Survey #260 results
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Which of the following statements describe situations that you’ve experienced during the last year? Please check all that apply. | Please list any other “wardrobe malfunction” you’ve experienced that we didn’t include above. | Complete the following statement: “The biggest problem with managing my wardrobe is that __________.” | What specific categories or types of clothing do you most struggle to manage? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nina |
| Too many clothes that no longer fit | Winter clothes | |
| Kathy |
| My cousins hand me downs ...widfowvhis and hers full plusvsrasomal clothes behind all dresser drawers and front closet... thankfully she's shorter so not over abundance of pants. | All | |
| Cynthia |
| I have too many winter clothes. I moved to Florida from Chicago and still have sweaters and warm clothing that I didn’t even wear much up north. | ||
| Lisa Beth |
| they don't put themselves away or change themselves out for the seasons. | graphic painting/work clothes | |
| Michelle |
| I have downsized my tops and suits, and now have a strict one in one out rule (sometimes more out than in) but have been putting off sorting dresses and shoes. I have been the same dress size for over 30 years, so over the years the collection has grown somehow, without me noticing! | I seem to have kept a lot of occasion wear, but not many day dresses, and also, fashion has become more casual, so styles that were day wear, are now considered too dressy, and are now relegated to occasion wear. | |
| Michelle |
| I have downsized my tops and suits, and now have a strict one in one out rule (sometimes more out than in) but have been putting off sorting dresses and shoes. I have been the same dress size for over 30 years, so over the years the collection has grown somehow, without me noticing! | I seem to have kept a lot of occasion wear, but not many day dresses, and also, fashion has become more casual, so styles that were day wear, are now considered too dressy, and are now relegated to occasion wear. | |
| Elsie |
| I have more than fits in the hanging rods. They are all jammed together getting wrinkled. | Blouses and shirts that are not knits. They are crowded and get wrinkled. | |
| Lorane |
| I have items that are the right colors but the wrong sizes. | I don’t like the .”new” styles that actually resemble the styles from the ‘’60’s when I was n college. | Pants, because my legs are veined and look awful in “crops.” |
| Em |
| Clothing is packed so tightly that it is wrinkled when I want to wear it | I love my clothes, and I love variety! I love beautiful fabrics and love picking out what colors and pieces to put together. I was in the clothing business for years, making custom clothing. I have a lot of d garments that I designed. especially for my body, and some because I enjoy wearing the color or fabric, or get a kick out of the design details.. Clothing for me is a form of self-expression as well as a way to help myself feel good. The consequence of this is too many clothes for the space I have and I save dated or damaged garments in order to cut them apart to be made into new creations. | Shoes! My feet are very difficult to fit. As a result, I have a lot of shoes that almost fit, but have to be alternated with different shoes to avoid hurting my feet as much. It is not uncommon for me to have spare shoes tucked in my bag when I go to all day events. |
| Saskatchewan Jane |
| Too many clothes for my container (closet). All fit. I like them too. The Jean's are on a chair due to the closet being full, which really bothers me. I know better. | Winter clothes for sure! Warm Coats. Wool sweaters. Norwegian wool sweaters, lopi sweaters... oh my goodness. Sweaters and coats for varying temperatures and activities. Winter is extreme in Saskatchewan. Footwear for all seasons and occasions as well. | |
| Dawn |
| SInce losing a lot of weight, I'm in the transition of giving away what no longer fits. At times it takes a friend to say, "Dawn, no!" Thankfully this friend is a seamstress and she's helping to make the ones I really love smaller. One jacket though, would take too much work, so she said, "Wear it a few times and then. get rid of it." It's strange. Before I was sad because I couldn't fit into clothing I liked and now I sometimes get sad when things are too big, either in my closet or on the rack at the store. | I don't have a list of what I own, so I don't know where the gaps are...things I could use or how many combinations of things I could put together. That's what I need to do. | Accessories. It took me awhile to find some belts I had purchased because I never wore them before. Jewelry can get out of hand too. At times I have to pare it down. |
| PJ from Wiltshire |
| The biggest problem is that I just have too many clothes - I use about 10%, 90% of the time. I keep a lot of "just in case" clothes. I work full time from home so nearly always just wear comfortable jersey clothes with a few smart tops for Zoom calls, but my wardrobe still has full work outfits in case I have to go to a conference or meeting. I also have multiple formal dresses, bags, shoes, and coats in case there are parties/balls/other events, and quite a few outfits that are one-offs (the bits in them don't go with anything else). This is the perfect time for this survey as I've really been thinking about downsizing this season! | I mostly struggle with special-occasion clothes as I tend to invest more in them so it's harder to let go - both financially & for how good they make me feel when I wear them. I'm not quite ready to admit that I'm never going to wear that gorgeous green sequin dress ever again, just because I haven't worn it in the last 5 years! | |
| Laura |
| Too many shoes! | My main issue is losing track of my favorite items. Are my shorts in the laundry? Did I leave them at my daughter’s house? Did I donate them last summer? Where are they?!?! | Out-of-season clothes. I know I should store them, but I don’t! They are taking up way too much space in my closet. |
| Jetta |
| When shopping I have trouble finding the style of tops that I want and become discouraged. This leads to me hanging on to tops that are "fine," but not exactly my style just to make sure that I have something to wear. | Tops that are not T-shirts. | |
| Anonymous user |
| I have items that fit me when I am at various weights. I won't accept defeat and keep striving to maintain a lower weight for months so that I can finally get rid of the clothes cut to conceal a bigger stomach. | I can easily layer items in the winter but have more difficulty with my warm weather (closer to the body fitting) clothes. Some I frankly can't wear outside the house. | |
| Janice |
| I have so much and a lot of it is a size to small. I hope to fit back into it and have lost a few pounds recently. | Winter clothes and coats | |
| Anonymous user |
| I own clothing items that require something else, such as special undergarments, that I don't currently own. | Years ago, I decluttered my wardrobe so that I love and use everything hanging in it, however,I find myself wearing the same 30 or so items over and over again. | Semi-dressy items in light colors. I am afraid I will spill something on them and stain them. |
| Margaret |
| I work remotely but need to maintain an ofifce wardrobe as I may have to start going to the office regularly. I gained a lot of weight since I started working remottley, and cannot afford a new wardrob in my bigger size. I"m desperate to lose weight but it's so easy to pack on pounds as I work in the kitchen (no other area) and I am a stress eater.Also have binges when I'm under prolonged chronic stressful deadlines. | I am desperate for more pants but don't dare buy any until I lose weight. | Pants because of all the weight I've gained working remotely. |
| Mary |
| I have work clothes even though I’m retired. However, I’m hard to fit and know I have something a bit dressier to wear if needed. Most clothes that are donated are usually dumped. | Special occasion should I let it go? Some are sentimental like a wedding dress or worn at my children’s weddings. Many stores are closed now and make finding something even harder. | |
| Peggy |
| I like all my clothes and they all fit but I don't often get to use them because I wear a sort of uniform at work. I also don't "need" to buy any clothes but am frequently tempted to. | winter clothes are tougher because they take up more space and I need to wear layers when it's cold | |
| Deb |
| My main closet contains too many things besides clothing. I have reduced and organised clothing but it's other things in my wardrobe that are the problem - sewing machine, pantry overflow and random crafts take up more than half my bedroom storage. | Shoes. I don't have many shoes but they don't fit in the available space. | |
| Anonymous user |
| I own items that don't match my current life. Ex. a handful of suit jackets. In terms of mementoes, it's mainly t-shirts that I've collected in the past (I've stopped doing that). | * It's so hard to find clothes that fit, not easy to give up ones that almost fit or don't quite fit current life Because I'm overweight and my weight is mainly in my hips, it's excruciating to shop for clothes for the bottom part of my body. (When I travel, "pants that fit" are in carry-on luggage). I often buy clothes because they are what I can find that fit, not because they "bring me joy" etc. So I'm hesitant to get rid of clothing that's a bit too small or not quite matching my current life, because I have no confidence I'll be able to replace them. Also most of them would fit with only a modest weight loss ex. 15 lbs or less (I have donated the smaller sizes), so it doesn't seem unreasonable to keep them. I wish I could either lose the weight or just accept that it's not going to happen. But easier said than done. | No specific areas |
| Linda |
| Hard to let go of my collection of 20+ vests even though I only wore a few last year. | I keep too many duplicates of pants, vests and blouses | Winter clothes, a large vest collection, multiple black pants for every occasion |
| Anonymous user |
| I like to shop. | Shoes Coats Black pants | |
| Noreen |
| I have a hard time getting rid of items that I rarely wear. Makes me feel like I wasted money when I bought them. | Summer tee shirts | |
| Anja |
| I have a few clothing items too many but I don't struggle too much with that. | I have a lot and this means work. So not a BIG problem. Actually I keep more than I would really need because I budget and I know that some clothes will fray so I don't get rid of stuff I like and wear even if that is not as often. I have a highly curated wardrobe with special colours and designs I will always wear. I am not concerned about fashion but about what feels good to me. Sadly my favourite German retailer closed two years ago which had the greatest clothes and colours and fits. Maybe that's my biggest issue: Not knowing where to find my colours and designs anymore. So I am very glad I still have a lot of these clothes and will keep them till they fall apart. | Scarves, underwear, T-shirts |
| Anonymous user |
| Having fabrics or old clothes to use for fabrics for making new things. I like sewing, but I only make like 2 or 3 things a year. | I gained a bit of weight post pandemic and I cannot get if off. But I don't want to give up, giving away the clothes I used to love. I have things that belonged to my granma and great aunt (hand made or knitted, amazing quality). Most of it I'l never wear, but I can't give it away without asking my mom about it. And I don't want to add to her clothes clutter because she has a harder time than me getting rid of things. She will never let go of anything my grandma made. | Handmade. Things that are not in good enough condition to donate, but not bad enough to use for rags or throw away. |
| Jacqueline | I have a good size collection of sweaters that are on hangers in my closet, but I was never wearing them. I like them, and they fit well. I realized the problem was the hangers were stretching out the shoulders, so when I put on a sweater, there was a weird lump on the shoulders. I washed all my sweaters to reset them, and googled a new way to hang them up. https://shannonaprilstyling.com/the-best-way-to-hang-a-sweater/ | I solved my floordrobe. It was made up of pajamas and work clothes (I wear a uniform). I used to change clothes standing by my bed and my dirty uniform clothes would end up in a pile of the floor. Now I change in the bathroom. There is a hook on the back of the door that wasn’t being used for anything. Now my pajamas hang there when I’m not wearing them, and work pants that can be reworn hang there when I’m wearing my pajamas. As a bonus, I am no longer putting on a show for the neighbors by changing in front of the window covered only with sheer curtains. | ||
| MaryAnn |
| I love clothes and shoes, but have teeny closets in my new apartment., so my fabulous selection needs curating, and that's hard to do since I love almost everything in there! I also have gained some weight, unusually, so until I get those pounds off, I'm only wearing a fraction of them. | I have clothes for every occasion, and tons of great shoes and accessories, but my problem is just having too much for the available closet space. And if I box up things, and they're not visible, I'm unlikely to select them to wear. | hanging clothes, spring/summer/fall (because Houston) |
| Lela |
| I gained 30 pounds three years ago after some sad family problems, refused to buy bigger clothes after gaining the weight, and have little to wear because have only lost 10 of the pounds. I’m slowly getting there though! | None. I have ruthlessly cluttered my clothes multiple times. 20 years ago, you could barely stick your hand in between the hangers because my closet was packed so tightly full of clothes. | |
| Susan |
| Alterations …many items would work if I batch and follow thru on meeting with alteration seamstress .. setting a date and donate if I’ve not gone to seamstress. | ||
| Gabriella |
| My weight tends to fluctuate by about 10 pounds and as a result I always have a few items that are either too big or too small. I own a few items that I like very much but get a chance to wear only on special occasions. I live in two homes in different countries and continents. I've got a basic stock of clothes in each home. Nevertheless I commute taking a number of clothing items taking a number of items back and forth with me each year. I'd like to reduce the items I tend to travel with but absolutely do not want to add dupliactes to my wardrobe. | About 50 pairs of black socks that are not all the same :o) | |
| Anonymous user |
| I don’t like shopping | ||
| Lisa |
| ...many items don't go together. | Too many jackets - because they fit. | |
| Celina |
| I store some clothes as my mum's despite having enoughh furniture (2 chests of drawers and one wardrobe closet) at home. | I want to lose weight (actively working towards it but now i do it slowly to avoid the yo-yo effect), so I have the clothes that don't fit me. So I wear nice but larger clothes now, but need to keep the ones that once day I want to wear. Their style is also different - I want to be more sl*ttyish femme fatale, but for now I don't have the looks. I know some say 'dress for the style you want not for the style you look', but I don't want to look tacky/cheap and my current physique with my target style would look like that precisely (I mean, when I get rid of curves the hyperfeminine style won't be so hyperfeminine anymore - it'l be cute not s*xy and I don't want to just be s*exy, I want to look cute). | the 'good enough to wear again not good enough to put back in the closet' type. omg... |
| Ann |
| I have trouble fitting my clothes into my closet and my chests of drawers. (The container concept strikes again!) | ...I won't want to wear an items of clothing for months or years, and then it will become my new favorite thing and I wear it constantly. I know it's bonkers, but I don't like throwing any well-used clothing, especially under-garments. It feels wrong to just throw it in the trash, and I honestly don't use rags, plus already have a lot. | Not sure. I do hate going from winter to summer and back again, and put it off. |
| Rebecca |
| Own professional dress I no longer want | Still have work clothes even tho I have retired. (Scrubs). I have some clothing that fits, but dont like the colors and style (too dark). | I do not want to spend the amount of money it would cost to update my wardrobe at my age. It is also Hard to fit my body-style and weight. I struggle on getting rid of clothes that fit and buying more up to date clothing. I have 40 year old classic purses- and can not bring myself to get rid of them. |
| Lori |
| Too many “dreamy or status” clothing based on my previous corporate life. | there were too many choices. | Winter collection of coats because they were a deal. That will be my last sell off on eBay, Poshmark, or Thredup in September. |
| Nina |
| I have about 8 or 10 dresses that I bought online or in stores that I have yet to wear. | Most of my clothes are geared to winter and I don't have a lot of lightweight summer things (except for some of those sun dresses I have yet to wear). I'm working part time and teaching but semi-retired. I also have jackets that I have not worn, having purchased the thinking they would look nice for business purposes. Ugh!!! | Winter clothes for sure! |
| Lynn |
| In Albuquerque, I have to have clothes for a wide range of excessive temperatures, and high winds. | Winter clothing. I use many of my summer tank tops as insulating layers under Autumn clothes to limit the need for so many winter sweaters. Other than my one wool winter coat, I refuse to have any clothes that require dry cleaning or ironing. | |
| Susan |
| All of the above | Things that are not in my current size | |
| Brenda |
| My weight can fluctuate Yes I do have three sizes of most clothing items | Summer clothes/everyday t-shirts | |
| Yvonne |
| Organizing my clothing so I can easily put outfits together has been a bit of a challenge because I own more clothing than my closet can accommodate. | My biggest problem is the size of my closet for the number of clothing items that I have. I love clothes and I take good care of them but I live in an old house with small closets so organizing the space to accommodate the pieces is challenging . It’s hard to see everything I own all at once. | Dresses, because they are long and take up more room. |
| Kit | I own clothing that I'm waiting to replace for small reasons - no pockets, fabric slightly too easily wrinkled, just not feeling the fabric pattern anymore. | I have too many summer and winter clothes to fit them all in with the temperate-weather clothes at the same time. I still need to rotate them in and out twice a year. | Winter-only and summer-only | |
| Kathy |
| I have a small selection of clothes but not many fit my current lifestyle and many don’t fit or are old. I’m hesitant to part with these items because I have nothing to replace them with. Yet, I don’t have much to wear. All seems so silly. | Clothes that may fit but don’t fit now. They have a strong potential to fit in the future, therefore I don’t want to get rid of them. | |
| Danetta |
| Nothing matches anything else in my closet. When I shop I’m lucky if I can find one or two things to buy, and they don’t go together or match anything else in my closet. | Nothing matches anything else. I have 10 blouses that don’t match any of my 6 skirts and 5 pants—and no sweater or jacket matches anything else. I have about 100 items in my closet including jackets, shorts, swim suits, evening wear, tees, and everything. | All of them because I can never buy one matching outfit and the individual pieces don’t go with anything else. |
| Anonymous user |
| An avalanche of sweaters toppling down on my head when I wanted to get only one! | ||
| DS |
| .... I'm on medication that makes me gain weight and need a bare minimum wardrobe in two sizes. | specisa occasion clothes: It's hard to get dressy clothes for a senior without a LOT of shopping. Until I stabilize my weight, I can't justify spending tons of time and money on seldom worn items. | |
| Jessie |
| I purge my clothes a couple of times a year, but still have sentimental attachments to items I can't wear. | ||
| Anonymous user |
| I keep thinking I’ll lose weight | Every day | |
| Allison | N/A -- My clothing is under control and it all gets worn regularly | N/A | N/A | |
| Caron |
| I have many items that need mending but I never prioritize doing the mending. If I love an item that needs mending it's hard to give it up but when an item I don't care for needs mending it's easy to get rid of it. | I have lots of clothes I really like but not many occasions to wear them since I work from home. | clothes that need hand washing and/or ironing. I've been paying more attention to the care needs of items when shopping |
| C |
| I am keeping clothes (classic style) that don't fit me so well anymore with the hope that some day I can fit in to them again. Am keeping the classic style things knowing they won't go out of style. It's not so much, so I don't feel so guilty. | I have a bit of a struggle with the "in between" seasons clothing. At it is a bit silly to put things away for only 2 months in Spring and /or Autumn. | |
| Anonymous user |
| Items that needed repaired (sewn) | I like the items of clothing, but not all fit like I want it to, since I've gained some weight. | summer tops, jackets - zip up, lightweight, heavier weight, fleece, etc |
| Evelin |
| As a child I had to wear whatever other people gave away and never had clothes suitable for my age. Then as a young adult I turned into a fashionista. Now I've gained weight and lost interest in fashion. My relationship with clothes is quite complicated. | everything! | |
| Anita |
| Fantasy clothes/ dance wear and costumes for events | My wardrobe is actually ok. It’s more my wash basket and floor that are the problem. As I’ve said in the past ironing is something I dislike. Most of my clothes are ok but my husband wears a lot of shirts and T-shirts (he does sometimes iron😆) but ironing builds up fast. | Summer wear |
| Millie | I own pieces that I wear regularly but need to be replaced because they're looking worn | The biggest problem with managing my wardrobe is that my body shape is changing as I age and the styles of clothing I favored in the past (some of which are still in my closet that I wear regularly) don't fit the way they did before. I don't know what is appropriate for a person of my age to wear. I'm 67 years old and am still wearing blue jeans. They fit okay cause I'm slim, but am I going to be wearing jeans in 10 years? (I'm sure not going to wear polyester, elastic pants like my grandmother and mother did.) I need to find a middle ground where I look nice, not frumpy or like an aging hippy. | I don't struggle because a few years back I divided my clothes into fall/winter and spring/summer. I hang most all my clothes and I switch out the closet twice a year. It has helped tremendously because every time I put out the new season of clothing it seems like completely new stuff to me because it's been hidden away in a drawer for the past six months. I take that time to add in new pieces for the current season and dispose of items from the old season that's being put away (clothes that are stained or looking worn or that I've decided I no longer like). | |
| Leslie |
| Items are old and worn or don't fit well and don't like clothes shopping and not a lot of money to spend and difficulty finding clothing I like. | Tops and special occasion or funeral | |
| Brenda B. |
| I have spent a lot of time organizing my clothes and my closet. I now have shelves that are empty but not looking to fill them! What a concept! | Clothes given to me by others. | |
| Anonymous user |
| I love clothes so I have too much. | fall and winter clothing. | |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Which of the following statements describe situations that you’ve experienced during the last year? Please check all that apply. | Please list any other “wardrobe malfunction” you’ve experienced that we didn’t include above. | Complete the following statement: “The biggest problem with managing my wardrobe is that __________.” | What specific categories or types of clothing do you most struggle to manage? |





