I would love to just throw out all my clothes some I have had for years! I have purged about 1/2 but I still have sooooooo many! I would love to just throw them all out and then plan a new wardrobe! I wonder if I should read that book and do a plan???????rule of 8? Any othe r siple ideas. I honestly wear less then 10% of the stuff in my closet! I am just not sure I can purge it all! But if it disapeared I'd probably be ok!!!! Whay am I holdiong onto these clothes....I was thinking I may need thenm if I go back to work...but I don't think I really would wear them! ....I like to look decent and most of my clothes would be very out of style....BUT what if some things came back in????

The frugal me is playing tug of war with the simplify your life me!!!

What is the title of the rule of 8 book?????

I don't know the name of the book but I just wanted to encourage you to go ahead and purge. It will feel SO great. Take some time to try it all on, one piece at a time. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how you feel in the clothing. If you don't love what you see, ditch it. Once you get rid of all the stuff you don't wear, you will actually be able to see the things that you love and you will use them more. You can do it!

The book that has the suggestion of using eight pieces as a base for your wardrobe is called "It's So You" by Mary Sheehan Warren.

If you can find a copy of it, I would recommend *a million times* reading it before you do a wardrobe purge. That way you will know what type of clothing best suits your body type, and you won't have to just go on your "gut feeling". It really makes it that much easier.

As far as clothes that you've had forever but are still in good shape and may come back in style.... well, the author rightly points out that old styles never come back exactly the same way. So if something you have does come back in style and you wear it, you are still going to look like you are wearing something very outdated.

I like to keep in mind what Peter Walsh says.... if something old you have does still fit and does still happen to be in great condition, do people really want to see you wearing a parachute silk jogging suit from the 1980's? No. They do not.

I agree that purging your wardrobe is a fantastic feeling. Don't keep anything that you are not absolutely excited about (or buy anything, either, that you are not in love with).

Let us know how your purging goes!

__________________
I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

Get rid of it... if you haven't worn it in the last year that's plenty reason to get rid of it. If you think you'll miss it then instead put it in a black trash back and throw it in the attic. If after a few months you can remember an item you've put away that you think you still want have someone go grab it out for you (I wouldn't get it yourself cause then you'll start wanting to bring more back out)! Then take what's leftover that you haven't missed and donate it or take it to a consignment shop.

Then check out the book jnbythesea is reading - it sounds VERY good from her posts and work on your new wardrobe. Who knows - you may want to even throw more away at that point!!!

Good luck!

__________________
Stay at home mom to my 3 boys... ages 5, 3 & 1!

I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I purge my closet every season. Do it! You'll be happier. Less decision making when you need to get dressed. This year I'm swearing to get rid of the shorts that are too tight on my mommy pooch. I keep hoping I'll lose it but it seems like it will never go away

Ah- the old mommy pooch- does it ever go away? I wish it would!

__________________
I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I'm hanging on to the miniskirts i wore prepregnancy!!! DD is now 4 months old and I have about 25 more pounds to lose. For some reason, they are a lifeline to the old me and I'm having a hard time getting rid of them.

Honey, I hate to tell you this, but miniskirts are tough to pull off with little ones even when you get your old body back. Lots of bending and squatting and sitting on the floor is in your future now!

Bless and release, girl. Bless and release. I purged my wardrobe and got rid of like 8 garbage bags of clothes a few months ago (I had no idea I had so much!), and looking back, I can barely recall what I got rid of - which helps with having no regrets. For Christmas, DH took me shopping. I got two pair of jeans, a sweater, a tank top, turtleneck and a long sleeve shirt. Yep - got rid of 8 garbage bags and replaced it with 6 articles of clothing. And I've worn those 6 articles of clothing more in the past two months than I wore those 8 bags of clothing the past year. I am building a small but effective - and longlasting - wardrobe with basics. Solid colors, quality fabrics. Less is more (quantity wise) and sometimes you have to pay a little more to get something that will last.

As for saving something you hope you can fit int -- Get rid of it and buy something special for yourself when you've reached your goal. I can't see very much, if any, motivation to push towards a goal when your reward is something that's been sitting in your closet for months or years that you wore eons ago.

__________________