Should You Keep—or Toss—Your SKINNY Clothes?

We all have them: the jeans you haven't worn since that "skinny" phase in college. The dresses you haven't been able to zip up in years. In fact, the average woman has 14 items of clothing hanging in her closet that no longer fit, according to a new survey by Slimfast. And more than two-thirds of women say they hold on to them with the hopes that they'll someday be able to wear them again.
 
We're a little conflicted about keeping "skinny" clothes: Is it motivating to see them hanging there, waiting to be worn again—or depressing? We asked our readers to weigh in on Facebook—and dozens of you let us know how you feel about clinging to wardrobes past. Here are some of the highlights:
 
"I totally support holding on to 'skinny' clothes. I recently lost 20 pounds, and going from wearing size large to small was such a reward! I kept looking at them throughout my weight-loss journey, and it really helped remind me of how much my body has changed." –Chelsey Page
 
"I would try [my 'skinny' clothes] on weekly until I could fit back in them…and could give away my really large sizes! It became my incentive to look and feel better about myself." –Michelle Thomas
 
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"I held on to skinny pre-pregnancy clothes for a long time. I finally gave them away…I think it was freeing to get rid of them because it took the pressure off. I had to accept myself before I could change myself!" –Julia Rasmussen Malaga
 
"I'm the opposite: I keep my clothes that are too big for me because I'm scared I will gain my weight back. I've lost 65 pounds and found myself keeping my size 20 jeans just in case! I finally gave them away a few months back." –Paige Buehrle
 
"I don't have 'skinny' clothes in my closet. However, I don't go shopping for new clothes because I want to wait until I lose the weight so I can buy new clothes. This has been going on for years." –Idil Elmi
 
"I'm pregnant and don't fit in any of my clothes, but I've bought clothes [in] my regular size before pregnancy as inspiration to fit into them again after giving birth. No way am I throwing away True Religion jeans." –Si Honey
 
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"A couple years ago, my mom bought me a raincoat from London, and I couldn't get it to close. I hung that baby right by my bedroom door so that I saw it every day. This helped me get up for my runs and make healthy eating choices. Outcome: I was able to button the coat in less than two months." –Stefany Lyn Schaefer
 
"I tried on my pre-pregnancy jeans every week during my months of getting back into shape and losing 50 pounds until I fit into them again! Trying on clothes that used to fit helped me the most—I got to see how far I had come since I started my weight loss and how much further I had to go. It helped cut bad food cravings, too. Every time I wanted something fattening, I tried on those clothes to help keep me motivated and change my mind about eating that bad food!" –Mikal Faucher

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