I’'ve always had two fairly distinct groups of clothes: those I wear and those I don’t wear. As long as an article of clothing is roughly the right size, reasonably comfortable, a good color, and not of an unusual style, I’ll wear it until it falls apart. I have pants and shirts that I wear every week.
Then I have the clothes I never wear. Clothes I’ve gotten as gifts are much more likely to fall in this category. One really major defect, or a combination of minor defects, are enough to consign an article of clothing to this sad fate. I had a shirt that I bought at Stein Mart primarily because it had been $200 and was on sale for $20. The trouble was, it was stupid looking - sort of a flannel-looking shirt (but made of very fine wool) with calfskin elbow patches. I thought I’d wear it open, with a T-shirt under it, but it was just huge. I took that shirt with me for at least four moves before I finally chucked it. Then there are the T-shirts with logos or sayings that seemed funny when I bought the shirt, but stopped being funny about 30 seconds after I got it home. I have an absolutely hideous T-shirt with a Rastafarian Beavis and Butthead that I bought in the Bahamas for $4 from a lady with a beard. (Actually, I knew I’d never wear that shirt when I bought it, I just wanted to own it.)
Gimmicky clothes always wind up in the reject bin. Those variously designed adjustable-waistband pants never look quite right. I also have some underwear with sort of an elastic-guard covering the waistband. It does keep the elastic from digging into my skin, but it also makes the waistband roll over, which is just as uncomfortable. Then there are the various attempts at cheap shoes. I see a pair of decent looking shoes for under $30, and hope triumphs over experience and I buy them. After one wearing I have blisters the size of half dollars and to the back of the closet they go.
I’ve known for years that the only jeans that really fit me are Levi’s. But if American Eagle has a sale — look out. Then I get them home and they’re too tight in the thigh, too wide at the leg, and they are never seen again.
Then there are the dress shirts. Luckily, I don’t have to dress up for work, but I still like to wear a dress shirt open at the collar most days. But I’m short, and every dress shirt I’ve ever bought off the shelf makes me look like a walking tent with a head sticking out the top. I’ve almost weaned myself from the off-the-shelf dress shirt, but there are three or four in my closet right now. Then there is the dreaded stove-pipe effect with hemmed pants. You short guys know what I’m talking about.
The weird psychological thing is that I can go to my closet right now and pick out clothes that I know I’ll never wear. Yet I can’t bring myself to throw them out or send them to Goodwill. So they just sit there, year after year, some hung up, some on the shelf. Because they never get worn, they never wear out, so they just sort of accumulate. I’d estimate 30-40% of my clothes are in the “never gonna wear” category.
I finally donated all the size 2 things. I guess I should do the same to the 4 and 6 crowd. But also the 12s.