Survival and Common Sense Wardrobe

[Lambykins]

I have reached the point in my life where I have too much "stuff".
A lot of that "stuff" is clothing.
People have a habit of giving me their *hand me downs* and I am a lover of thrift shops.
But a recent survey of my stuff has convinced me that I have WAY too much clothing.
So, I am in the process of weeding out a lot of it.
I am practical...for work I have a uniform shirt and I can choose to wear jeans, slacks, skirt, shorts as I choose. I have business branded jackets (sweatshirt type hoodies, zip up front) in two different weights (heavy and light). I think I have a total of 5 in various colors. Three heavy, two light. Red, black, navy, gray and green. Each also has my name embroidered on it. (they were not free. Cost was $25 each)
Because I live in a cold climate, I have a multitude of winter jackets, sweaters, flannel shirts, etc. Plenty of jeans. My skirts and dresses are not the bulk of my wardrobe, but the few I have I am keeping.

Now, where I am weakest is my footwear. I usually wear a pair of sneakers/tennis shoes/trainers/whatever you want to call them. I have one pair of flats if I want to be fancy. No boots or hiking shoes. I have a pair of water shoes that I have worn as every day shoes in the summer.
Really need some boots, but I have a difficult size, so still looking.

My goal is to winnow everything down to FIVE.
Five uniform shirts, five pair of jeans, five skirts, etc.
Underwear and socks will be winnowed down to TEN. Ten pair socks, etc.

Except for one down jacket, I will not have any dry clean clothing. A few hand wash items, but that's about it.
Have any of you down-sized your clothing? What was your criteria for what stayed and what got tossed?

[boskone]

I did a while back.

I kept basically 1 week each of office, work, and outdoorsing clothes.  I also kept all my good underwear, several pairs of mesh shorts, several fishing shirts, a pile of cheap bandanas, a few unmarked polos for general business-casual wear when a work-logoed polo wouldn't be appropriate, and a semiformal suit (sport coat, matching-ish pants, good shirt, several ties) which is useful in my family for everything from graduations to funerals.

I also kept my "hostile weather gear", which is 2 coats, a jacket, and a pair of overalls.  With miscellaneous gloves and balaclavas I've accrued over the years.

Plus the ludicrous pile of Carhartt Henleys mom's given me over the years, which she seemed to find hysterically funny for some reason.  Since I wear those out at a rate of 2-3 years per shirt, I'm probably set for the rest of my life.  They're good shirts, though, and my daily wear so I keep the extras in the packages.  (Maybe I should vacuum-seal them, to reduce bulk.  Might try one, see if it's worthwhile.)

[RoneKiln]

I did a few years back. I didn't set a number for shirts. I just weeded out anything heavily worn and nearly all the old event shirts I no longer wear. Most of my jeans had holes in them so that was easy. For some reason I had tons of dress socks I never wear, and a bunch of super heavy winter socks that were way too big for me other than to use as slippers (an ex girlfriend sucked at gift giving). I also got rid of some stuff I got on clearance but didn't quite fit right.

I cleared enough space that I felt comfortable asking for some shirts for Christmas I've wanted a long time but couldn't justify getting.

I still have way too many coats, I'm not even trying to let those go.

[Rednex]

First I make a bag for in the trucks out of the extra cloths ( 1 set for each weather type hot/cold ). Then  anything worn out. After i got rid of all my torn up stuff i had to go buy new cloths. Still need new pocket T-shirts.

[flybynight]

Sheesh. Basically hoarders here. Wife and I still have clothes from high school  45 plus years ago. Can anyone say cuff cords ?

[sheddi]

Not really on-topic but you mentioned boots:

Now, where I am weakest is my footwear. I usually wear a pair of sneakers/tennis shoes/trainers/whatever you want to call them. I have one pair of flats if I want to be fancy. No boots or hiking shoes. I have a pair of water shoes that I have worn as every day shoes in the summer.
Really need some boots, but I have a difficult size, so still looking.

... and I've been waiting for an excuse to share this video with UFOZS:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmfqjgNlj7Y

[RoneKiln]

Drifting farther off topic with that video: my adopted little sister did quite well sword fighting in her wedding dress when settling a disagreement over swordplay at her wedding. Luckily her brother's blood washed out of the dress and the emergency room wasn't too busy when they hauled him in. I cleaned up the blood trail he left back at the wedding.

Best wedding ever!

Back on topic... I have a ridiculous number of shoes. Two pairs of steel toe boots. A newer pair for at work, and a trashed old pair for dirtier work. An old pair of cheap breaking down hiking boots that I wear around town like tennis shoes. A newer high quality pair of hiking boots. Biking shoes that clip into my bike pedals. Rock climbing shoes. Sandals. A sandal/shoes hybrid thing nice for light hiking in hot weather and traversing water or beach.

I feel oddly self conscious about having so many shoes.

[boskone]

Back on topic... I have a ridiculous number of shoes. Two pairs of steel toe boots. A newer pair for at work, and a trashed old pair for dirtier work. An old pair of cheap breaking down hiking boots that I wear around town like tennis shoes. A newer high quality pair of hiking boots. Biking shoes that clip into my bike pedals. Rock climbing shoes. Sandals. A sandal/shoes hybrid thing nice for light hiking in hot weather and traversing water or beach.

I feel oddly self conscious about having so many shoes.

Are you, perchance, related to Imelda Marcos nee Romualdez?

Jokes aside, I have 4: daily wear slip-ons, good slip-ons, sandals, and boots.  The good slip-ons and boots are black (so they match for work), the rest are "on sale" colored.  :lol:  (Eleventy dozen emotes, and ":lol:" isn't one?  Weird.)

I do have a pile of "worn out" boots, though, mostly because fuck Danner.  I'll, er, just move the rant about that to the Rant thread.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

I usually tend to get rid of clothes once they get worn out to the point where they're no longer viable to repair.

I lucked into a bunch of Harley Davidson branded work shirts awhile back, which is amazing since it's usually pretty hard to find fat bastard sized clothing in my AO.

Apparently clothing stores out here seem to think no one above a 1XL exists.

My usual outfit consists of blue jeans, some sort of button up shirt and my Walmart work boots (I'm currently wearing a pair of Herman Survivors work boots. My last pair lasted me almost six years.). Basically I look like an extra from Sons of Anarchy or Longmire.

Whenever I have too many clothes or I can't fit in anything anymore, I chuck them in a box for yard sales or I donate them.

Although, given my love of thrift stores, I'm fairly certain I'll probably end up buying back one of my old shirts at some point.

[flybynight]

Are you, perchance, related to Imelda Marcos nee Romualdez?

Beat me to it.    . had to go eat bbq 

[NapalmMan67]

I subscribe to the KISS method for clothing.  Mostly downsize things that do not fit me any more, my wife gets rid of stuff she no longer likes/wears even though it's in fine shape. All get donated to a local shelter.  Most of my work clothes disintegrate and vanish in to thin air I wear them so long though.

I generally only have a pair of steel toe boots for work and a pair of sneakers for home and/or going out.  I've not had any dress clothes for years, but probably should get some for any funerals or memorials that are unfortunately sure to be in the future. I've never been a dockers/polo/loafers kind of person- I was forced to wear dress shirts/pants and ties for years at my last job and hated it.  Just recently have added an additional pair of sneakers to my meager collection though.

My overall wardrobe is bland-  Some socks and undies, pocket Tee shirts, a few flannels for winter and blue jeans.  I have 2 light windbreaker/rain jackets, a few knit hats, some gloves and an old Dickies work coat and coveralls for winter if it get's sub 0 temps and I need to be outside for long periods. 

[Raptor]

I likely have shoes older than some of you. I buy (or used to buy) clothes that last a long time. I even have a spare pair NIB I bought when the maker changed hands and I was concerned that the quality would decline.

Fast forward to last year and I have suits and cotton dress shirts that I have not worn decades.

I decided to donate a bunch of the suits but kept the cotton dress shirts. I now use these to work in the garden, walk in the woods and work on the farm. I have not needed work shirts in a while. I am that guy that you see shoveling out a hole wearing a dress shirt(light starch please) & jeans. 

But yes I limited my clothing a lot and tend to be a lot more casual with a polo shirt, jeans or slacks vs. a suit. I have not worn a tie other than to a funeral in a decade. Still I do not want to give these or the shoes away just yet.

[Lambykins]

I am that guy that you see shoveling out a hole wearing a dress shirt(light starch please) & jeans. 

Dress shirts and jeans are sexy on a guy! 

I need new boots for winter. Been wearing sneakers all last winter. Before that I had a cheap pair of boots from Family Dollar. Just couldn't find any to fit that I could afford.
Looking again. Going to try the local outdoor clothing outlet tomorrow.

[MPMalloy]

I donated a bunch of clothing a few years ago because they didn't fit.  I buy clothing for it's utility only, no other reason & I will wear it until it's no longer serviceable.  I have 4 sets of long underwear & probably twice in basic clothing that a "normal" person would need.

Clothing is a basic & core prep.