Spring Cleaning: Bad Reasons To Keep Clothes

Do You Give Into 'Garment Guilt'?
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Don't succumb to garment guilt. See if you recognize any of the following poor reasons to keep something:

1. "I might want to wear it again someday." If you haven't worn something in a year (unless it's black tie), then it's dead weight in your closet.

2. "I'm going to diet back into it." If you haven't been the size in question in more than a year, let it go. When you lose the weight, go out and treat yourself to something new.

3. "It might come back into style." Fashion cycles are long and it can take over a decade for something to come back in style. And when it does, it will be updated with a slightly different look.

4. "It was very expensive." It's painful to let go of something you paid a lot of money for and never wore. If it is a designer piece, consign it. If not, donate it for a tax deduction, and you'll no longer be reminded of your shopping blunder.

5. Any "if" statement such as, "I'd wear that if I ever go on a cruise to Alaska." Unless you already have your tickets in hand, get rid of it. By the time you take that trip, if ever, I give you permission to go out and buy just the right thing.

6. "I want to save it for my daughter." Ladies, unless it's couture, she probably won't want it.

7. "I feel guilty." If your poor aunt Sally took three years to knit a sweater with her arthritic hands, but it isn't quite your style, then give Aunt Sally a hug while wearing it once, and then make sure some less-fortunate person stays just a little warmer this winter. It's a win-win.

For more cleaning tips, check out What's A Disorganized Person To Do?


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