Be honest – have you been keeping hold of clothes you’re not wearing?
You know the ones…
The trousers that don’t quite fit properly, but you’re keeping them because maybe they’ll fit one day.
That dress you bought because it was a bargain, but you feel like you’ve stepped out of ‘Little House on the Prairie’.
There’s the top that looks lovely on the hanger, but somehow never sits right when you put it on.
The skirt that is so pretty, but you’re waiting for the right occasion to wear it.
Or the shoes you haven’t worn for years because, deep down, you know they’re just not comfortable. And, you actually can’t walk in them anymore either.
And yet… they’re all still hanging in your wardrobe.
I was reminded of this recently when a client told me how thrilled she’d been after selling a load of clothes on Vinted. She’d been having a really good clear-out after her session with me and was delighted to see some extra money coming back into her bank account.
But she also said something I hear quite often:
“I don’t know why I kept them for so long!”
I smiled, but it did get me thinking.
Because clearing out clothes we don’t wear feels good, and we’re constantly encouraged to declutter our wardrobes. But when I’m helping someone with their wardrobe, I often find that the clothes they’re not wearing can tell something much more interesting: Why didn’t this purchase work in the first place?
So why do we keep things we know aren’t working?
There are lots of reasons.
Sometimes we’re holding onto the idea of who we might become, or who we once were.
I’ll lose a bit of weight.
When I have somewhere special to go, I’ll wear it then.
I’ll find something to wear with it.
The colour will grow on me.
It’ll look great with a tan.
Sometimes it’s because of the money we’ve already spent.
If something was expensive, it can feel particularly difficult to admit that it wasn’t a good purchase. Keeping it in the wardrobe can feel like we’re somehow protecting that investment.
But, of course, keeping it doesn’t get our money back. Or stop the guilty feelings.
And sometimes it’s because something was such a bargain that we didn’t really stop to think about whether we needed it in the first place.
We’ve all done it.
There’s a certain satisfaction in finding something you like at a fraction of the original price. But if it stays in your wardrobe unworn, was it actually a bargain?
After all, it’s only a bargain if you actually wear it.
Your unworn clothes can tell you a lot
One of the things I notice when I’m helping a client with their wardrobe is that there is often a reason why certain clothes don’t get worn.
Sometimes, it’s really obvious like the trousers don’t fit properly. The shoes are uncomfortable.
But other times, it’s less clear.
The colour might not make them feel their best. The style or fit might not feel right when they actually wear it, even though they loved it on the hanger.
Perhaps the item doesn’t actually fit with the rest of their wardrobe. Or maybe they bought it for a lifestyle they don’t actually have.
This is where your wardrobe can be quite revealing.
You might have a beautiful dress hanging in your wardrobe that you’ve never worn. On its own, there’s nothing wrong with the dress. But if every time you put it on you feel uncomfortable, the colour doesn’t make you feel great, or you can’t work out what shoes or jacket to wear with it, then it’s not really working for you.
The same can be true of a pair of trousers you bought because they were a great price, a top in a colour you thought you’d try, or a coat that looked fantastic in the shop. Somehow they never feel like you.
The problem isn’t necessarily that the clothes are bad.
They might simply not be right for you.
And that’s an important distinction.
What can your wardrobe tell you about your shopping?
When I’m working with a client, I often start to see patterns in the things they’re not wearing.
Perhaps they’ve bought several things in colours they rarely reach for, or they have lots of individual pieces but struggle to put outfits together.
Maybe they’re drawn to certain styles in the shops, but don’t quite feel themselves wearing them. Or they keep buying clothes for occasions that don’t really feature in their life.
They might have a wardrobe full of clothes that are technically their size, but very few that actually fit or flatter them in the way they’d like.
None of this means they’ve been “bad” at shopping.
And it certainly doesn’t mean they need to throw everything out and start again.
But those unworn clothes can give some useful clues about what hasn’t worked in the past. And that’s worth knowing, particularly before buying something new.
A new season
We’re heading towards a new season, and the shops are already full of new colours, new styles and new collections.
It’s very easy to start thinking about what you’d like to buy, but before you get too carried away with what’s new, take a look at what’s already in your wardrobe.
Not because you need to have a minimalist wardrobe, or because you shouldn’t enjoy shopping.
But because if you’ve got clothes you’ve barely worn, it’s worth considering why before splashing out again.
There’s a lot to be said for understanding why something works for you.
When you know the colours you look and feel good in, the shapes and styles that suit you, what fits your lifestyle and how you actually like to dress, shopping becomes much easier.
You’re not trying to make yourself fit the clothes.
You’re choosing clothes that work for you.
And perhaps that’s the useful thing about those clothes you’ve been keeping for years – they can tell you more about what works for you than you might realise.
Before you simply clear them out and replace them with something new, think about why they never worked. You might just learn something useful about your own style.
And if you’re still not sure why your wardrobe feels full but you never have anything to wear, that’s exactly the sort of thing I love helping clients work out.
Remember: It’s only a bargain if you actually wear it.