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Too many clothes?

(103 Posts)
sazz1 Mon 13-May-24 00:17:07

Spent the weekend changing my wardrobe from winter clothes to spring or summer clothes. I pack a suitcase or 2 and put it in the loft until Autumn.
I can't believe how much I've accumulated over the year.
I have 18 tops, 6 blouses, 15 tshirts, 6 jackets, 20 pairs of summer trousers, 7 skirts, and
7 dresses. I've just bought 2 cardigans as didnt have one from last year.
Is this a lot or am I a hoarder? I'm retired so don't need work clothes. Do other grans have this much?

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 18-May-24 07:56:31

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margiebrty3 Sat 18-May-24 01:34:24

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Grammaretto Thu 16-May-24 09:16:43

Where does your sister live GrannyIvy? 🤔
It certainly isn't Scotland. 😂😂

Does she change shape a lot? When would you have time to wear so many prs of shorts, let alone store them. It sounds bonkers!

I have one small wardrobe for dresses, blouses and shoes. One chest of 4 drawers. My coats hang on the coat rail in the hall.
I also have a Victorian towel rail where I "hang" clothes in use and tbh those are the ones I wear.
I have never had a job where I have had to look smart.
My DD and DiLs have big mirrored closets for their clothes and seem to have endless outfits.

Tizliz Thu 16-May-24 09:16:18

We had friends staying last week and we were looking through some photos of a weekend away we had together 7 years ago. Commenting on the top I was wearing I realised that I still wore it regularly - getting a little faded but a favourite. I hate buying clothes so don't have that many.

Cabbie21 Thu 16-May-24 09:08:44

Yesterday I dug out a favourite top, not worn for ages. A bit scruffy now but fine around the house. I bought it in 2007! It was greatly admired. Pretty colour, pretty crocheted insert, sleeves just over the elbow. I just love it. I can’t get rid of it. Nothing like it in the shops now.
This is why I have over 40 tops, old and new, summer and winter.

Cossy Thu 16-May-24 08:49:34

Too not two! Sorry!

Cossy Thu 16-May-24 08:48:56

I too must join the two many clothes gang! Need to have a clear out as some haven’t seen the light if day for many a year. I also have many many pairs of sketchers

GrannyIvy Thu 16-May-24 07:09:34

My sister told me she has 45 pairs of shorts. She shops all the time and I rarely see her in the same thing. I buy new things at the start of each season. If I haven’t worn something for two years it goes in the charity bag. My clothes since retiring and covid are more casual and comfortable. They fit into one wardrobe and coats in a separate cupboard.

Sara1954 Thu 16-May-24 06:38:21

My tastes don’t seem to have changed much in fifty years, I still like a flowing dress or a smock top, my go to footwear would be flip flops or boots.
But one thing age has taught me, is that you can wear what makes you happy, fashion, or other peoples opinions don’t matter.

M0nica Wed 15-May-24 17:22:21

I have never been that interested in fashion, but I do like to be stylish, which means giving fashion a nod now and again.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 15-May-24 09:00:39

growstuff 👍

Joseann Wed 15-May-24 08:51:07

I knew it was Seasalt growstuff! It really suits you, and trainers are the way to go with the dress.

Seasalt is a Cornish company and they have cornered (!!) the market with their interesting fabrics and easy wearing styles. What makes me laugh is that I notice far more ladies wearing dresses from that label in suburbia than people actually do on the Cornish or Devon coast! We do, however, all wear their brilliant waterproof coats.

keepcalmandcavachon Wed 15-May-24 08:23:49

You look so lovely Growstuff!

Sara1954 Tue 14-May-24 21:37:15

Growstuff, you do look lovely, really good fit.

growstuff Tue 14-May-24 21:14:40

The handbag was a bargain too. It was a fiver from a shop which was closing down.

growstuff Tue 14-May-24 21:11:19

Thank you Greta. I'm very tall (for a woman), so many clothes don't fit me. Seasalt do a "tall" range, which is what that dress is, so I was really pleased to find it - and for a fraction of the list price.

Greta Tue 14-May-24 20:44:47

You look lovely in that dress, growstuff. I also buy from charity shops and sometimes find clothes that still have the original price tag on. I have a jacket/skirt that I bought in 1973 and spent a big proportion of my salary on thinking it would last. It's still going strong.

growstuff Tue 14-May-24 20:19:12

I spent most of my life not having many clothes. I had work clothes and a few things for weekends and tended to wear them until they fell to bits.

Since I've retired (and have had very little money), I've discovered second hand clothes. Reading some of the comments on here, I probably have less than some people, but I'm happy now that I usually have something in my wardrobe which makes me feel good. It sounds very superficial, but I've discovered that I like looking nice. I sometimes get invited to "posh" dinners with my partner and I know that I've got something which will fit the dress code. I don't have to wear the same old things when I go out. The only new outfit I've bought in the last couple of years was for my daughter's wedding. I sell anything which bores me.

This was my latest "find" (for a few pounds). I'll wear it this summer and then sell it and buy something else.

Greta Tue 14-May-24 20:18:30

The Brits have a reputation for choosing quantity rather than quality. Once we had a reputation for manufacturing excellent textiles.
Why do we now need to import cheap and often poor quality from the other side of the world? But as has been said here "I don't care". Personally I think many have become slaves to consumerism.

M0nica Tue 14-May-24 20:00:01

Asking how people afford all these clothes is not a criticism of any kind. it is just a question. I presume few on GN have such a large income that they can afford anything they want. So if people are spending a lot on clothes, they are spending less on other things, what choices are they making?

That is not a judgment, it is merely a question. In our case we owned a holiday house in France for over 30 years and maintaining and improving it and travelling there took a lot of our disposable income. Also psychologically, I could not cope with lots of clothes, anymore than I could cope with vast quantities of kitchen equipment or anything else. I have a friend, single with two homes with every cupboard and drawer full of clothes, in her 2 bedroomed house she has enough crockery to host a street party. She is as happy as Larry, I would have a breakdown if I had to live there.

Patsy70 Tue 14-May-24 18:52:44

Thank you Scribbles. 😊
I also love a good label from a charity shop, as I really dislike shopping. We no longer buy books, just download to our Kindles, but have kept our ‘special’ books on our bookshelves. The thing with clothes is, you need some just for comfort when you’re doing housework, some for gardening/dog walking, some for shopping, coffee mornings, lunching out, dining out, holidays, special occasions! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sara1954 Tue 14-May-24 18:00:13

I have just delivered two big bags to the charity shop, as much as I enjoy getting new things, I really love a good clear out, I’m quite ruthless, anything I don’t wear one season goes, I can’t like something very much if I can go a whole winter without wearing it.
Always good to make space as well.

Knittypamela Tue 14-May-24 11:32:52

I have too many clothes too. I'm addicted to charity shops really. I cant resist a good label if I find one. I'm in the process of taking things back to the charity shop.

Scribbles Tue 14-May-24 11:31:06

Thank you, RosiesMaw and Patsy70 for expressing what I was feeling as I read through this thread. So much sanctimony about others' choices!
Yes, I have far more clothes than I actually need. Shoes, too but I don't care. I enjoy them; they brighten my day. The bills are paid, the cat is fed and I know how fortunate I am to be in this position but I wasn't always. How I now dispose of my disposable income is up to me.

BrandyGran Tue 14-May-24 10:06:46

I love colour and fabrics. I made all my own clothes when all I could afford was a Simpatico pattern and a few metres of material as it was called then. Nice clothes got cheaper- C&A Littlewoods etc. and fabric thread and patterns got more expensive. I now buy what I like should that be Primark Joules Whitestuff Marks or Seasalt. I find it hard to let go of anything in my wardrobe as I have chosen with care and love everything! My husband says if you have room why throw anything out.