Sentimental clothes are the hardest category because the decision is not really about the garment.
Separate the memory from the object
The memory is not stored in the fabric. Photographing an item preserves what you actually want to keep.
Keep a defined amount, not a defined rule
One box. When it is full, something has to leave for something to enter. That constraint is kinder than a case-by-case judgement.
Store them with keepsakes, not in the wardrobe
A wardrobe is for clothes you wear. Sentimental items in it make every morning slightly harder.
A workable approach
A workable approach
- Photograph anything you want to remember but will not wear
- Keep one box, and let its size be the rule
- Store it with other keepsakes, not among your clothes
- Consider altering a piece into something usable
- Ask whether you are keeping it for you or for someone else
- Revisit once a year, not more