I guess i'm asking 'cause I really have no idea myself (and i'm a little neurotic). Like when i'm contemplating a purge i'll look at a hoodie or tee and be like hmm..it's kind of worn...err, or is it "distressed?" Then I wonder "gee, how many wears should I get out of a tee-shirt? 10? 20? 30+?
To put it more succinctly, how worn/faded do you let something get before ditching it (if it doesn't have holes or stains)?
I'm pretty neurotic about getting rid of white tees and tanks, and I hate cheap, pilled sweaters, but other than that, it depends.
I have a pair of jeans that are well past their prime, but I still love them and wear them around the house or running errands, etc. The knees have blown out and the hem is totally jacked up from dragging the ground. Now if the crotch or butt starts to rip, then they gotta go!
If I love something that has torn, for example a pair of jeans have ripped in the butt area on two seperate occassions and I have had them repaired both times. If I didn't love them I would have tossed them despite the fact that I had only owned them 3 or 4 months before trouble arose.
Even if I love the item, if it gets a bleach spot (even a small one) it gets ditched.
Anything that stretches out is immediately dumped. Anything that fades goes.
Time isn't a factor. All I care about is how the item looks.
DH is the same. He has a few really nice Lacoste's that he got stains in the pits from his deodorant and even though you cant see them unless he raises his arms he won't wear those and discards them to charity. Also, DH tosses jeas that get frayed at the bottoms.
I don't know I have clothes from like middle school ( I am a senior in college). There are just some things that I love. I am learning how to throw things out, but basically if there is nothing wrong with it or it is a classic i keep it until there is something wrong with it.
Omigosh, I am a total packrat. With the exception of clothes that are stained, ripped, etc., I keep almost everything. I have sooo many clothes that don't even fit my right now because I'm still hanging on to 13 pregnancy lbs. (9 1/2 months later, grrrr ). I have a hard time letting go because I'm like, someday, I might lose weight, and they'll all fit!!! Of course if that day ever comes they'll all be terribly out of style.
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sisurunner wrote: Omigosh, I am a total packrat. With the exception of clothes that are stained, ripped, etc., I keep almost everything. I have sooo many clothes that don't even fit my right now because I'm still hanging on to 13 pregnancy lbs. (9 1/2 months later, grrrr ). I have a hard time letting go because I'm like, someday, I might lose weight, and they'll all fit!!! Of course if that day ever comes they'll all be terribly out of style.
haha I'm like that too, it takes me so long to actually do anything about clothes that are too small. But I'm getting better! A week or two ago I went through and just threw out the things that were too ratty, misshapped, etc to wear, and all the things that are too small I'm bringing over to my friend today, as she's much smaller than I am. The weird thing is, last night I was looking through my closet for some clothes for a weekend awayand I actually, in rifling through things, found a whole new pile to give to my friend. These are clothes that have been too small for so long that they're like the background now, I didn't even see them when I was going through before!
I guess my answer is, I keep them until they're torn,stained, etc (except sometimes with stains I use RIT dye to get a few more wears out of the piece), but the small ones I hang onto for far too long! (Not because I think I'll lose weight again... I've given up on that)
If they're not torn, but even dying can't give it a few more wearings, I get rid of something when it just looks...old. If it's something my mother would tell me to get rid of, I do. Sometimes if things start looking older I can wear them more casually with jeans or something, but mainly it's to the point of when my mom would throw it away. I don't know why, but I use my mom as a barometer for everything. It's ridiculous for and adult, but I do.
-- Edited by ttara123 at 10:28, 2006-04-27
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It really depends on the item and how much I love it. I have a few pairs of velours with the zipper pull broken but I still wear them, also they are a little worn out too but still comfy and I only wear them at home. Things like t-shirts go when they get stains, fade, or lose shape. Jeans last forever. I usually sell them on ebay when the inseam just seems to short for me anymore or when I realize I just don't like them anymore.
I used to go through these mad purge sessions where I would get rid of a ton of stuff. However, the last few times I've done it I've SERIOUSLY regretted some of the stuff I ended up giving away. Depending on my mood or what style I'm kinda into for the moment, I find that I sometimes give away stuff that I shouldn't - so, i've been a TOTAL packrat in the last year or so and now my clothes room has exploded.
The only time I get rid of something is if it totally doesn't fit or is worn out, stained, etc.
No specific number. Just until it gets stained, dingy-looking, ripped, or I don't like the style of it anymore. I have trouble getting rid of stuff that's too small if it is in good condition and I like it. I will hold onto it forever even though I am not actively doing anything to lose weight.
Maat wrote: No specific number. Just until it gets stained, dingy-looking, ripped, or I don't like the style of it anymore. I have trouble getting rid of stuff that's too small if it is in good condition and I like it. I will hold onto it forever even though I am not actively doing anything to lose weight.
Ha! Me too. However, when something is too big I get rid of it immediately.