Friend of Julie: The Clothes, The Clothes, The Clothes!

Now that you've lost so much weight, what do you do with all those clothes that are too big for you? Should you keep them, just in case you gain the weight back? No! Forget about all those other times you lost weight and gained it back—get rid of clothes that are too big for you. Keeping them is like telling yourself you are going to gain the weight back. No—we not!

Thinning out my closets

You have several options as to what to do with clothes that are too big for you: give them away, sell them on eBay, take them to a consignment store, donate them, or have them tailored.

After my first year on program, I invited a friend over and told her "take what you want" and she left with three large over-stuffed bags of clothes. Two days later I did the same with another friend and she left with four large over-stuffed bags. Having been the recipient of many bags of clothing given to me by key-friends, who were perfect strangers at the time, it felt good to do this.

There were  times when I passed along an item I cherished to someone I thought would appreciate it. I gave my favorite blue leather jacket to a friend last year and this year she when it was too big for her, she gave back to me so I could take it to a consignment store.

I used to sell my larger clothes on eBay, but these days I prefer taking things to a consignment store. Specifically, one that doesn't require hangers or ironing. There are Facebook groups where you can sell things, but I really like the idea that if my item doesn't sell it is donated and I never have to see them again. I like the simplicity of this.

To make things easier and to keep me organized, I have a plastic bin and a large trash bag in my clothes closet. When I try something on and find it's too big or I don't like it anymore, I immediately choose: consignment store or donate?

If I'm going to donate the item, it goes right into the plastic bag and the consignment items go into the bin. This helps me know at a quick glance what's for consignment and what's for donation. There have been a few times when I mixed things up and later realized items I wanted to take to consignment were donated. Oh well, they're out of my closet at least!

Bins to take to a consignment store
Winter on left and summer on right

I usually get rid of clothes before the start of each season. This spring, I pulled all my summer clothes out of the bins and I tried on every one of them. I hung up the items I wanted to keep and the rest went into a bin or a bag. Pieces that are too small that I want to keep went back into the bin.

By the way, I use the bins to carry my stuff to my car and into the store. Then they go back home with me. Someday I expect I'll take the bins to the consignment store and ask them if they want to sell my bins.

This year when thinning out my closet, I asked myself a few questions about the clothes that are too small for me, to help me really thin out my summer wardrobe:

• Do I still love it? 
• Will I ever wear it again? 
• Is it really ever going to fit me? 

I decided that by the time some of these items fit nicely at my hips, especially dresses, the top is going to be too big. This year, those items went into a consignment bin.

Each year I have less bins than the year before. At the moment, I only have one bin of smaller sized summer clothes in my closet. Winter, well I still have a ton of winter clothes, but I'll thin them out in September. Meanwhile, there are several bins full of winter clothes and others that hang in one of my closets.

There are random times of the year when I ask myself: Why do I have so much in my closet and at the same time I feel as if I have nothing to wear? In those moments, I know it's time to thin out my closet again.

A couple weeks ago I took my favorite dress to a tailor. I bought it three years ago and when I wore it on a cruise last year I was sorry that I hadn't taken it to be altered. I wore it to a wedding a few weeks ago and before wearing it to a second wedding this past weekend, I had the tailor take in about 4 inches under the arms.

May 2013 vs May 2014 vs June 2015

This was one of those times when I followed my instincts and it paid off.  Everyone told me the dress looked great and there was no need to take it in, but it felt too big. I can see this dress doesn't look much different in these photos, each taken a year apart, but it feels like a better fit. It was well worth the $28 to have it altered.

I wish I had taken my Capri's to a tailor instead of a consignment store. I can't find any Capri's at the store that fit and for a few dollars I could have just had the waist taken it.

I can't wait until I no longer need bins for all my clothes, to use my three closets for my clothes, (yes, I do know how lucky I am to have 3 closets in one room), to no longer have clothes that are too big or too small—only clothes that fit, to be able to quickly see what I have in my closet, to not have struggle with clothes packed in so tightly that I can't find anything, and to not own so many pieces of clothing!

Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

What about you? What's inside your closet? Is it time for you to remove clothes that are too big for you? It feels fabulous to let go of them, regardless whether you sell, donate, or offer them a friend. It's very freeing! Set yourself free my friends.

Remember—you are not going to gain that weight back, so you don't need clothes that are too big.