You just spent the day binge-watching 13 episodes of a Netflix show, taking the occasional bathroom break or two, eating sparingly to make sure you consume as much of your new amazing addiction as possible. During this glorious time, you notice a hole in your shirt. “How did that get there?” You think to yourself that this shirt isn’t that old and you weren’t doing any heavy-lifting during the day so it’s odd that there’s a tear. Well I hate to break it to you, but that’s what happens to really old clothes.

It’s not just your shirt. There’s probably a lot more old garments in your closet than you might think. When’s the last time you’ve done an audit of your entire wardrobe? If you’re like me, then the answer may have been three years ago after your girlfriend told you that your jeans that were once dark blue have faded to the point of becoming grey from overwashing.

Let’s face it, if you don’t regularly and consciously check your closet for old clothes then they will begin to accumulate over time. Here are some simple signs to look for when trying to see if your clothes are too old.

How do you feel about the clothes in your closet?

When’s the last time you wore that pair of light green khakis? It’s been over a year, it’s probably time to get rid of it. Did you get that plaid lumberjack shirt when long beards were trending? If you’ve outgrown that hairstyle, it’s highly likely that you’ve also outgrown out that shirt. Taking the time to consider what clothes you bought because they fit a timeless look versus something that used to fit a trend at the time is one easy way to see if the clothes in your closet need to end up in your recycling bin.

You may also have more than one item of clothing that’s the same color. That means it’s possibly time to start eliminating some of those items. Lastly, whenever you buy something new that excites you it may also be a potential replacement for something old you no longer even see.

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