Retiring Old Clothing
Jul. 8th, 2009 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebWhen is it time to stop wearing an article of clothing?
* 1. You can't find it.
* 2. You no longer do the activities for which it is appropriate (still good for Halloween, though).
* 3. You can't fit into it.
*** 4. You can fit into it, but it's uncomfortably tight (you could move carefully while wearing it).
** 5. It keeps coming unbuttoned or unzipped or untied (you can keep checking and refastening it).
*** 6. It's too big to stay on properly (you can keep pulling it up).
* 7. It doesn't go with anything (you could wear it with something that clashes).
8. A non-essential button is missing or broken.
*9. An essential button is missing or broken (you could pin or tape it together).
** 10. A hem or other edge is shredding.
** 11. A hem is coming undone (you could pin or tape it).
* 12. It's coming apart at the seams (you could pin or tape it).
** 13. It has a small tear that is camouflaged by the pattern.
** 14. It's getting awfully thin in the elbow, knee, etc. (you could wear the thin shirt under a sweater--and hope you don't get too hot)
* 15. It has a hole or tear that is easily visible.
* 16. It has a hole or tear that is easily visible and exposes your undies or lack thereof (you could make sure to wear nice undies).
* 17. It is so torn up that you can no longer put it on--that would be more like wrapping a mummy (you could dress as the Incredible Hulk).
*** 18. The elastic is shot (you could pin it or hope it works well enough).
**** 19. You are tired of looking at it (it could save you from doing laundry).
**** 20. It's connected with bad memories.
** 21. It now seems politically incorrect or otherwise possibly insulting.
* 22. You have always managed to find something better to wear for several years now.
23. It's so faded that it's no longer the color you think it is (maybe everyone else calls your black swimsuit "brown." Or your red sweater is "rose.")
** 24. It has shrunken to a new size or shape.
*** 25. The (knit) sleeves have gotten ridiculously long over the years (you can just keep pushing up the sleeves).
26. It's out of style (like I'd even know).
** 27. It's badly out of style (like I'd even know).
** 28. It's laughably out of style (sometimes I get hints--usually compliments that don't quite ring true).
** 29. The fabric is pilling.
** 30. It's unflattering.
** 31. You don't like the image it gives you.
** 32. It is difficult to maintain (requires ironing, dry cleaning, etc.)
** 33. It has no pockets or is otherwise annoying.
**** 34. It doesn't go with your new hair style, hair color, glasses, engagement ring, etc.
* 35. It gives you blisters (you could wear a band-aid or wear it carefully).
* This means I quit wearing it.
** This means I think I should quit wearing it, but sometimes I wear it anyway.
*** I used to keep wearing this sort of thing, but I don't anymore.
**** This doesn't apply to me.
Blog entry of the day - the bizarrely related Things Wear Out by Philip Brewer of Wise Bread - "No doubt everybody has had some things wear out, if only a favorite t-shirt, but it's not like the old days when wearing out was the most usual reason that things needed to be replaced."
* 1. You can't find it.
* 2. You no longer do the activities for which it is appropriate (still good for Halloween, though).
* 3. You can't fit into it.
*** 4. You can fit into it, but it's uncomfortably tight (you could move carefully while wearing it).
** 5. It keeps coming unbuttoned or unzipped or untied (you can keep checking and refastening it).
*** 6. It's too big to stay on properly (you can keep pulling it up).
* 7. It doesn't go with anything (you could wear it with something that clashes).
8. A non-essential button is missing or broken.
*9. An essential button is missing or broken (you could pin or tape it together).
** 10. A hem or other edge is shredding.
** 11. A hem is coming undone (you could pin or tape it).
* 12. It's coming apart at the seams (you could pin or tape it).
** 13. It has a small tear that is camouflaged by the pattern.
** 14. It's getting awfully thin in the elbow, knee, etc. (you could wear the thin shirt under a sweater--and hope you don't get too hot)
* 15. It has a hole or tear that is easily visible.
* 16. It has a hole or tear that is easily visible and exposes your undies or lack thereof (you could make sure to wear nice undies).
* 17. It is so torn up that you can no longer put it on--that would be more like wrapping a mummy (you could dress as the Incredible Hulk).
*** 18. The elastic is shot (you could pin it or hope it works well enough).
**** 19. You are tired of looking at it (it could save you from doing laundry).
**** 20. It's connected with bad memories.
** 21. It now seems politically incorrect or otherwise possibly insulting.
* 22. You have always managed to find something better to wear for several years now.
23. It's so faded that it's no longer the color you think it is (maybe everyone else calls your black swimsuit "brown." Or your red sweater is "rose.")
** 24. It has shrunken to a new size or shape.
*** 25. The (knit) sleeves have gotten ridiculously long over the years (you can just keep pushing up the sleeves).
26. It's out of style (like I'd even know).
** 27. It's badly out of style (like I'd even know).
** 28. It's laughably out of style (sometimes I get hints--usually compliments that don't quite ring true).
** 29. The fabric is pilling.
** 30. It's unflattering.
** 31. You don't like the image it gives you.
** 32. It is difficult to maintain (requires ironing, dry cleaning, etc.)
** 33. It has no pockets or is otherwise annoying.
**** 34. It doesn't go with your new hair style, hair color, glasses, engagement ring, etc.
* 35. It gives you blisters (you could wear a band-aid or wear it carefully).
* This means I quit wearing it.
** This means I think I should quit wearing it, but sometimes I wear it anyway.
*** I used to keep wearing this sort of thing, but I don't anymore.
**** This doesn't apply to me.
Blog entry of the day - the bizarrely related Things Wear Out by Philip Brewer of Wise Bread - "No doubt everybody has had some things wear out, if only a favorite t-shirt, but it's not like the old days when wearing out was the most usual reason that things needed to be replaced."
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no subject
on 2009-07-09 02:27 pm (UTC)-sally
no subject
on 2009-07-10 03:42 am (UTC)Well, I did recently throw out some things that I never wear and where the elastic is shot.
I played musical chairs with everything else. High-priority items (i.e., the things I should be keeping plus whatever else fits) go in my dresser and closet. The rest go in boxes in the garage. The boxes have labels like "spare clothes," "too small," and "fabric."
I actually love the "spare clothes" one and am not embarrassed by that. Whenever I get, say, a new pair of shorts, I run out and look in my spare clothes box to see if I have anything I like that goes with my new shorts. It's sort of like shopping for free.
The "too small" box is self-explanatory. Like many, I want to get back to my old, more ideal size. However, that size is very hard to find clothes in. My plan is that when I pull these out, I get rid of (most) clothes that by then are too large.
When I actually do get rid of things, most go to Goodwill. The second most common disposal method is the garbage can. I fantasize that I will one day get rid of things at a resale shop. Some get offered to others. Some get turned into quilt squares. Some I want to refashion.
no subject
on 2009-07-10 04:20 pm (UTC)-sally
no subject
on 2009-07-11 12:37 am (UTC)I'm remembering another situation where I have no trouble getting rid of something. If I have something so damaged that I'm looking for a replacement, then once I get the replacement, I have no trouble getting rid of the old one.
no subject
on 2009-07-09 02:51 pm (UTC)* It doesn't fit.
* It doesn't look good enough for work but it's not comfortable enough for me to wear casually (or isn't appropriate for casual wear).
* It has stains and isn't good as a pajama.
And I will only keep a small number of stained shirts as pajamas, possible as few as zero if I have a lot of other shirts. And for me "doesn't fit" doesn't have to mean I absolutely can't wear it. If it's a pair of, say, underwear that I only wear when I don't have any other clean ones left, because I don't like how it fits, then it's gone, and the same standard applies to other clothes.
no subject
on 2009-07-10 03:46 am (UTC)I like to fantasize that when a white shirt gets a stain, I'll dye it. Or I'll hold it until the next time my sister dyes a batch of something some color that I like and I'll ask her to throw it in with the other things.
Oh, right, the pajama strategy. I have gigantic t-shirts as pajamas. Currently I have just two, one that my brother gave me (he should know I'm not a size large) and one I got for donating blood but that I actually like. Normally I give these away, though.
Also, it's good to have two painting (or oil change) outfits, one for when it's cool and one for when it's warm.
Your plan seems very sane and reasonable.
no subject
on 2009-07-10 04:23 am (UTC)If I found myself needing new clothes and lacking funds for them, I've found that thrift stores have tons and tons of things that are usually quite cheap.