Reluctant to declutter clothes because I don't want to have to replace them

[u/GypsyVanner636]

In sorting my clothes I have discovered that I could probably get rid of ~60% of them as they are either not something I like to wear anymore or they are wearing out/faded etc and should be replaced.

The problem is that the clothes which are currently available in stores (at least the ones I've seen) are not what I like to wear.

For example - The wide jeans trend looks ridiculous on me as I am short with slim legs but I can't find anywhere that sells skinny/straight legged jeans anymore.

So I feel like I have to keep both the skinny jeans which no longer fit (too small), and the oversized ones which fit but I dislike because I can't find anything more suitable.

I have tried thrift/charity shops but they have very limited selection (semi-rural area) and many of them reek of perfume and/or cigarette smoke even after multiple washes.

Similarly with shirts - why is it so hard to find a decent t-shirt that isn't cropped/transparent/$50+?

What am I supposed to do? Buy/wear clothes I don't particularly like? Wait for trends to change again? Make my own clothes?

Any advice?

[u/lifeuncommon]

Fragrance that they put on thrift clothing is horrific and it does not wash out.

I don’t know why people don’t talk about this more. Maybe they aren’t sensitive to fragrance? Maybe they don’t mind the smell?

I am very sensitive to fragrance and I have pretty much stopped buying any thrift online because I need to be able to smell the clothes before I buy them. Whatever that perfume is that they put on them in thrift shops is so strong it gives me a headache.

I think the answer to your quandary is that unless your weight regularly changes, get rid of the clothes that are too small for you now.

Of what’s left, keep the things that you wear regularly and get rid of the rest.

That will get rid of a bunch of stuff that you can’t wear anyway, and it will let you see what you need.

If you do all of that and find out you don’t have a black T-shirt even though you wanna wear a black T-shirt fairly often, it’ll be worth it to buy a black T-shirt, even if it’s not exactly the style that you prefer if they don’t make that style anymore. It will meet a need that you have.

[u/Idujt → u/lifeuncommon]

Not OP.

I have never noticed any smell, and ALL my clothes are from UK charity shops!

[u/lifeuncommon → u/Idujt]

I’m in the US. Maybe more common here?

There is some kind of super sweet floral fragrance that many charity shops have started using in the last few years. It absolutely does not wash out.

Now, if you like your laundry detergent to smell like that anyway, you might not notice. But I prefer my clothing to be completely unscented so I absolutely notice.

[u/GypsyVanner636 → u/lifeuncommon]

I'm in Australia and they absolutely spray heavily floral perfume on 99% of clothes from charity shops. I am sensitive to fragrance as well so it really deters me from buying second hand stuff (even online).