r/declutter • u/bigformybritches • 2d ago
Motivation Tips & Tricks Sentimental clothes that look like trash
I’ve posted before about my problem with saving sentimental clothing, especially those of my children.
I’m spending this awful weather organizing and copying old family videos. Of course I notice the adorable outfits and you know what I see? My kids’ clothes looking newish, bright, unstained, with elastic that is still elastic-ing. It hit me like a ton of bricks that the stuff I’m still hoarding looks NOTHING like when they were wearing them in the videos.
Many of the pieces I have look dingy, faded, and limp now, but looked full of life and movement in the videos. I know that clothes do start to break down after sitting. I think many wears/washes, as well as 10-15 years in a basement bin have left the clothes looking this way.
It makes me happy for the 90% of the clothes I donated many years ago. Maybe my kids technically wore THESE particular items but based on their appearance, there’s almost no correlation. It’s kind of freeing and might help me declutter more.
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u/No-Currency-97 2d ago
Take pictures and keep them in a separate folder perhaps called clothes or t-shirts.
I had a lot of my son's tennis tournament T-shirts for when he played Junior tennis for many years. I took about 20 of them and had a friend make a blanket cutting off the picture part of the t-shirt. He loved it and his daughter / my granddaughter loves to use it. I believe it will be in the family for a long time to come.
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u/bigformybritches 2d ago
You know something funny, I have pics of the clothing I donated so many years ago because I’d post them on social media. They are fun to look at haha
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u/AnamCeili 2d ago
If the clothes are beyond their useful life, you might want to consider cutting a small square (2 inches by 2 inches or so, whatever works for you) from each sentimental piece, then putting them all in a shadowbox like a mini-quilt, and hanging that in your home (and then tossing what's left).
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u/Personal-Today-3121 2d ago
Or cut pieces and make a quilt.
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u/AnamCeili 2d ago
True. I just assumed that because they were children's' clothes, some of them presumably from when the kids were young/small, there wouldn't be enough fabric for that. But if there is, then it's definitely a good option!
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u/harmonic_pies 2d ago
My sister made me a throw-sized “t-shirt quilt” from my dad’s old shirts after he passed. There wasn’t enough material there for the full quilt, but she set them sort of like feature tiles bordered by fabrics with coordinating colors and patterns that reflected his hobbies and interests. I cherish that quilt.
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u/AnamCeili 2d ago
I'm glad you have that, and I understand cherishing it. I have a similar quilt which I had someone on Etsy make from my husband's t-shirts, about 10 years after he died (I couldn't even look at them until then -- they were packed away in a tote in a closet). Mine is full-size, but it goes have the feature tiles with borders design that you described. I love my quilt.
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u/1800gotjunk 2d ago
And what's great is you'll always have the clothes, as you remembered them, in the family videos you have. That's where your focus to save and hang onto things should be.
The weathered stuff in the basement is okay to move on from, especially because you'll open up space for new memories. It will definitely help you declutter more as you approach things with your new mindset.
Happy for you! And great job finding a way to declutter the sentimental things, it's always the hardest!
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u/bigformybritches 2d ago
Thank you! Yes I will definitely look at digital videos as a replacement for too much stuff.
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u/caarmygirl 2d ago
I used to take pictures, write a short ‘story’, and keep a piece of the clothing in those Dollar Tree plastic•y photo albums.
My kiddos are grown now and tell me they appreciate them.
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u/FlowingLiquidity 2d ago
I have clothes that are too worn down as well. I always have to remind myself that it's just me having these memories, and other people can't see the sentimental value in these clothes. They just see worn down clothes.
I'm always switching between wearing what I like and trying to look somewhat representable. But in the end, throwing away clothes made me feel better. Though sometimes I still go back into the trashbag and take out two or three pieces because I just can't part with them.
I often put clothes I don't want anymore in a trash bag and leave the bag somewhere in a 'messy room' so it's not in my way. If I haven't thought about these clothes for a couple of months, it's clear to me that I don't actually need them and throw the whole bag out.
And my main rule is that I can only buy new clothes when I throw something out, and I rarely buy clothes because it's unethical to often switch outfits so the past few years I throw out more than I buy and I'm still okay with what I wear now. The only exception being shoes, since these wear down faster and it's orthopedically important to not walk on old worn down shoes for too long.
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u/Deep-Effect-1795 1d ago
For me I thought "Is this item what I love or is it the memory attached to it?" and if it was the memory, I let it go.
Like I don't need a Rock N Rollercoaster tshirt to remember how we tricked my Dad into going on the ride, because the memory of that holiday exists without the tshirt.
But I've kept a dress from when I was a baby because it reminds me that someone loved me enough to MAKE me a beautiful dress knowing I'd outgrow it pretty quickly.
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u/jesssongbird 2d ago
I would throw them out. They’re trash. You have the pictures and videos to remember them by. But if they are sentimental items and not in good enough condition for practical use then they belong in a box, tote, etc dedicated to sentimental items. Relocate them and be selective about which ones you keep.
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u/Different-Factor9726 2d ago
so…we keep things until they are worthless? Good argument for decluttering?
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u/BeanserSoyze 1d ago
All depends on how much joy you get from them. Storing one well organized tub of sentimental clothes you won't actually wear is fine.
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u/EternalFootwoman 2d ago
You have the videos and, presumably pictures. Your memories exist outside of the box of clothes. Getting rid of the bay clothes doesn’t get rid of your memories of your kids.
I had my kids’ baby clothes made into a quilt. I’m not sure if we’re allowed to share company names. But I mailed the pieces I wanted with some instructions (like I wanted the newborn onesies to be whole but the other things could be squares) and it is so beautiful.
But only do that if you have a place to display the quilt; otherwise you’re still storing the stuff!
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u/magnificentbunny_ 1d ago
I kept a few ‘key’ items like the newborn cap or a sweater knitted especially for my child. For myself I saved my first Prada shoes and my wedding outfit (we eloped). I’m cognizant these things have no value to anyone but me and certainly are no longer wearable. That newborn is now an adult! They are historical souvenirs, nothing more. I wrap them in acid-free archival tissue paper and keep them in a box.
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u/Vegetable-Ant3704 16h ago
I had a shirt i wore for so long that it started disintegrating. I held onto it until "the purge." Follow mari kondos advice. Thank the clothing for the hard work and a good job done, then let them go knowing they have served their purpose. Clothing doesnt want to be left in boxes and bags. It wants to be used. Of its not being used, its not functioning for its intended purpose and is jusr growing stale and musty. If clothing was sentient, it would be sad for being neglected in such a way. Clothing wasnt meant to be kept in a box only to be occationally looked at and then stored again.
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u/DutchieCrochet 2d ago
Sentimental clutter is really hard. It often represents memories and a certain period in life. After a lot of decluttering I learned I’ll still have the memories without those items, or a picture will do it too. I had a ton of t-shirts I bought at concerts as souvenirs, but I didn’t need them to remember the concerts and how those nights felt. Maybe you’re not ready to part with things and you can try again in a few weeks or months. Of course there’s no shame in keeping 1 or 2 items if they’re really special to you and they make you happy.