14 Women On What They Got Rid Of During Their Big Closet Purge

We’ve written about closet purges a lot here on TFD, and we’ve provided resourceful tips and first-hand accounts. I (don’t think) I’m alone when I say few things feel more cathartic than decisively going through your clothes to weed out the items you no longer need. Afterwards, it feels as if you’ve been given a clean slate. For me, keeping my clothes organized has streamlined my morning routine, and made it easier to pick out clothes for any event. While I was never wasn’t always concerned with keeping my closet fairly pared down, I’ve become much more aware of its importance as I’ve gotten older.

Below, I’ve rounded up what 14 women have said about their own big closet purges where they revealed the items they finally got rid of. From mismatched socks to outdated items with sentimental value, everyone seems to have items that cling to our hangers despite knowing we’d be better off without them. Read on below!

1. “Ridiculous lingerie that I bought when I moved in with my guy, and pretty much only wear on laundry day when I’m out of all other options.” — Madison

2. “I recently chucked like 30 pairs of unmatching socks that were taking up room in my drawer, and never saw the light of day.” — Jennifer

3. “All my tights with holes in them! Last month, I did a big closet purge and realized I didn’t own one pair of tights or hosiery without runs or holes in them.” — Sara

4. “The flowy hippie top that somehow managed to remain in my closet since 2007.” — Sam

5. “At the end of last year, I vowed to myself to get rid of any item of clothing that I didn’t feel confident it. I decided that I only wanted to wear clothes I felt fabulous in. I had to whittle down my closet quite a bit, but when I step out of the house now, I really do feel like a true expression of myself. That purge brought me one step closer to feeling like the woman I want to be — not the woman I’m pretending to be.” — Lesley

6. “About six months ago I tried that backwards hanger trick. It quickly showed me what I was and wasn’t wearing — I simply donated all the clothing I hadn’t worn over the last six months. There was no sense it allowing those items to continue taking up space.” — Emma

7. “My destroyed riding boots that I was too sentimental to get rid of. They were expensive, and I bought them in a treat yo’self moment years ago when I got my first full-time job. They were falling apart and had turned a totally different shade of brown, and I knew they had to go. I tried telling myself they were ‘worn’ and ‘broken in,’  but I couldn’t kid myself any longer.” — Val

8. “I finally got rid of the pair of too-small jeans I really wanted to fit into, and come to terms with the fact that it was NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. I’ll never buy expensive jeans that are two sizes too small again.” — Jasmine

9. “This is a #confession, but I use to be a big makeup hoarder, and I recently got rid of about 50 empty MAC eyeshadow containers (I recycled them with their program). I’ve come a long way since those days of overspending on makeup, and it was nice to finally purge all that mess from my closet drawers. I feel like I have a fresh start now.” — Laura

10. “I am notorious for buying clothes that I see on other women and think, ‘I can totally pull that off.’ However, the answer is, ‘no Jackie,’ you can’t pull that off. I recently said, ‘good-bye’ to a hideous pair of paisley jeans and a bunch of cheap-looking peplum tops. Sigh.” — Jackie

11. “The one dull looking sheath dress that I’ve relied upon for nearly every professional after-work event for a year. It was beyond necessary to give the items in my closet a little refresh.” — Lauren

12. “It took a long time for me to admit to myself that I was simply never going to repair the broken zippers on a few items hanging in my closet. The items were cheap to begin with (I’ve since then stopped buying fast-fashion clothes) and not worth an additional investment of time or money. I finally let them go.” — Casey

13. “Bright red rubber rain boots, that I bought about five years ago, which I wore (maybe) three times. They took up a ton of precious real estate in my closet and reminded me of how childish my taste used to be. It was time to upgrade to a more chic and functional pair.” — Eva

14. “My teeny tiny NYC apartment has a teeny tiny closet, and I was forced to get rid of a good deal of bulky sweaters that were taking up too much room. My fiance and I share one closet between us, and we were both forced to purge some stuff. Sometimes, I’ll still get sweaters as gifts from my mom (it’s her favorite thing to buy), and I have to gently tell her to stop because I’ll be forced to store them on our fire escape if she keeps it up.” — Lia

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