apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

My favorite rule is that if I haven't worn something in a year, it has to go. Special occasion dresses that I look great in get an exception because some years I'll go to 4 autumn weddings and the next, they'll all be in the summer, but otherwise, I've found this guideline very useful.

I could have used this on Saturday when I decided it was time to clear out my closet.

Rule number 4 would have helped.

And I sort of came up with 5 on my own trying to validate why I was keeping some old t-shirts.

But all and all this is a good list and would have helped for sure. I will definitely bookmark this for my spring clean.

I like to pretend i'm a minimalist, but at the same time there's nothing i hate more than the feeling of "man, i could really just xyz that i JUST threw out 3 weeks ago!". When doing a closet purge, in particular, i tend to hold on to things that i no longer wear, arguing that i need clothes that i can ruin. As in "next time we paint, i'm going to need to wear SOMETHING" or "if we take that big 10 day camping trip this summer we're planning, these sweatpants/old teeshirts will come in handy".

Any suggestions for dealing with that line of rationale? :)

1) I have a certain amount of space for composting/camping/gym clothes. It isn't much space.

2) I have a friend who hosts regular clothing swaps, so I've gotten in the habit of stowing clothes in a bag to save for a swap. Since I know I *could* go fish something out I find it a little easier to put things in the swap bag.

mh330, I put things like that in purgatory until the next time a deep-clean urge strikes. They usually go in a storage tub or in underbed storage (out of sight and mind). only once did I actively go looking for something. otherwise, when I clean the closet the following year, everything from purgatory is tossed.

I find I have a remarkable facility to cope just fine with only things I can see in my closet.

I am a clothes horder and in preparation of my fiance moving in with me, I desperately need to purge my closet. Just as AT has an outbox for when you work on your home, I have discovered that an outbox for my closet is invaluable. I've already donated four bags full of clothing. I thought it would be harder, but I just place a bag in my entryway and slowly fill it. Granted, this is a slow process, but I find that I don't miss things at all when I know they are just in the other room. Plus, by the time I donate the clothes, I don't even remember--or care--what's at the bottom of the bag.

"We tend to be a hoarder...especially now that we've moved in with our significant other."

What "we" have here is either a very co-dependent threesome or just really poor phrasing.

mh330 - keep one 'messy' outfit, donate the rest. And if the camping trip/painting stint actually does materialize and you need more messy clothes, you can always go back to the thrift store and buy similar items for a very little donation to a good cause. Chances are, though, that you won't.

and the claws come out. Unnecessarily I might add.
Doesn't Apartment Therapy Etc. usually phrase things in the collective 'we'?
I am a bit of a hoarder. with a big apartment. I am going to use this article to help me purge.

Have a yard sale. List your stuff on ebay/craigslist. And put valuable clothes in a consignment shop. Making money goes a long way towards making you happy to let go.

Yard sales are not only surprisingly lucrative, but you get to meet the people who get your stuff. I really like that part.

Last year, I had a yard sale to get rid of like 100 tshirts I never plan to wear again. I only sold like 10. And they would only sell for like 50 cents. they weren't even a year old and they were like $15 each.

Most of the people in my town go to yard sales haggle the prices and then they sell them at the flea market for like $5-10.

My closet is overwhelmed with bedding. I should really get rid of like half. I think only 20% of my clothes fit in there because of it.

I also have a quarantine box when clearing out the closet. That way I get very generous with letting go of clothes, because I know they'll be sitting there for a while, it's a reversible move. After a couple of weeks I usually haven't changed my mind and the quarantine goes to the donation box.

By the way does anybody know of a charity (not goodwill or salvation army that resell) in the DC area that will accept clothes (in good condition, of course)? Thanks!

@See - You can see if your local homeless or abused women's shelter either runs its own thrift store or takes donations. In Loudoun County, The Resourceful Woman is a thrift shop that benefits the local abused women shelter. I also will take any full size HBAs that I was able to get for a bargain for them to take directly over to the shelter.

I hope my GF/fiancee takes this to heart. A Poliform closet is being installed next week and I don't want it filled with junk before the delivery guys leave.

Animal shelters will take old towels and bedding for the animals' cages.

I think people will continue to draw attention to writing style, as long as AT's editorial policy continues to create jarring pieces of prose.

"...now that we've moved into a 350-square-foot apartment with our significant other"? The third person singular here is annoying, difficult to read and in some cases, just nonsensical.

This is not what you're aiming for, especially as you've now built up a large base of loyal readers. We *want* to read the posts, why make it difficult for us?

I am doing a closets/things removal process right now. It is hard. I love shoes and clothes. Plus, I have to wear a suit everyday so I have two wardrobes: suits/other clothing.

I went through my closet and pulled out clothes and shoes and divided them into sell/donate/trash piles. I have already listed several pairs of shoes online to sell, including a pair of ferragamo's I bought two years ago and never wore.

very helpful tips

I work as an apparel designer, which means lots and lots of clothes and free samples! I live by the something goes in something old goes out rule, if i'm unsure about something I'll put in away out of site for 3 months and if I don't think about it- then I know it's time to get rid of it. And if i miss it I know it's a keeper!