Now I'm retired what do I do with all my smart(er) work clothes?

Forgot about ebay you could sell them on there? You could make yourself some money to buy casual.

I had lots of high heels that I wont wear again. Too high for my bunion. So my grand daughter who is the same shoe size came over and to the ones she liked got rid of quite a few. The rest went to the charity shop.

I give all my unwanted clothes to the Air Ambulance charity. That way I know that I am actually helping to save lives.

I retired a few months ago and took my first few bags of clothes to charity shop at the weekend. I'm starting on handbags today. I've bought a few "good" leather handbags (slightly smaller than my current ones) that will last for years and are most suitable for this new life. Across body bags are a must!! So the old handbags will go to charity shop today. Next week I will start on shoes/boots.

Beware! Depending on what you do in your retirement you might need the odd item once again. I thought that I'd be slobbing around in jeans and tees but have ended up as a campaigner and am hobnobbing with all sorts of people which has required smartening up a tad. So never say never
But do say never re wearing black for funerals. I much prefer navy which is much more wearable for other occasions too. Also the funerals I've attended recently have suggested that attendees wear coloured clothes in celebration of the person's life. A lovely idea which I hope attendees at my funeral will also follow

Send them to me, i would appreciate them. :-)

near me there's a shop where you can take your unwanted clothes and the lady there will [hopefully] sell it and you will get some money back ........... sort of pre-loved clothes shop where YOU get the benefit. a friend of mine did this when she retired and she had loads of business clothes from her work.
have a look in yellow pages or on google and see if there's anywhere like that near you.
by the way you can also buy someone else's pre loved clothes if you see anything you like.

My sub-conscience knew before I did that I wouldn't work again once I retired and didn't need the business suits and shoes. Within a month I took the lot to a charity shop and I've never looked back. I have decided you need one good summer dress, one black dress, one pair of smart black trousers and a few tops.
The rest is jeans and tops and casual shoes/trainers/wellies. I am very comfortable slopping about.

I ebayed all mine as well, especially all those black trousers,smart little jackets and suits. Good quality cardigans amd jumpers were also snapped up. Likewise big leather bags, statement bead necklaces and high heeled shoes & boots. It's the way forward!

Do you have any local charities which help people back into work? Or even on line ones which would pick up? They would love some work clothes. Or a local " items for sale in your local area? Or phone social services and ask if they know or any people going back into work who need help?

I volunteer for a local hospice, where jeans are not allowed. Keeps me on my toes turning out smartly once a week or more, and good to spend time in an office environment again. Glad I didn't get rid of mine!

I kept a nucleus of "smart clothes" as I was - and still am - a school governor. Now many years later I have many casual clothes but still keep some smart ones, which I replace when necessary for meetings and social events. Clothes are an interest which I am able to share with my daughters! In fact just back from a shopping trip with my middle daughter - great fun!

Gave most of mine to the 'clothes rail' in the mental health unit I worked in (for patients who had hardly any clothes ...for sewing workshops (convert things and use buttons and zips), more to a charity shop and a few I kept (jackets, good trousers, etc) ...sadly they never fitted me after a couple of years ! so I gave them to a charity shop and friends ....I invited everyone to tea and caked and opened my wardrobe up ...had a couple of full length mirrors and had a really good afternoon nothing left at the end of the day (except of course the things I wanted to keep !)...got rid of hanbags and shoes as well ! or you could try a car boot sale and give the proceeds to a charity of your choice ...or buy something new with the proceeds !! Have fun !

I sold what was worth selling on eBay. As I had absolutely hated my job and it had made me ill, it was very satisfying to make some money from my work clothes and I couldn't bear to look at them because they reminded me of an awful time. I then lost over 5 stone so they were never going to fit me again!

Well done Bonnie losing so much weight!

Car boot season just started, or shpock car boot online it's free to sell just take pictures and post away you go, with the money buy yourself some nice new casual cloths or weekend away.The jackets will look nice with jeans to smarten the look up. Enjoy retirement.

eBay is very popular my d is often hunting on there for something. Try it, but do it a little at a time. I have been retired 10 years, and though I love my jeans do get a tiny bit fed up with some of my things. So I put them in a case and leave them there for about 3 months months then have another look and decide whether to keep them or not.

Whatever you do don't get rid of all of them. Really nice clothes are becoming harder to get hold of and I am glad I've got my things from the good name shops.

I was invited to big family affair on Sunday and wore a simple black long sleeved top from M&S- 25 years old. together with a Windsor (Harrods)Cashmere jacket which I bought at a ladies Round Table flea merketaffair. The two garments always look well together and DD1 complimented me which almost never happens.

Ebay is a buyers market. You have to sell am awful lot of clothes before you get a sum you could buy clothes with.
Photograph them well in daylight, hung on hangers and danglisg from some bush in the garden. The only chance is if they are clothes with a good label sewn inside.

Lots of good ideas above, but I second keeping a few good pieces - dry clean them, add a moth repellant, and put them in a cover.

I was in a job that mostly called for 'smart casual' so most of my clothes, if not worn every day, still get some life - but I have kept my 2 'smart'outfits and they come out occasionally. I had a friend who said 'never again' and now regrets that she got rid of a very good suit that would make an impact.

Without going into detail, I needed to look smart and business-like on a personal occasion and was glad to take my old smart jacket out of mothballs and look like I was someone to be reckoned with!
And whilst I agree that nearly every funeral I attend is 'dress as if you were spending time with xxx'; I did attend a fairly formal 'civic' funeral recently where I felt that my good black suit was necessary.

Have started trying everything on, big pile of clothes on the bed to go ?
I think the charity shops around here will be busy!

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I've kept quite a few of what I used to call my Karen Brady dresses (bought at a fraction of the price of hers!). I wore one at the weekend for a meal out with friends and felt really smart. It's hard now to imagine that these were once my everyday outfits. I don't see a problem with keeping them - I may as well have a full wardrobe as a half empty one. I have got rid of most of my heels though.

My work clothes were my daily clothes so no problem for me there but charity shop is the best bet everyone gains then

Agree Bluebell! Anyway I think EBay is more a buyers market than a sellers. You don't get much and have all the bother of parcelling and posting. As mentioned, the Air Ambulance is very good forgetting rid of good stuff, as are other charities and makes you feel you are doing a bit of good. The few pounds you get on eBay will never make much difference to your finances.