Quality vs. quantity

Last weekend, I boxed up a bunch of clothes to drop off at the thrift store.  Among them were quite a few me-made garments.  In the past, I've been reluctant to get rid of handmade items.  But my standards seem to have gotten higher, and now I just want these things gone.

 

Here’s a me-made blouse I've been wearing since 2005 or so, despite several problems that I kept rationalizing.  Such as: I sewed the cuffs on backward (oops).  There’s a little stain in front (I can just wear a sweater over it).  It doesn’t actually fit right (oh that).  This was one of the first "tailored" garments I made for myself, and I was quite proud at the time (backward cuffs notwithstanding).  But let's be honest: it's poorly tailored.  The whole body is too wide, and the shoulder seams hang way below my actual shoulders.  In the years since I made this blouse, I’ve figured out how to deal with my very narrow shoulders when I'm sewing.  So now I’ve finally reached a point where I look at this garment and go, NO.  It has too many problems.  I no longer feel cute in it, just sloppy.

 

Speaking of sloppiness, here are three skirts I've been wearing with safety pins taking in the waistbands, because they're all way too big (the downside of regular exercise).  Yet I continued to wear them.  The orange one in the middle is me-made, and I’ll need to replace that soon, because my summer wardrobe depends heavily on having an orange skirt in the mix.

The other two came from thrift stores anyway, so why cling to them?  I almost got rid of the black one during a previous closet purge, but I thought, "No, you need a black skirt!"  As if another black skirt (that actually fit) would be so hard to come by! 

The white flowered one I shouldn't have bought in the first place.  It was too big when I bought it, but I was blinded by its beauty.  And it was $3.29.  I figured that judicious use of safety pins would make it work.  Ditto a pair of me-made black pants (not even worth photographing).  I've kept “making do” with all these too-big garments that wanted to slide right off my body because I figured, hey, I'm sitting down anyway, so there's nowhere for them to go.  Ugh!  I’m now realizing just how many of my garments are wearable only because my wheelchair holds them onto my body.

Anyway.  I'm tired of making do, and no longer interested in keeping clothes that are almost fine.  And honestly, although my sewing skills have vastly improved over the years, I'm clueless about alterations.  So these things are going bye-bye, to make room in my closet for new things that fit and are flattering.

Do you hang on to clothes unnecessarily?  If you make your own garments, do you find it harder to get rid of those, even when you know they're not working?

Comments

[Stacy]

Jodi, I can understand why you have sentimental attachment to those jeans! Maybe you could find a bunch of pictures of yourself wearing them on your adventures, and keep those, but give the jeans away.

[Jodi]

Some things are very very difficult for me to get rid of. I have a pair of massively flared jeans I bought when I was 17. Flares weren't in fashion then either. But I loved them. I spent 3 weeks pay on them (!!) So these jeans have been travelling the world with me ever since even though I only wear them about once a year. I need to find a way to easily throw them out.

[toni]

I definitely have a hard time getting rid of things that I've made myself. I usually give them to people I know rather than donate them. Then I know they're going to good homes.

[houseofpinheiro]

I purge my stuff every 6 months and still go loads i still could give away.. I'm trying

[Stacy]

Hahaha Eartha--yes, I have been known to rock that hip-hugger look, too. Try the safety pins and you'll suddenly double your skirt options, as you can wear them all "up" or "down." :)

[Eartha Kitsch]

Oh gosh, yes. You sound just like me! I don't sew at all but hang on to things without mercy. I think that I have clothes for if I lose ten, twenty or even fifty pounds in my closet right now. I'm also the worst for wearing skirts that have too big waists. Though I'm not industrious like you with the safety pins. I just let them hit my hips as if waists don't matter. I admire your purge!