Some items of clothing are hard to get rid of because they remind you of a certain era in your life. Sometimes you think you might be able to wear them again. (Here’s looking at you, pre-baby jeans.) But more often than not, it’s simply annoying and time-consuming to go through your clothes.
To help speed up the closet-cleaning process the next time you find yourself with an overwhelming wardrobe, we brought in an expert to lend some clothes-culling advice.
Finley Peterson x’25 is copresident of Re-Wear It Wisconsin, a student organization at the UW that aims to reduce clothing waste and promote sustainability in the fashion industry. The group hosts mending workshops and biweekly campus clothing swaps, often drawing about 100 visitors interested in trading their unwanted clothes for new-to-them pieces.
Below, Peterson offers some questions to ask to help maintain your wardrobe sustainably, giving you more space — and potentially, allowing someone else to get more wear out of your decommissioned pieces.
Does it fit?
“If something doesn’t fit properly, get rid of it,” Peterson says. “I’m so tired of these aspirational things — I’ve bought stuff thinking ‘Oh, maybe this will fit me right one day,’ and it just never will. Get rid of things that don’t fit, whether that be size-wise or if there’s just something weird about it that makes it uncomfortable to wear.”
Does it feel good?
“Pay attention to how you feel in your clothes.” Along with fit, consider whether the color is flattering on you, or if the fabric is wearable. “Question if this [piece] brings you joy. We should all feel comfortable and confident in our clothes.”
And don’t let trends sway you. Peterson encourages people not to get rid of something just because it’s currently out of style, citing skinny jeans as an example. “If you like them, then you should still be able to wear them.”
Does it work?
“If you can’t make an outfit with it, then what’s the point of owning it?” Even if you love an article of clothing, Peterson warns against keeping things that will encourage more purchases just to make a single outfit.
Do you wear it?
For Peterson, if she hasn’t worn something in a year, it’s time to pass the piece on to someone else. And she has a trick for tracking how often you wear particular items. “After you clean out your closet, turn all the hangers the opposite direction,” she explains. “Then once you actually wear it that year, flip it around to the other side. If you have any hangers left turning the wrong way the next year, that’ll be a sign that it’s time to part with it.”
Can you fix it?
If your mending skills are only sew-sew, check out the Re-Wear It website for tutorials and tips, or look for local workshops through your public library. Even if you don’t mean to keep an item, it may still be worth fixing if you have the time and ability. “If you have something that needs to be mended and you’re not willing to do it, if you donate it like that, it might just get thrown away,” Peterson says.
