My Pants No Longer Fit. Should I Get Rid of Them or Keep Them in Case? (2024)

FAQs

Should you get rid of clothes that no longer fit? ›

It may be liberating, like shedding an old skin. At the very least, it will give you more closet space. And there are other upsides. If you love a garment, but it no longer works for you, consider donating it so it can enjoy a second life with someone else.

I would say for most people, don't get rid of them. It is likely that you will put the weight back on. You don't want to keep spending money replacing clothes every time you go up and down in weight. You might actually have to buy bigger clothing as people put back on more weight than they lost.

Stay within one size of what you are wearing right now, today, and get rid of the rest. If you are currently on a weight-loss journey, undergoing medical treatment, or if you just had a baby then keep some of the smaller-sized items, up to three sizes away, only.

Exchange clothing if possible for ones that fit better. You can do this at thrift shops, among friends, or online. Once again, you can get a new style without having to fork out too much money. No outfit is complete without accessories.

Anything that is NOT comfortable.

The first thing you want to get rid of in your closet is anything that's uncomfortable. It's itchy, the fabric doesn't feel good, the knit bothers your neck, and you don't reach for it because it gives you a skin rash every time you wear it.

If you're holding on to clothing that doesn't fit you, ask yourself how likely it is that you'll be able to wear them again. If pieces are off by just a size or two and you tend to fluctuate in weight, it might be a good idea to keep them (but not in your main closet!).

To “drop a dress size” means losing anywhere from 3 to 10 pounds, depending on who's defining it. While it's possible to drop anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds healthfully in a week, dropping 10 pounds is not only improbable, it's also unhealthy, and can even backfire to make you gain weight.

How much weight do i need to lose to drop pants size? On average, every 10 lbs of weight a person loses will equate to 1 pant size smaller. So, for example, if someone lost 25 pounds, they would likely drop 2 and a half sizes in pants.

And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.

How many clothes does the average person throw away? ›

And what do we do with the stuff we don't wear? We throw it away: in the US alone, 85% of textiles thrown away are dumped into landfills or burned. The average American is said to throw away about 37kg/81 pounds of clothes every year.

Own the clothes that allow you to dress for the live you have, not the life you had. You'll discover, not only more space in your closet, but you'll experience less decision fatigue, and cognitive dissonance when you don't have to choose from items that don't make sense in your life anymore.

Reach for tops that have the most flattering necklines, or go for brightly colored blazers to show off your arms. If you want to keep the attention on your lower half, focus on highlighting your waist, hips and legs. Reach for skirts, dresses and figure-flattering jeans to dress your figure.

In some cases, you may find that rather than shrinking, your shirt actually became looser around the chest, midsection and around the biceps. This is a result of a shirt being stretched out. We've seen this phenomenon occur when certain, aggressive cleaners clean shirts made from fabrics with a looser weave.

You Can Declutter Your Closet

Donating clothes you don't wear anymore will make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, saving you time and unnecessary stress. Also, decluttering is very calming. Research even draws a connection between having less stuff and increased happiness!

If you're holding on to clothing that doesn't fit you, ask yourself how likely it is that you'll be able to wear them again. If pieces are off by just a size or two and you tend to fluctuate in weight, it might be a good idea to keep them (but not in your main closet!).