Kind of Random, Is My Relationship to My Clothes Weird or Unhealthy?

It incredibly freeing to let go of "stuff" --any stuff!

My rule for clothes?
If I haven't worn it in the last year? It's GONE.
No regrets (and lots of closet room!)

I am the same way. I still have my size 6 jeans in my closet (I'm a 10 now). I can't get rid of them. I am working out and trying to loose the weight, so they are my motivation. When I see them it reminds me of my goal. If it motivates you to loose the weight, then keep it. If it just sits there and you aren't working towards the goal and don't ever think you will, then either sell them or give them away.

time to let go. Those Clothes From Your Past are hindering your future, emotionally & physically.....& even spatially!

This is not about weight....it is about moving into the future & accepting it as your reality. Sell the clothes online or to a resale shop, & use that $$ to buy a gym membership or some equipment for home. That way your Past will pay for your Future!

oh my, i could have written this post a decade or two ago.
pick 3 things that you lovelovelove, and let the rest go. WHEN you lose the weight, you'll deserve new things anyway.
it's funny how our self-image gets all tied up with extraneous stuff like that, doesn't it? i still get startled sometimes when i look in the mirror and see who's looking back!
:) khairete
S.

Clothes are not like fine wine - they do not age well. Even basics look out of date in a few years - pocket placement, lapels, pleats, lengths, fabric, colors - all of that changes. Consign or donate your pre-pregnancy clothes. Dress the "you" you are now in something comfortable and fabulous. It is possible to look (and feel) good even if you are now in a larger size. If you do end up in your pre-pregnancy size and shape again, you can buy new things then.

Look at your self in the mirror. Really look. And then smile. I doubt that you are the same woman you were 7 years ago. Even if you were the same size, you wouldn't be the same woman you were 7 years ago. You've grown, you've learned things, and you've become an experienced wife and mom. Your job is to love and take care of the person you are right now, today. Having those clothes from before you had babies taking up so much closet (and mental) space isn't helping you do that.

Accept it and move on ahead. Even if you fit into the same "sizes" as before... they won't fit and feel the same. Your hips will never be the same again.
----

For what it's worth... I had several pairs of pants and jeans in my closet that I couldn't wear right away after the birth of our first child. I still couldn't when he was 2. We had another baby and I did actually get down to the same size I had been pre any babies...(actually, a smidge smaller). But the clothes no longer looked right or felt good on. I donated them, and bought new stuff.

I could have written your post a year ago (well, two kids not three, but everything else the same). I held on to all my old "skinny" clothes because in my mind I was still that same person and knew I'd get back to that weight at some point. I went back and forth about keeping the clothes versus getting rid of them, and about a year ago finally decided it was time to accept who I was (a size 14 woman, not the size 8 I'd been way back when). So I sorted through everything, consigned the nice stuff and donated the rest. It was an AMAZING feeling to look at my very streamlined closet. And you know what? About a month later I woke up one morning ready to diet and exercise more and lose the weight. It had been almost seven years of saying I'd do it but not doing anything, and a month after giving away my skinny clothes - I was ready. And I did it. I lost the weight in four months, and am now in better shape and thinner than I was even before I had kids.

For me, part of being able to lose the weight was making peace with who I was... and getting rid of the clothes that didn't fit was part of that. So no real advice from me, just a story that I hope might help.

I have no wisdom to give you, but would like to thank you and all the posters (?) for sharing your thoughts and making me think about my out of control closet. I guess I just couldn't believe I'm done in by just 1 kid, but will do it all over again for more kids...no hesitation.

After my last big purge years ago, I really didn't even remember what I've donated, or miss anything that was gone. Unlike yours, my wardrobe is pretty blah, nothing classic to speak of, so I guess I'm just hanging on to the size.

Felt like I just took in a breath of fresh air. I desperately needed to purge my life of stuff and the closet is as good as any place to start, so that I don't have to fix another rod that fell down because of too many clothing hanging on it.

I hear ya-- and struggled with this for quite a while.
Acceptance, though, is also a beautiful thing. I Goodwilled my stuff, figuring that if the universe were to bestow a miracle on us, it would not be making my butt smaller.

At least pack up the smaller size and put it away for now, focus on getting yourself a few things which make you feel good here and now. Great to work toward those goals-- and also good to not wait to enjoy clothes.

I have similar issues but I finally let most of the clothes go. For one your bones change (hips and ribs get bigger) which makes the smaller clothes not fit also. Can't change your new bone structure so you will need clothes that are cut differently anyway if you loose the weight you want to.

I agree that I still see myself as the slender person I was before 3 kids. I still gravitate towards clothes that are slim fitting and when I get to the fitting room I remember that I don't have that body anymore - boo!

Your hips are bigger now. The bones do not go back into the same shape they were before. Those clothes might fit again but truthfully, won't they be so out of date you'd rather have some new ones if you get that small again?

Get rid of them. Donate them or consign them.

I saved clothes thinking I'd get back to that size. Never did. I've never been pregnant but have found that my body shape changed over the years even without gaining much weight. Friends have told me that pregnancy changes your shape too. And even tho classic shapes remain the actual style rarely returns.

I suggest it's unlikely that you'll wear those clothes again. Get them out of your closet. Live in the present with clothes that you like and which fit now.

I know this from years of experience. I'm 70. Spent many years thinking I'd wear that again and never did.

Pack 'em up and move forward with your body. Change it if you want, but buy the clothes that fit it now, not then.

I'm right there with ya! I was always slender as well, and 3 babies later...not so much. Well, I'd love to blame it all on my pregnancies, but that's not true. I've gained a lot of weight over the last year and a half and my youngest is 4! Anyway, I have clothes in bins under my bed, clothes in the hall closet, clothes in my wardrobe closet, and my armoire, all that doesn't fit anymore. I keep thinking someday I will wear them again! Right now I have a VERY small selection of clothes that fit because I refuse to spend money on clothes in my current size. I hate the size I am but I haven't found the motivation to lose it. IF, you really think you'll lose the weight AND you have the room for it, I'd say leave them be. But if you are accepting of yourself and don't have room, then let em go. Easy to say though, as I am giving advice that I'm unable to do myself!!

Get rid of the skinny clothes. If you do lose the weight, they will be out of style.

Keep one or two for the thought of getting back to that size and get them gone. You will de-clutter your space and when you can afford it, have a place to put the new clothes. No need to hang on to the past. Create some new memories with the new you.

Very few of us get back into our pre pregger clothing. If you do get into the clothes, they don't fit the same. I tried a few things and got into the clothes but the waist has gotten about a half inch bigger and I had to let out the seams (sewing here) and it did not fit the same there. So I had o make new clothes. Something about how the body shifts to make way for the baby. Give the to the consignment shop, Goodwill or Salvation Army.

the other S.

PS You can get a tax write-off for the clothing.

I guess I'm going to go against the grain here. I also have three kids and have never fit back into my clothes. I finally did what all these posters are suggesting and got rid of my "skinny" clothes, giving up on the idea that I would ever be the size that I want to be. It's been 18 years and this year I found my motivation. I'm down to my pre-pregnancy 1 weight and still going. Now I wish that I hadn't been so hasty to let go of some of those things because they would be in style now and I'd like to put them on just to say I can.

One poster suggested picking out some things that you love, love, love and the letting the rest go. That's probably a good compromise. If you buy excellent quality clothes, they should last and the fashions do recycle.

Everyone finds their motivation differently--for me it was the realization that my 75 year old dad was in better shape to ski with my kids that I was. I joined WW in January and I'm 55 lbs lighter now. I don't ever want to go back. Good luck to you.

One thing I've noticed about my body is that even though I weigh the same and sometimes less than before I had my dd, my weight has shifted around. My waist is bigger, legs are smaller, chest and back are larger, etc. The old clothes are usually too small in the waist even though the overall weight is the same. It's one of those realities of aging. Bummer!

I have a rule...if I have not worn it or used it in the last year it goes. I just did my yearly closet clean out and I donated lots of clothes that still fit me but that I just didn't wear for one reason or another. It is some times hard to let go of a perfectly good sweater that is still in style and in good shape but if I didn't wear it last year chances are I won't this year so it goes. This rule has worked well for me and I have a largely decluttered house because of it.

I got rid of all my pre-baby clothes...tons of really nice business stuff.

A gym membership and healthy eating got me back to a healthy weight. A back injury that left me depressed and in horrible pain for nine months got me back to my pre-baby weight...

Boy do I miss all my skinny clothes!!!

Is there a Coldwater Creek in your area? Go there and try on their clothes. I like that they fit regular women's figures unlike places like Banana Republic.

How many sizes smaller and are using weight?