Clothing Update: Letting Go May 2024

This post is an update on where I am at with letting go of different types of clothes.  It's probably a bit of a ramble through my thoughts

I quickly realised that a size 32 evening dress brought for a 40th birthday holiday was not going to get worn again.  I am currently a size 24 up top and a size 28 down below.  I don't have any posh occasions due that require such clothing and if I did, I would want something that fitted...  Those were some of the easiest things to let go (but also the slowest to sell).  Most had only been worn a very few times, once or twice in reality.  There also were not huge numbers of them.

After that were the smart tops, the ones worn for more routine nice occasions or just when I wanted to look nice.  Some of these were much harder to part with.  My favourites had been part of my life for so long.  Some of them had matching pieces of jewellery I had made especially to go with them.  I am still in the process of letting them go, though a lot have gone.  It's been hard.  

I let go of some of the winter stuff first because as much as it's too big now, if my weight loss continues, it will be unwearable come next winter.  My favourite Christmas tunic with the snowmen that was a lovely flattering shape.  My thicker plum top with the foxes and owls.  The summer things have been harder, because we are going in to summer and it's harder to say what I will need.  So the thin cotton top with a hanky hem and tie waist in turquoise, blue and red, that's still there...  for now.  Am I going to wear it?  Doubtful...  it's pretty baggy around my boobs now and I am not really in to accidentally showing off my cleavage.

There is a whole category of tops that I wore occasioanlly or not at all.  The lovely green top that was not forgiving enough at the hips and now it fits nicely at the hips, it's too baggy around the chest...  That has to go and I never wore it.  The light blue wrap top that only ever came out on the hottest summer days and I had to make sure it didn't flap embarassingly.  These were easier, less emotional.

I think the more revealing a piece of clothing, the easier it is to accept you can no longer wear it.  I had some lovely satiny cami tops I often wore over long sleeve tshirts.  There was no hiding the fact I couldn't wear them any more.  

Baggier pieces though have been harder, because oversize clothing is a look and one I am quite happy to include in my wardrobe.  I quickly realised though that not every top should be worn oversize, a lot really do not suit it!  I had one top that was a bit bat wingy in the arms and I found when I wore it that my arms were basically in with my body now and it was all hanging down in an unflattering way.  I think less fitted clothing designed to hang from the shoulders works better.  I also think the oversized look is best layered or just on the very hottest days.  Wearing something so very loose and flappy is not warm...  but a vest top underneath helps to keep warm and prevent clothing malfunctions.

So, although I thought I would keep a lot of things to wear oversized, I found that a lot of things just really did not suit it.  Even those things that do suit it have a limited life ahead of them.  There will come a point where the two 6XL t-shirts I have no longer look nice worn very baggy with leggings or jeans.  Where the white, grey and pink silky size 32/34 top no longer looks cute hanging off one shoulder with a vest top underneath.

One thing I have found very hard to get rid of, for very different reasons, is trousers of all types.  The ones I like tend to have been very well worn.  The ones I like are the stretchiest, most forgiving and flattering ones.  I have six pairs of silky satin effect stretchy, elasticated waist, black polyester trousers.  I used to wear them to the office and I wore them a lot, even at home, in the hotter summer days last year.  So they are hanging on by a thread, because having lost weight, they fit very long and it wouldn't be long until they just fall off.  Some I can sell, but others have tiny holes starting in the crotch.  I know if I give them to charity, they will likely just get recycled.  I might give them away when I sell the others, as free bonus pairs.  Maybe?  These trousers are there though, taking up space in the drawer, but their time is very limited.  Some September and cooler days, that will be it.  They won't fit by next summer.

Some of my less elasticated trousers, the smarter fitted ones are harder.  Chances are, they didn't fit very well before and are starting to fit better now.  Maybe they are just starting to get a little generous.  The thing is though, my work life has changed since covid and I have not worn these sorts of trousers since before.  Why am I keeping them?  I have no plans to buy replacements for them any time soon.  But they still fit...  so it's tricky to get rid of them and I guess they too will stay a little while longer.

Jeans are less of an issue.  I tended to wear jeans pretty hard, so they had a lifetime.  I had a couple of pairs of size 30 jeans in the back of the drawer which came in very handy.  The size 32 jeans though, some are too worn or damaged to sell but others I will.  I brought two pairs of jeans each in size 28, 26 and 24.  The size 28 jeans are the ones I wear now, along with the size 30's.  The size 30's get used more for dog walking and supermarket shopping and the 28's for when I want to look nicer.  I find it reassuring, having the smaller sizes waiting.  It's tempting to keep the scruffier jeans, because I can use a belt and they won't get reused after me.  

The hardest thing though, and one I have so many of, is plain t-shirts.  I wore long sleeve ones under tops in winter.  I layered them up to stay warm and snug and I can still layer them up.  They look fine a little baggy.  I even had some 28/30's tucked away.  I brought size 24's though, which look really nice right now and I will probably buy smaller sizes as I go.  Supermarkets sell these so cheap and the thickness varies with the seasons.  The ones I just brought were from Asda and were I think £3 each.  They are quite thin so won't be the warmest come winter by themselves, but layered they will be fine.  Chances are though no one is going to want my larger ones when you can buy new ones so cheaply.  So it's tempting to keep them and keep wearing them.  Thing is, I currently have 20+ of these types of t-shirt in use up to size 32.  I don't need that many.  not really.  Even if I am still wearing them all.  They take a lot of space.  As many were brought in packs, inevitably some colours just don't get worn as much.  The orange one, the black and white stripes...

So sleepwear is a minimal part of my wardrobe.  I have two nightshirts, long t-shirt style ones, and I have two pairs of pyjamas.  I think the pyjamas will be too big by the time nights are cool enough for them again.  I brought two pairs of pyjama bottoms from asda in the largest size they did.  I can wear them now, but they are a little snug. I hope by the time it gets colder and I can no longer wear my pyjamas, that these bottoms fit...  I only brought bottoms because I have so many plain t-shirts...  It's my plan to keep these t-shirts being useful as long as possible...  I find myself not wearing the nightshirts this summer though and will let them go come winter.  I have a couple of plain sleeveless skater style T's that had gotten a little loose and they have turned in to nightwear now.

I have two dressing gowns.  A flowery silky one for summer and a thicker fluffy one for winter.  I did however discover a third in my little cache of much smaller clothing.  I had a lovely batik died cotton dressing gown which I loved and apparently snuck away...  I am pleased I did now!  I don't intend to buy a new fluffy dressing gown until I get much, much smaller.  but...  my onesie will have to go.  My one size fits all oversized furry pull over type robe will do forever...

I love jumpers and I do think for wearing at home, oversized jumpers are fine.  I will keep them bobbles and all, until I can not wear them.  I have brought minimal jumpers as part of my smaller wardrobes.  Black jumpers are a wardrobe staple...  a black polo neck in size 26, a black roll neck jumper in size 22, a black sweater dress in size 20.  That's probably all I need.  I wear hoodies for walking and my groot and toothless hoodie, although huge, is snuggly and nice still for wearing oversize.  I have a St Piran hoodie ready in a 2XL for when I get a little smaller.

I get cold though, so obviously, this isn't the end of my warm garments...  I have a few cardigans which will be fine for some time but I realised when I was looking at styles for layering with oversized clothes that there are a lot of wooly garments ideally suited.  In fact they are so perfect most are sold as one size fits all...  Ponchos, wraps and shawls!  So far, even when I have brought non-plus sized one size ponchos, they have fit just fine.  I don't have to worry about getting rid of them as I get smaller, they will continue to look nice.  So I have brought a few.  I have a lovely black Jayley faux fur poncho in black that is ever so smart and looks classy with any outfit.  I have a black and white knitted zig zag number that is warm and snug as a jumper.  A grey wooly wrap, well two.  A red polo neck poncho.  A black and white butterfly blanket that is worn as a throw over jacket that is longer at the back.  A multi coloured poncho cardigan.  A blue and red plaid wrap.  Some I wear scruffy round the house and others are smarter.  But I don't need to get rid of any of them any time soon.

Coats are more problematic though.  A good warm waterproof coat is difficult and expensive to find in larger sizes.  I have an extremely large black waterproof coat which I couldn't quite do up for the longest time.  Now it's far too big, even when worn over a hoodie.  There seems to b a flaw with the design or manufacture because the stitching is failing to the front outer pockets and they flap badly now.  The whole coat is pretty irritating but still necessary.  I have a red coat that will be great, eventually, but it's a large and a really long way from fitting me to do up.  I found a nice M&S black puffy coat on vinted but it doesn't fit yet, not quite.  I am really hoping it fits by winter so I can get rid of the huge black flappy coat.  I think I will put it on vinted very cheaply...  I know how hard it is to find good coats when you are larger.  I am sure someone else will appreciate it for dog walking, despite it's flaws.

I found some time ago, that a cropped jacket is an easier idea for me as a coat because of my pear shape.  I don't have the issue of doing up the zip at the bottom because of my hips with these types of coat.  I had a lovely blue faux fur coat which was my go to.  I found that although not waterproof, water would take a while to soak through the fur and I would stay warm.  Pretty useful for walking too and from the car and looking nice without the humidity of a waterproof, which I loathe.  Such coats are also relatively cheap.  I knew they would be a staple of my wardrobe and I brought a pink in size 28 and a grey in size 24 and that will do me for the time being.  As I had a direct replacement, it made it easier letting the blue coat go and it went last week and I hope it's new owner loves it as much as I did.  The pink one is adorable but I didn't think it through...  it's very bright!  I love it but its not a shy coat and some days that feels quite challenging.  Even so, I know I will miss it when it gets too big and it's already generous.  I could wear the grey over things soon.

I had other coats...  A green poncho coat, but that was easy to get rid of as the fastenings had corroded.  A lovely Joe Browns coat with a faux fur lined hood.  This one is more challenging.  It has a sort of rubber tape around the edges which was initially shiny but it is now peeling from where it has been washed.  I need to wash it again and then help the peeling along and it will look absolutely fine.  Then I need to sell it because it's too big (though much less big than the flappy black coat... but unfortunately not waterproof at all)

I think this is another type of clothes that is harder to get rid of, the ones you have to do something with before you sell them.  I have a beautiful butterfly top that is chiffon type over a satiny material.  There is a point at the centre of the neckline where three pieces of fabric come together and there is a tiny gap.  It's a tiny sewing job to sort it out and it needs doing because it is noticeable.  That is the only thing wrong with the top and once done, someone could enjoy it for some time to come.

I also have some lovely white Joe Browns tshirts I wear in the summer.  They have a reprieve for this summer, even though I expect I won't wear them.  They need a good soak in some sort of stain remover and to be sold very cheaply...  White tshirts suffer...

Apart from shoes, which I am not going to discuss now, that just leaves swimming costumes.  I wear swim dresses and I had a black and white patterned one which was the largest and a smaller black one.  I only swim in the warmer months when I am free from colds.  Last year I had to wear the black and white one to begin with, even though the elastic in the shoulders had perished and I had to be very careful.  By the end of the summer, the black one fitted, and it still does.  I brought a size 26 and a size 24.  I could wear the size 26 now as it's actually more generous than my black one but it has wierd boobs, so I won't keep it I think.  I hope to be in the size 24 by the end of the summer?  The size 26 is sellable and maybe the black one will be...  but the black and white one is not.  I don't like getting rid of things knowing there is no use for them, but I do just need to let it go.