What To Do With All Those Clothes You Rarely Wear, But Don’t Want to Part With?

Closets are the bain of our existence: a place for our clothing that can quickly become disorganized because, well, who doesn’t love clothes shopping? Especially at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx where you can get designer duds at super low prices that incentivize you to buy MORE? The truth is that many people don’t want to part with their clothing even if they don’t wear it because they feel that may just want it someday. Also, people generally move up and down the scale, and there is a bad tendency to purge clothing when you lose weight, only to have to buy it when you — sadly – may regain it. We all know that it is not a good idea. It gets expensive. After all, very few people stay the same size forever. Therefore, what to do with all those clothes you rarely wear, but don’t want to part with? Try a few of these tips to help out with this dilemma.

Containerize – Buy some airtight containers and sort your clothing either by size or season. Make sure that, whatever you do, you label the outside of your container with content details.I usually suggest doing so on two sides of the container: the long and the short of it, if you will. If you keep smaller or larger sizes because your weight fluctuates, this is a great way to store those items. The same goes for maternity clothing.

Organize by Frequency of Use – Put the most frequently worn clothes up front so that you can see them. Your lesser worn garments can go behind your favorites, and I would challenge you to test yourself by trying the following. Hang all clothes with the hanger facing the opposite direction when a new season begins. As you wear and launder your clothing, return each item to your closet, hanging it in your preferred way. At the end of the season then, it becomes a cinch to see what you have and have not worn, thereby perhaps making it easier to decide what you don’t wear.

Inspect for Tears and Pills –  This is an easier decision maker. If the article of clothing has tears or rips that cannot be repaired or just looks worn and, therefore, not an attractive item to wear, recycle it. Some material pills easily, and that alone may make your decision to let it go much easier.

Wear and Keep for a Year – If you have indeed worn a piece of clothing, keep if for a year, and then decide if it is out of style or not as flattering as you originally believed. If you still want to wear it, keep it; otherwise, let it go.

Absolutely Cannot Let it Go – Perhaps you have a special outfit that you only wear occasionally, but it fits and is flattering. In this case, store it properly to maintain the quality of the fabric, but tuck it away to allow your more frequently worn items easier access and visibility. You’ll know where to find it when that next magical moment calls for it!

If you are tight on space, the decision may be an easier one in that due to your storage and/or closet space, it is impossible to keep all your clothes. Make your decision and then put the items in a black bag to donate. Out of sight, out of mind…

Photo by Parker Burchfield on Unsplash