Thank you so much everyone for your insightful comments! I've loved reading all of them! I agree there's really no magic number, but I was just wondering if there was a consensus on what a reasonable number is. I'll try to answer all of your questions and elaborate below.
First of all, yes, that is my closet! We were lucky that it already had great Elfa shelves when we moved in. We also enlarged the closet (it had an unfinished space behind it) several years ago so now there's a small narrow library/office behind the closet. DH has his clothes on the other side of the closet. I've done a lot of work to clean up and purge stuff so that pic from December is just after a major purge and reorganization.
I am very happy when I walk into my closet now because everything is organized by clothing type and by color within each category and I can see everything. I would go in and sit on the ottoman and just stare at my clothes sometimes to relax (the rainbow of jackets is quite soothing to look at). Unfortunately one of the cats got trapped in the closet one day and peed on the ottoman so now I need to replace it (the ottoman, not the cat) so I can have something to sit on.
I just realized going back over the inventory posted in the link above that I was counting accessories (belts, scarves, earrings, necklaces, tights, shoes, handbags, etc) in that total. So in reality I probably have more like 180 actual pieces of clothing not including shoes/purses/accessories (or PJs/underwear/loungewear which are in my dresser drawer). And I don't separate out work wear and casual wear since my true casual wardrobe is kind of thin (most of my MOTG stuff is dressed-down workwear with jeans or denim jacket). We don't have any major season changes here in the Bay Area so I don't separate out by season either. So basically what I have available is all out on the racks (as they like to say in the stores).
As for having too many items, yes I agree 30 pieces of outerwear sounds like a lot especially since it doesn't snow here. But actually I'm counting everything from jackets to blazers/suit tops to coats (including raincoats and snow parkas that wouldn't really be part of my "outfits"). Also I like to have duplicates of things in different colors (leather jackets in black and cognac, denim jackets in white and blue, wool peacoats in navy and rust orange) so that I can plan similar outfits but match the right colors.
For example, here is the full breakdown of my outerwear:
15 jackets--2 suit jackets (grey and black), 2 leather jackets (black and cognac), 3 denim jackets (cropped white, cropped light blue, hip length dark blue), 4 blazers (hip length raspberry, cropped mustard and green, ink blue jacket), 1 red fleece jacket, 1 ski parka, 1 windbreaker, 1 faux shearling vest, and 1 cropped trench
13 coats--3 trench coats (red, black and beige), 4 wool long coats (old black, old herringbone, purple tweed, rust orange), 2 wool short peacoats (navy and rust orange), 1 faux shearling parka (olive), 2 puffers (cream and brown), and 1 red raincoat
Within these there are definitely the workhorses like my ink blue jacket and two leather jackets that I wear all year round, and some gear that I hardly ever wear (ski parka, windbreaker, raincoat) but are good to keep for the couple times a year or so that I need them. Then there's stuff like the faux shearling vest that I bought last fall that I'm keeping for now to see if I'll still pull it out next fall--if not maybe that will be the first to go. Or the short black and white trench that is so wrinkly, but DH likes and picked it out for me--I'd hate to get rid of that one. The shearling parka and puffers maybe I don't really *need* in our climate, but I get cold easily so I love having something warm to quickly throw on over my dresses in the winter since I don't typically layer much with scarves and sweaters. Most of these non-gear pieces have been worn at least 2-4 times a month in the fall and winter for the heavier coats and year round for the jackets/blazers. So they're getting used.
So it's difficult to pare down because when I look at the overall number, I think OMG 30 jackets and coats--that is just too many! But when I actually analyze what should get cut, I have a harder and harder time since what's left is mostly new in the last year post YLF and also because I keep relatively few things that I buy (I try on a lot or buy a lot online but return most of it unless it is really truly fab) so I have relatively few "mistakes" left in my closet unless they were eBay purchases or non-returnable (which I try not to do anymore). And of those outerwear pieces, there are only a few in each category so it's easy to justify keeping it all.
I think part of the problem is I'm usually rushed in the morning and just winging it. I need to spend more time planning outfits the night before so I'm not so rushed in the morning. Planning a skirt or pants outfit takes time, especially since I'm usually layering with a jacket since I get cold easily. And you have to make sure the top and bottom and shoes and jacket all go together. So when I'm late in the morning my usual temptation is to just throw on a dress because that's quicker.
Also, I hate doing laundry and only do it once a week or so. I dry clean most of my work wear but only when they need it. I will rewear items multiple times unless they get smelly or dirty. I also tend to keep and like items for a long time (most items in my previous wardrobe were 5-15 years old) so I'm wondering if that will remain the same with my new wardrobe...if something's in good condition, fits and I still like it, I'm not necessarily going to get rid of it just because it's from last season or a few years old. So all of those factors contribute to my difficulty with purging and large wardrobe.
Also there are a few irrational pieces in my wardrobe, like the pretty black and red cherry print swing dress that I bought off eBay for a possible costume--so impractical for daily use I've never worn it. I brought it to the consignment store, but then had second thoughts and went back a couple days later (it was displayed in the front window!) to rescue it. I'm still planning to wear it someday with a red cardigan if I can find the right occasion. That's one example of why it's so hard for me to pare down!
Another issue that contributes is that I am happiest wearing statement pieces and bright colors and patterns, so not all my wardrobe is mix and match like it would be if it was all neutrals and solids...that's why I have to have three different colors of pencil skirts or three different colors of Converse so I can make an outfit that works color-wise.
Also I really love being prepared for any occasion and having all wardrobe holes filled which is one of the main reasons I like to have a large wardrobe. I really love the stuff I have, a lot! The main problem with a large wardrobe in my mind is not being able to use everything I love because there's only so many days in a week/month and only so many outfits you can wear. Like I have some cobalt and orange skinny jeans that I have barely worn, that probably should go, but I can still imagine outfits that I could wear with them if I just got around to them (I typically don't reach for them because DH hates bright colored pants).
I'm not stressed out by the size of my closet (which I admit is also large) or my budget (since we can afford it and aren't going into debt, all our other expenses are getting paid). I think what I need to do to eliminate any stress or guilt over having too many clothes is to have some more pre-planned FFBO's, and also to stop myself from accumulating because once it passes K/R and is in my closet, it's harder to purge it since I feel like it's really fab so why would I get rid of it. If I don't know about it, I won't want it! That way I'll have room to accumulate more pieces season by season and continually refresh my wardrobe without worrying about running out of space. Rae is right, if my wardrobe was super small and streamlined and all neutrals and solids, I would be totally bored and hate getting dressed! As much as it sounds great, I don't think I'm meant to have a minimal wardrobe.
Thanks for listening to my rambling, I think this is really helpful for me to analyze myself and my closet because you've helped me uncover my issues and motivations and come up with a plan. For now I've decided that even though it seems large, I think my wardrobe is nearly the right size for me...if I stick to one-in one-out from now on, plus maybe a little bit more purging, it will be perfect! Thanks again for helping me figure things out!
