I’ve got shirts from high school that are years old and I never wear, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to toss them. Is it a sentimental thing, or is there some psychological reason behind it?
I’ve got shirts from high school that are years old and I never wear, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to toss them. Is it a sentimental thing, or is there some psychological reason behind it?
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“we”? I throw away anything I haven’t used or worn in a few years. I hate clutter.
I agree with you, it’s like cuddly toys, it’s comforting, it reminds us of a period where a story of our life and it’s economical 🤣
Totally normal! We hang onto old clothes because they’re tied to memories, identity, or a sense of comfort. Even if we don’t wear them, they can feel like little time capsules. Sometimes it’s also guilt—like we might wear it again or feel wasteful throwing it out. It’s all emotional, not just practical!
I progressivley downgrade clothes from business to casual, then from causal to rough (gardening etc). After rough, cut up for rags.
It’s not just a shirt, it’s “that shirt from senior year” or “the one I wore on that trip.” Psychologically, we attach identity, comfort, and nostalgia to stuff we’ve had for a long time. Letting go can feel like letting go of a piece of ourselves
Yes, it’s part nostalgia, and part “what if I need this someday”
I am trying to go minimalist, and getting rid of those kinds of things. The trinkets and whatnots I’ve accumulated over the years no longer “spark joy”. They clutter up my space, making me have to keep them dusted and not broken by cocaine cats.
Because what if my old shirt from high school becomes vintage or trendy?
I love getting rid of things.
But I don’t like throwing them away. If I can hand them down, donate or repurpose it’s easy and enjoyable. Dumping it feels like being wasteful.
My stupid mindset is “They’re mine and I paid for them and what if I change my mind” and I would rather they took up a small space in my house than in a huge pile of discarded garments in another country
I think it depends, is it sentimental to you? Did you value your high school days or memories getting some shirts?
I have a general rule of thumb, every year on New Years week i do not-spring cleaning. I tear through my house, storage, closets, kitchen everything and if there is something I have not used / worn / remembered / or looked at in the entire course of the year before, I donate or toss it. Its not even living minimalistically, it’s just realizing that if something mattered to me I probably would have utilized it in some way over the course of 365 days.
Note to add that things like Tax documents, baby book etc dont count. I DO have a foot locker for sentimental objects but its no bigger than a desk drawer.
I still have clothes I’ve worn for over a decade. If you take care of quality clothing it should last a long time
Am I weird? I still wear some shirts i got from high-school…
It’s a mix of things.
Maybe it’s sentimental and I can’t bear to lose it. Maybe it’s that teeny tiny hope I’ll be able to fit into this clothing article again someday. Maybe it’s the part of me that was raised to wear something as many times as possible, not to throw it until the clothing is basically fallen apart, or I’ll feel terrible guilt for being wasteful. Or maybe I’m on the fence whether or not to keep it so I put it away to decide later, which inevitably keeps being pushed further back cause I forget about making that decision.
Mostly, some kind of surety that I could need it one day. Hardly ever happens, but it happens.
Bc there are memories attached. Often the memories of hope.
Because we think we’ll fit in them again, one day.