Yay you!! Doesn’t it feel good? And think of all the happy people who will be the recipients of your generosity and hard work today ❤️

I will never have a closet that looks like yours, kswl, but if I just get it in order and get rid of the chaff, so to speak, I will be thrilled! Yes, the thrifters are going to get some bargains because many items are like new.

Your post just made me feel guilty . . .

I desperately need to do the same thing in my primary closet. I am going to have my primary closet finished with new (pretty) shelving/drawers/rods/etc. - but I have to do a "purge" first in order to accurately assess how to divide up the space into the various sections.

My closet is 18.5' x 8' - it stores a lot of clothes. I haven't done a big "purge" ever - just small ones. It's going to be a chore - but I know that I will feel so much better once it's finished!

Dani, I have been putting this off for years. Once in a while Id get rid of a few things but never faced all of it. The timehas come. I probably should even have been more ruthless, but I did okay.

This all started because I got rid of an old set of dishes on a kitchen shelf. Being able to reach what I want without starting an avalanche felt so good!

dedtired - okay, you are inspiring me to finally do this.

I know that I will be able to do a first pass through the closet and be able to pull items fairly easily.

HOWEVER - it will be the second (and probably third) pass through that will be difficult for me. I have a lot of nice work clothes - however, I rarely wear suits anymore + I have dramatically reduced the amount of hours spent at the office = much less need for other types of work clothes (dresses/skirt/blouses/dress pants/etc.)

I also have a TON of shoes. I LOVE shoes. I have a pretty big collection. Of course, then there are all of the purses - some that I haven't used for awhile because I've been lazy about switching out purses.

While I know it makes sense to donate many of these items, there will be a little voice in the back of my head saying, "What if you decide to start going to the office more often in the next couple years?"

I kind of feel like I need someone to help me "let go" of some of my things . . .

Maybe I need to post items on here - and you all can tell me what to let go of and what to keep!!!

Dani, when I retired I gave almost all my suits to an organization called Career Wardrobe. Fortunately they were having a clothing drive in conjunction with our local libraries, so it was easy to drop there.

One library does a shoe drive each year and all the donated shoes go to Africa, of all places. I gave at least a hundred of my late mom’s shoes to them, all in wearable condition.

I know the feeling that I just might need something that I havent worn in years, because you just never know…..

Yay you is right!

I have to do this. Same as you - the clothes are so tight I can't see what I have and sometimes cannot find what I want even though I know it's in there. It's ridiculous. And on top of that, I have a pile of new clothes I've bought over the last couple of months folded on the chair in my bedroom because they won't fit in the closet!

It's going to take me a long time. Probably 2 days. The thought of spending a weekend doing that makes me very unhappy. I keep telling myself it's my first job when I retire. Which was going to be April. Then August. Now September. Ugh.

I'm going to make DH do the same thing. He has a gazillion dress shirts. He never wears dress shirts anymore except for the occasional wedding, bar/bat mitzvah or funeral. He does not need more then 2. And he hasn't even opened the drawers in the dresser that have some of his t-shirts since we put built ins in the closet. And that was several years ago! It's time.

I know how good it's going to feel when it's done.

Amazing to see just how much room you have with only useful intentional items.

We recently put in custom closets to two remaining closets in our Florida home. So much more room and more organized.

Nice work! Purging clothing is really hard for me too. And I keep finding myself in a similar situation where I have more clothing than storage space. I often find myself in that scenario where I buy something and then never really wear it (or sometimes literally never wear it). After switching to work from home full time, my "real" clothing gets worn so infrequently it's really difficult to judge what to donate and what to keep. When I moved in late winter / early spring, I forced myself to do a major clothing purge. I am embarassed to admit just how much clothing I donated. And looking at my newly rebuilt closet in the new-to-me house, I have more work to do still.

Congratulations, @dedtired! It does feel good to clear your closet of items you don't wear. I purged a bunch when I retired and recently removed much more when I changed sizes. I donated my work suits, but I'll probably just store my wrong sized clothes. While I don't intend to need them again, I would rather keep them for now just in case. If I go a few years without needing them, then I'll donate them.

Round of applause @dedtired! I usually get overwhelmed mid-purge and call it a day.

I just did this on the occasion of moving back into the beachhouse. Over our peregrinations for the last six month, I have had far less clothing with me at any point in time. A suitcase or two. And it.was.fine.

I just purged 50% of my clothes. I decided to ask myself one question. If this item were appropriate for the weather and the event, would I look forward to wearing it? If the answer was anything other than YES, the item went out. Period.

Several years ago, DH was on a three-day trip so I took full advantage. I set up a card table and a 5-foot folding table in the bedroom, blocking his closet and dresser, and emptied my closet and dresser onto and under the tables and on the floor, a la Marie Kondo.:I tried things on, and they either went back into the closet or into a donation/recycle bag.

You have done great! and of course now I need to do it again, so thanks for the push! This time I can use my son’s room to lay everything out, although the mirror is gone.

Funny, I just got back from dinner where DH and I were talking about this. Mine is the Beach House Version. I keep a ”mini” wardrobe here so I don’t have to pack clothing every time we come down for a weekend or a week. For years, I have been in the habit of moving clothing from our main house that I didn’t like very much…to the closet at the beach, where, surprise, I don’t like it any better. And it is mostly random pieces so it is challenging to come up with a decent outfit. I do have several decent sundresses but it is not sundress weather here yet. Anyway, I am going to do a big purge here tomorrow and then maybe go to my favorite local shop and buy a few, more purposeful items. I don’t even have a rainjacket here so today when I went for a walk in the mist, I had to grab a jacket that belonged to my son when he was a teenager.

We have had this house for 15+ years; you’d think I’d have this figured out by now.

I did try on a few things but most of it I could tell by looking that Id never wear it again. I actually put on one top to wear to the grocery store but decided Id rather wear something else, so it went into the discard pile. If I dont want to wear it today, chances are I never will. I think we always reach for our favorites.

I like to look at houses I could never afford on Z. I love seeing people’s closets. Its astounding how much people own! I bet they dont wear half of it.

If I dont want to wear it today, chances are I never will. I think we always reach for our favorites.

This. If it is not "reach for" quality, why have it?

I keep a ”mini” wardrobe here so I don’t have to pack clothing every time we come down for a weekend or a week. For years, I have been in the habit of moving clothing from our main house that I didn’t like very much

Guilty. I do that too. Makes no sense. The problem is I don't want to buy two of my faves, and I don't want to have to pack for my own house. I still don't have a solution to this.

Way to go. Purging is more satisfying for me than buying!

Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din! 😎

For years, I have been in the habit of moving clothing from our main house that I didn’t like very much…to the closet at the beach, where, surprise, I don’t like it any better.

I did that when we had a lake house; it must some universal, hopeful fix for the problem of ”meh” clothing.

This is something I love to do with other people. I’d like to make it part of my hobby/business upon retiring.

My personal challenge is that I’m a collector as well as a wearer. Balanced by the fact that my third bedroom, at 10x10 is smaller than a lot of your closets! So the potential size of the collection is finite. DH has the 1929 ”step-in closet” in the bedroom.

I have a 5’ wide built in closet mostly with shoes and ”regular” clothing and 48” + 24” Intermetro canvas covered closets mostly with my collection on wide branded hangers, so they tale extra room. Plus a bar in DH’s 36” ”walk-in” with my vintage coat collection…..and, no, I havent moved out of So Cal🤣

I also went through my personal stuff this weekend and pulled a pile to purge, plus a small pile of things that should fit as I get back in shape.

Now I have to go through eBay stock and pull the stuff that - while cool - doesn’t represent the vision. Some will go back to thrift and a bag might go to consignment for kicks and giggles.

Not having a lot of disposal income really requires me to think carefully about every purchase. Certainly keeps my house free of "stuff" and the closet free of clothes I don't wear.

Spanish, we have tiny closets in our house, too. I hated it when we first moved, but having limited space saves me from hoarding clothes! My clothes are stored in 3 little closets in 3 separate rooms.

Way to go ded! ( and everyone else so inspired).

I have always gotten pleasure out of purging and do it fairly regularly but haven't done a major one ( I'm talking major) since downsizing pre-move, in 2018. In our last house, we had tons of closets and storage, and in our master bedroom we each had a very nice sized walk in closet.

In our current home, we share a walk in closet so way less space.

I do still have several dresses and skirts from when I worked that I have worn from time to time but I'd say for sure, not even worn every year. I also notice I have a fair about of pants ( non jeans, non leggings) that are on hangers... and those might not have been worn since we've been here. I do intend to slowly make some more progress with this. Part of what makes me not purge some of these items, is that I find shopping and finding new clothes extremely difficult. I actually do find joy in rediscovering some of what's hanging in my closet and wearing it and enjoying it again.

I also agree that there are items that we think we'll wear, but it's never the right time or day ( Like your grocery store top) and those need to be gone.