Not all clothes are kept as clothes, some are kept as souvenirs

My Death to the Pixies T-shirt my ex handed down to me some twelve years ago is still kicking around in a drawer somewhere, along with at least three other T-shirts that are utterly unwearable.

I think nesting is sometimes also about brightening the nest, not just augmenting it; the clutter often gets you down so your instinct to reduce it is understandable in the circumstances. You're feathering it, all right; but using feathers of purest space.