Do you keep your clothes till they are nothing more than bits of rag in the lint trap of the dryer? Do you replace them as fashion dictates? Do you move the old stuff to the back of the closet and just add new stuff? Do you have a “fat” wardrobe and a “skinny” wardrobe?
When I find clothes that I like, I’ll wear them till they’re too tatty to be seen in public. Then they’ll usually become hangin-around-the-house clothes. When I have too many raggedy tops and pants, I toss 'em.
For clothes that seemed like a good idea at the time but lose their appeal after a short time, as long as they’re in good shape, they go to Goodwill. Same for certain gifts that aren’t me at all. I may wear such things once or twice, then off they go.
Getting my husband to get rid of shirts he hasn’t worn in years… well, I choose not to fight that battle too often. I try to shame him by commenting on the powder blue leisure suit he owned when we got married - he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of not keeping every item of clothing you’ve ever purchased.
I hold everything until it’s so threadbare it evaporates.
Well, I would, except my wife gives things away to charity much sooner. It’s kind of a running joke because I never actually notice what goes or when it’s gone.
I get rid of clothing when we’ve paddled far enough down the river or lake that strangers will not be encountered, say about an hour or so from the put-in.
{Muffin looks around, thinks “Oh oh, she meant dispose of clothing, not shuck clothing,” and hurriedly throws clothes back on and sneaks out the side door.}
Right now I have an entire suitcase full of great clothes in my store room… And nothing fits. I can’t get rid of it though, I will be able to wear them again. But it usually takes me a loooong time to get rid of old things I know I’ll never wear again, regardless of size.
I once had a pair of blue jeans, the knees and butt of which were covered with an array of home-made denim patches with embroidery. I kept it (and occasionally wore it) long long after the only thing one could attach new patches to was older patches, and where patches had patches of their own.
I think I finally tossed them when the waistband had disintegrated in back and the denim was laddering down and had a rip at the end.
I generally get rid of clothing when it wears out. The one exception is that if I haven’t worn it in a year, I ain’t never gonna wear it, so out it goes.
I buy new clothing only to replace clothing that I have thrown out. I just did my yearly clothes shopping last week. Total bill: $72; I didn’t need any shirts, shorts, or pants–I have plenty–so my yearly budget for clothes was for new socks, underwear, and shoes.
Buying new clothes as fashion dictates? Do people other than those in the enteratainment industry do this?
Funny this thread should come up. Just today, I decided to rummage through my old clothes and toss stuff that’s either too old or that I simply don’t like and won’t wear. My place is small enough, I certainly don’t need to hold onto more clothes than I really want or need.
I hang on to clothing for ages. I’m always afraid that as soon as I throw something away, I’ll want it. With a big move coming up, I am going to go through a major throw out or give to charity session.
Don’t knock Goodwill, I have clothes that I bought 5yrs ago that are still wearable in public. I tend to keep things until there is more hole than clothing.
I generally keep clothes until some time after they develop serious holes.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually thrown any clothes away except for socks and underwear. The few things I get sick of or outgrow usually get passed on to my sister, who hates to go clothes shopping. Things she doesn’t want go to Goodwill.
I still wear clothes I bought before I started the eighth grade, and I’m in college now.
As to the fat/skinny wardrobe question: I give away clothes as soon as I get too thin to wear them. (I’m on a serious diet and exercise regime right now, and I’ve lost 50 of my excess 100 pounds over the last 6 months.) I will never let myself get that overweight again, so the clothes are gone to people who can enjoy them.
As for raggy…I will keep a comfortable t-shirt until it’s holey. Same with sweatpants. But as soon as other clothes get a little worn or out-of-fashion, or if I just plain get tired of them, they hang around in th closet for awhile before I resign myself to giving them away to charity.
On the other hand, one of my sisters has a sweater that I handed down to her when she was in the fifth grade. (She is now in medical school, age 23.) It had a hole in it back then, and she hasn’t worn it in over 10 years…but still it languishes in her dresser.
My mother has a habit of wearing clothing until it has big gaping holes in it. All of her nightgowns have giant holes in them; they’re like peek-a-boo nighties–sometimes you catch a glimpse of some naughty bits through the holes. I particularly remember one fine afternoon as a child when we all got rounded up to wash the family cars. My mother put on a pair of corduroy pants that she kept for “hanging around the house”. There was an ENORMOUS gaping hole on the inside of one of the thighs, from where it had chafed and worn threadbare. She had been wearing these pants for quite some time, just this way. She thought they were good for dirty work.
My father thought otherwise. Right there in the driveway, he chased her down, grabbed ahold of the tear in the material, and tore the pants off of her, while my mother stood there laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. The material was so old that it just shredded, leaving her to scramble into the house in her underpants.
1st year. New enough to be worn when going out to dinner, to work, or when a good appearance is called for.
1-3 years. Worn when out of the house for grocery shopping or errands, going to school, but a little worn for going out or going to work in.
3-5 years. Just fine for sitting around the house, but not usually worn in public.
More than 5 years, worn for cleaning up, doing yard work, maybe sleeping in, but otherwise not worn.
More than 10 years. If clothes last this long, they usually become wash rags of some sort.
Of course it depends, as denim or wool may last longer than say lighter cotton or blended fabics. Shirts and slacks wear out faster than jeans or jackets. Since I live where its hot, winter clothes last longer…oh and suits and other “special” clothes last indefinitely.
At this point I’d be shocked if anyone is still reading. If you still care at this point, all I can say is this… Ms. Stewart…I know 60 year olds can become mothers thanks to modern technology; but I will not sire your illegitimate child - no matter how much of K-Mart’s cheap crap you promise me. Kathy Lee already has me up to my sphincter in Wal Mart goods. I refuse to stud myself out any longer like a common Apaloosa. So there.
With T-shirts and jeans, I often keep them years after I’ll wear them in public. What else would I wear to work in the garden, do laundry, or paint my room? I also wear old T-shirts to bed every night. They’re a lot more comfortable than pajamas.
Every few months I go through my closet looking for what can go to the Salvation Army. I usually get rid of things that I haven’t worn in a year or two, or that don’t fit, but there are of course exceptions for items of sentimental value. And there are a few things that I keep persuading myself that I might wear, when the weather is right, despite having worn said item twice in the four years I’ve owned it.
Aside from my first communion dress, I think the oldest item of clothing currently in my closet is a summer camp T-shirt from eight years ago. I don’t wear it anymore because I don’t want to further wear it out, and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it. What makes this strange is that nothing particularly memorable even happened at summer camp that year. I suppose that just shows how scarce fond memories are for me. Or that I don’t like getting rid of things, particularly things I have avoided getting rid of for years.
Since my wardrobe consist mainly of t-shirts and jeans, hardly ever. However, I must be on the calling list for Goodwill,The Salvation Army, The Kidney Fund, The Kidney Foundation, The Cancer Society, The Heart Association and a few more I can’t remember off the top of my head. So at the end of every season I make the kids go thru their clothes and we usually end up with a bag or two. Ironically, what’s my teenagers’ favorite store?
The Thrift Shop.
I replace my wardrobe every season - I consign all my old stuff (or give it to the local women’s shelter) and get new stuff. I have a few vintage items that I keep from season to season, because they can’t be replaced, but everything else goes.
Hey man - I’m single, no kids, no dependents other than a couple of book chewing rabbits - I’m aloud to have SOME perks, right?
My clothes generally only last one to two years. My clothes from several years ago don’t fit because I’ve gotten taller (although only minimally). Also, I’ve lost a bit of weight. My clothing preferences have changed recently; my mom now allows me to buy clothes that are more fashionable. The knees of my jeans wear out rather quickly, so they need to be bought every year.
Also, high school-aged kids are very fashion-conscious, so one needs to be extra careful when dressing if he/she is to spend almost all of one’s time with them.
I have some favourites that I wear until they lose their shape and/or colour, but I can’t bear to throw them out. Every six months or so, I’ll go through my wardrobe and pick things out that I haven’t worn in awhile, and either give them to charity or sell them on eBay.
