lose the weight. I try not to be too much of a packrat. As far as holey jeans, I don't mind holes in jeans to an extent (because let's face it, that's the style), but once they get too worn down, it's time to pitch them. Jeans last a long time, but after awhile, wearing and washing them so much breaks them down like anything else
I'll try to clean out my closet atleast once a year. I do this by getting rid of what I haven't worn all year. By doing this I am able to keep clutter out of my closet! I donate everything that don't need to charity. Sometimes it is hard to let go of item but if I know that I will not wear them I give them away.
I get rid of my clothes when they no longer fit, stained or are too worn to continue wearing. I don't have any clothes that are a decade old. I'm impressed. Unfortunately, I don't wear the same size as I did a decade ago. I like to buy classic pieces that look good on me. I stay away from trends. I need to make my wardrobe last as long as possible. Plus I live in California where just about anything goes.
I only get rid of my clothes whenever I find myself having no more space in my closet, and even then, I'd only throw or give away my outdoor clothes since I don't mind wearing older clothes at home anyway. I also still have clothes I had since high school, and unless they somehow got a major tear, I wouldn't really feel the need to throw them out. The most major factor in my decision to throw out my going out clothes is that they sometimes just go out of style and I doubt I will ever wear them again after realizing it since I'd only feel silly and outdated if I ever wore them outside.
I used to hoard my clothes indefinitely, but this last time that I moved I got rid of a ton of stuff. I had one of those closets with all kinds of organizing racks in it, and managed to accumulate so many jeans and shirts and stuff that it literally took me hours to go through it all and almost a whole box of large trash bags to take them all out for charity. Plus they weighed a ton too - I must have had a hundred pairs of denim jeans in there, lol. I am a lot more cautious about that now, since for many years it really didn't look like I had that much in there, it was just one closet - but you would be amazed at how much I was able to pack in there since everything was neatly folded and organized.
I only get rid of clothes when they really don't fit me anymore. I try to avoid shopping for new clothes. I despise taking the time and spending the money.. I kept my old holy jeans for when I am going to get dirty. I did however have to throw out an old worn pair of sandals and a nice one as well because Lily ended up ruining them to the point I can't wear anymore.
For favorite clothes that are comfortable, I try to fix them and would only throw them out when they cannot be fixed and I have their replacements. For colored shirts and formal attires, they tend to have a one-year life span. After about a year they don't look wearable anymore. Some clothes go out of fashion pretty quickly, but also the color sometimes fade, and it is probably time to shop for new clothes. Major life events also require wardrobe changes, like getting married, having a new occupation, and going back to school. I don't really like shopping for formal attires often, so when I find nice ones I buy in different colors, in case I need to shop for different kinds of formal dresses, I would have a few options available. I tried to get around the styling issue, and browsed for help. I was quite happy when I foundLog In, which has patterns of comfortable pants that were hard to find in the market or patterns to old clothes I would like to make.
I love keeping my clothes for years and years as well, especially if it's a favorite shirt or pair of jeans. I think especially females get very attached to their clothing and have a certain bond with a lot of the items in our closet. If your not a person who is worried about what colors are in season and what clothes are popular at the moment, it's easy to keep your clothes for a long period of time. The best time to get rid of clothes and when you start to gain or lose weight and they are no longer of use to you and taking up unnecessary space in your closet or drawers.
Now that I have given away all the extra clothes I don't need, I only get rid of clothes when they are so worn out they have no possible function anymore. If the fabric can be used as a rag, like it's 100% cotton, I will cut it into rags so there is no waste of usable fabric. Otherwise, if the item is partially or all synthetic, when it is so worn and falling apart it is no longer worth another mend I just throw it away as there is no way to recycle synthetic fabrics because they are not absorbent and don't work as rags.
I usually start discarding old clothes not because they're decades behind in terms of style but more for the following reasons: 1. They no longer fit me because I've grown in size. 2. Colors start to fade. 3. When edges start to fray or look tattered. 4. Zippers have become too difficult to repair. 5. They don't fit my current wardrobe or are impossible to pair with the rest of my clothes.
