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How many tops do you own?

shiny

Veteran

I am curious because doing an audit recently I think I am set on bottoms but low on tops. Tops seem to be more difficult for me lately, since I've gained weight, and as an IT/apple/very petite at 5'0 tall, it's difficult to find tops that fit me just so. I.e., if it fits width wise, it may be too long, and vice versa.

Tops can be anything but I am most interested in tops that work for work, not just casual. I.e., could be a knit but needs to have some interest, not a plain tee.

I'm especially interested in hearing from the minimalists on this one.

Please do not include toppers -- just tops. Blouses, sweaters, long sleeve vs short sleeve vs sleeveless... please do detail your inventory out for me. Get a specific as you want: x number of solids vs x number of prints, etc.

Inquiring minds want to know!!

For any Vivienne Filers, does she ever say on her blog what is a good ratio to strive for? I've been reading her blog backwards, but find it very frustrating because there's no index that says "start here." I love the idea of it all but I am still clueless as to how to apply it.

Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from minimalist

bj1111

Veteran

Way more than i actually wear. This is one area that desperately needs work.

Focusing on work appropriate tops...

Of the sleeved, all long sleeve, except 2 short sleeves which are in the donate pile. 9 button down (wear only 2 bb no irons), 2 silk collared shirts (wear 1--really this is the only shirt i love). 5collarless silk shirts (wear 2).

One sleeveless-ish is work appropriate ...i used to wear a lot. May need to put into rotation again.

Mostly i wear knits and a sweater or a jacket. Summer is horrid. I resort to barely disguised summer dresses best suited to the boardwalk.

shiny

Veteran

BJ, you have way more than I do. Why don't you wear the ones you have?

Okay I probably have that much too... but most of the ones I don't wear just don't fit. Then there are the ones that fit okay -- but not when paired with pants or skirts.

I love the idea of Vivienne Files and similar in theory-- but in practice a shirt or top tends to work only with some bottoms, not all of them. This frustrates the heck out of me. Either I am missing some basic principle entirely, or my body is just totally goofy??

Anonymous

I have way more than I wear, and I usually stick to my same handful of Tees (which I am trying to move away from). I have always heard a 2 or 3 shirts to 1 bottom ratio is good to strive for and its what I am working on.

Elly

Veteran

Summer---
1 button down (will toss once I have a replacement)
2 heavy-weight chiffon blouses (1 with buttons which is brand new, 1 silky tee style)
1 drapey knit top (will demote to casual wear if I can find a suitable replacement next year-- is a great top for weekend hot weather wear)
1 slim knit top
all worn weekly except for:
1 empire waist sleeveless top (0 wears this year because of dress code change)

Winter ---
draped mock neck
2 draped v and scoop necks (both 5 years old-- absolute last season for them, might demote before spring)
3 french cuff button downs (1 worn 1-2x a season, 1 worn2-3x a season, and 1 work=n maybe 5 x a season --- which is pretty low for me)

All the rest of my tops are tees and tanks that are worn casually or layered with toppers--- which works great in the winter since my office is very very cold. I need to beef up summer stand-alone tops next year and add another winter blouse and add several sweaters and and a couple casual stand-alone tops. I'm still in a building stage, for sure.

That said, I currently have 3 pairs of jeans I wear to work and 2 pair of slacks and 2 skirts but I don't wear the slacks or skirts to work often. So usually in a season I have a 2x ratio-- 2x as many tops as bottoms.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have a uniform for work, so I don't know how helpful this will be. I'd say the tanks are most translatable to a layering shell one could wear under jackets. Most the short sleeves are tees or too casual, and of the long sleeve, mostly the button fronts would be work appropriate.

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Joy

Veteran

I have too many tops but most are woven. For each bottom I try for at least 3 tops that will work in different seasons or a couple of sleeveless ones that can be layered under a jacket if more warmth is needed. I think there will soon be a big purge of tops because most I have now are not as fluid as is fashionable.
I look for silk or linen sleeveless or grown on short diagonal sleeves for summer and light weight sweaters and silk(y) buttondowns for cooler weather. I have one mixed media sweatshirt and would like to add another for casual days.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I can't really break it down as you ask (i.e. work appropriate vs. not work appropriate) -- because I work from home and don't categorize that way. I do it by season instead, because what is comfortable for me in summer vs. winter is entirely different.

I had always heard that a person should aim for 2 or 3 tops per bottom for good mix-and-matchability. But clearly, I don't follow that advice.

Altogether I have 52 tops (includes summer/ winter and LS tops/ shirts, sleeveless tops/ shirts, and knitwear, including tees and sweaters -- from lightweight linen ones to heavy wools.)

And I have 33 bottoms (includes all seasons, pants/ shorts/skirts).

It's quite true that not all tops work with all bottoms -- it's not your body. It's a question of proportion and shape. It's only if you wear one silhouette exclusively that they will all work easily together. And most of us like a bit of variety in silhouette.

shiny

Veteran

Mo! Our color schemes are very similar!! How are you keeping this organized online?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have Windows folders, items by category, and just recently moved them to my Cloud drive so I could upload to the Stylish Girl app on my Kindle.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think my ratio of tops to bottoms is similar to Suz's - not quite twice as many, somewhere in the 3:2 range. I find that works pretty well for me. I definitely have some tops I only wear with skirts, and some only with pants. As well, there's the fitted-ness issue: I like having looser tops to go with tighter bottoms and vice versa. But then I'm decidedly not a minimalist so I'm not trying to get my wardrobe to some tiny number where each item has to do multiple duty.

As for knit vs woven and all that jazz, right now for the summer I've got an equal amount of both. In spring and fall I tend to wear more woven shirts. In the winter, knit, because I'm layering them underneath sweaters or jackets.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I'm retired but I don't do really casual unless at home - most of what I wear could be worn to work in a casual office. I've recently changed my neutral colours (after a colour analysis) & gone from wearing slim or skinny-ish bottoms to more fluid ones so a lot of my current tops are not ideal. I do a weekly wash so this number is more than enough for me. I don't have any winter dresses so I wear a top everyday in winter.
This is all my tops & under-pieces for all seasons.
x6 sleeveless - tanks & layering pieces.
x3 long-sleeved layering.
x13 - tees, henleys & tunics (all sleeve lengths) x3 of these are patterned
x3 blouses/shirts (dressier/evening)
I also have x3 other tops that are black or too dark - I'm looking for replacements but have kept them for now.
I have x9 knits - x4 linen/silk x5 winter weight
x2 coat/jacket type knits - one cashmere one linen
x2 cashmere hoodies. one of the hoodies is very old & still lovely the other is two seasons old & rubbish - it will go at the end of winter. The knits are the most frustrating part of my wardrobe, with the highest turnover. They never seem to last now.

bj1111

Veteran

Coming back to address the vivienne files. I agree with the theory vs practice issue. She builds great capsules around a few pieces for 4-5 events, that can happen in as few as two days and does not show the outfits in action on real bodies.

I've toyed with the idea of sending her photos of all my items and challenging her to build work/going out/hanging out capsules.

Marley

Veteran

Whoa! Are we really supposed to know how many we have?????

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Marley I'm with you. I think I would pass out if I started to count…

Alana in Canada

(website)

Veteran

I have no idea what I have, but I, too, wear a uniform of sorts for work, so my wardrobe really wouldn't be all that helpful.

BUT as concerns VF--I did take a good hard look at her 4x4 concept in order to help build my fall/winter wardrobe. (She's doing a series of 4x4 wardrobes in different colour ways, right now, so there's lots of different scenarios and data.)

In the first 4 (neutral 1) there are always two tops and two bottoms.
Same for the second four. (neutral2) (One of these four bottoms will always be a skirt.)

The expansion 4:
these are "layering" items, so toppers are included, (blazers, cardigans, and jackets) as well as those sweaters you can wear by themselves or with a collared shirt under them. (so say two tops)

The mileage 4:
Accent colours--all tops, sometimes a cardigan but usually tees and sweaters. (So, say 3)

So, in a 16 piece wardrobe, there are four bottoms and say, 9 tops and 3 toppers. That's a ratio of about 2 to 1.

FYI: Skirts require tops of a different length than pants if you do not tuck. Generally speaking. It's not you. It is just The Way of Things.

I also have notes for wardrobes built around 20 pieces. (Not sure where these are from--Into Mind, maybe?)
There were 3 toppers. 8 tops, and 9 bottoms. I think this was for one season? Maybe even one month?

For another, my notes read 2 cardigans, 8 tops and 8 bottoms. (which is only 18 pieces, so I'm not sure what happened.)
The tops are noted as follows:

4 short sleeves
2 sleeveless
1 3/4 length sleeve
1 long sleeved buffalo check button down

Back to the VF for a moment: Her starting from scratch series breaks down like this:

bottoms: 9

tops: 15

T's or blouses: 7
top or sweater: 1
basic tops: 3
blouse: 1
casual tops: 2
denim shirt: 1

There are five miscellaneous items which she calls "balancing" garments and "reach 24 for street wear" which you probably know more about than I.

Unfancy should be releasing the items she will use for her fall wardrobe, soon. But she's super casual and lives in Texas, so I don't know how much help it will be in the details, but overall numbers might help. Here's the Summer wardrobe capsule.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Long sleeved 15
Short sleeved 11

Sleeveless 7

Shirts- 3 long sleeved/ 3 sleeveless
Sweaters 9

(Pants/Skirts/Dresses 25)

I hope this is useful, although I consider my numbers to be moderate.

Gigi

Veteran

Here's what I have:

3 spaghetti-strap-type tops (not suitable for work, obviously!)
6 sleeveless knit tops
4 short-sleeved knit tops
2 long-sleeved button-downs
16 long-sleeved knit tops
5 long-sleeved sweaters

I live in an area where it is very cold for half the year, so I'm really skewed toward the long-sleeved sweaters and knits because of their warmth.

As for patterns, most of my tops are solids. Out of all the items listed, maybe 10 have patterns.

This summer, I felt like I was starting to get too many bottoms as opposed to tops (I have 36 tops, versus 58 bottoms)—I'm hard to fit in tops too. Sometimes I think I need to move to an Asian country where the women are much shorter...sigh. Anyway, I told myself that I was going to be very careful about shopping for any more bottoms, unless I found something that I really, really wanted, until I had more tops. Needless to say, my shopping has pretty much come to a standstill, argh. Oh well, my credit card is enjoying the time off.

Sharon

Veteran

From my recent inventory:

TOPS 24
5 long sleeve T's (1 striped, 4 plain colours)
4 long sleeve button-downs (1 patterned, 3 plain)
2 long sleeve blouses (both neutrals)
13 short sleeve tops (4 patterned)

shiny

Veteran

Alana - that was so very helpful! Thanks for taking the time to write all that out!

I should probably start a new thread on this topic, but will keep it here for now...

I'd noted that VF says the expansion 4 combine the two neutrals, so for example if your neutrals are black and grey, then each of the expansion 4 combine black and grey, for example, a black and grey striped top?

This is all clicking together for me and I can see the beauty of such a system, even if not rigorously applied, it can help to see where the holes are, and where interest can be added. Unfortunately I like a lot of white or cream and I'm not sure if that is my neutral or if it is my accent? For example would a black & white floral sweater, black & white striped tee, black & white patterned blouse go into an expansion 4 that is based on black & grey neutrals? Or do I need a different neutral -- white/cream-- capsule altogether? Does VF ever discuss white/cream as a neutral? Or does she consider it an accent? Inquiring minds must know...

As for accent colors, I get lost here as well. I can see that I always gravitate towards certain colors - cranberry red, blue, plum, and blush pink. But don't necessarily have 4 items in any particular color. Would it be over-thinking/overdoing it if I was to set a goal to deliberately round out my closet in each of these accents? Or just go with the flow of what I've got already?

One more question: does VF ever discuss how she arranges her clothes in her closet? It's got me thinking about rearranging my closet not by type of item (i.e., all dresses together, then tops, then toppers, etc) but instead to arrange by neutral 1, neutral 2, expansion, accent... is that how you have your closet organized? Does it work?

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Shiny,

I just redid my closet by color as opposed to item type and it definitely revealed holes and orphans.

I too wear a uniform so my closet is essentially an extended vacation capsule. I want enough tops to get through about 10 days without having to do laundry, in four seasons. Probably have more than that, but am purging and upgrading my way to around 20-25 tops, not counting eventwear. Which would hit pretty close to 2:1 for me.

Tanya

Veteran

I am with Marley and CocoLion here

shiny

Veteran

Back to the topic of tops...

My fit issues: if a top fits in the shoulders, it very often is too narrow around my belly. If I size up so it fits my belly, then it's way too sloppy in the shoulders. For this reason I tend to have much better luck with tops that are meant to be loose and flowy. But then I have to be a total stickler about length: too long and it swallows me up completely.

The fluid/oversized trend helps only so much, because it's like sizing has gone out the window, and everything is just huge all over, rather than deliberately so in certain places, if that makes sense. I'm finding at only 5'0 tall sometimes I can size down to an XS or XXS in a regular garment and get the fluid/oversized look, much easier than sticking with a SP or even an XSP. It's kind of weird and hard to figure out.

What's more, many of the current fluid/oversized looks are crew necks... or meant to be just plain boxy, like a sweatshirt, or worse, combine crew neck with boxy shape! Crew necks + my chest make me look top heavy. Crew necks + my short neck are just not that attractive. Boxy tops don't do me any favors either -- I look like ... a box... a short box....

So in past two seasons I've been rounding out my top collection with simple, basic v-neck sweaters or tee shirts in solid colors... these seem easy to acquire & accumulate in fluid fits. But, I'm bored with that strategy. Thoroughly, utterly bored! I like my tops to be more interesting and to have a pattern. It draws the eye up (for some reason I feel like this makes me appear taller?), conceals bumps and bulges, and is just more my preference all around....

I've been venturing/dipping my toes into patterned bottoms (VC striped skirt, I'm looking at you!) but I prefer the pattern on the top. And now that I think of it, it's possibly also because of this whole "ratio" concept! A balanced wardrobe needs more tops than bottoms, for practical laundering reasons. But striped skirt + 3 different solid color V-neck tees... well... I just don't find that as interesting. Useful, but not interesting. Do I collect additional patterned bottoms to wear with those solid tees? Then I'd have an upside down ratio -- more bottoms than tops! And a laundry quandary.

SarahTheWhite

Veteran

I am firmly in Marley, Cocolion and Tanya's camp... and giggling at Marley's comment! But for some reason I'm always drawn these stat posts. I think that I should go start counting things, then sigh and keep my bottom firmly planted on sofa and continue browsing through posts and comments.

Alana in Canada

(website)

Veteran

Hi Shiny--
First of all, I believe--and other more experienced Fabbers please correct me-- all of the wardrobes on VF are theoretical--with the possible exception of the packing wardrobes.

white/cream is a neutral or an accent. You choose. If you have two tops and to bottoms (or want 2 tops and 2 bottoms) in white/cream--then that is a neutral for your wardrobe. as an aside--I plan on having one 4x4 for summer and one 4x4 for winter and seasonal will draw from both)

If expansion is all black and white, then your neutrals are black and white. If ne of your neutrals was black and another grey, I think a black and white top is OK.

Mileage is simple accent colours. Two items in each of two colours. So two wine red tops for me--and two grape/eggplant coloured tops. This is ridiculous for real life, honestly. Who is going to live with only two tops in one colour and two tops in another (and all the rest neutral or a mix thereof?)

Gotta run. hth

Anonymous

I'm joining the Marley, Cocolion and Sarathew camp - my first response was, "um, maybe 100". Then my brain started to hurt while reading the mathematical dissection of it all. Then I poured another cup of coffee and considered why my wardrobe hardly functions being so excessive and disorganized. Then I moved on to more YLF posts

Elly

Veteran

I eskchew the VF and other really systematic ways of dressing--- only you know what you like and will wear and I never have tops that go with everything. Instead, I tend to pick a set of neutrals and then look for tops to go with my existing toppers and bottoms. For example, I have an olive jacket, a black leather jacket, and a denim jacket -- I also have layering tees in cream, navy, and black. My bottoms are denim or black, except my winter slacks which are a warm tweedy charcoal. I have a navy, cream, and red blouse and a black blouse along with a black button down I wear--- my main neutrals are black, navy, and charcoal. So, this fall I want to add a charcoal layer to wear under my black and denim jacket because I know that the cognac, navy, charcoal and black looks that Angie posted earlier is a direction I want to go. I also want to add a charcoal sweater, a navy sweater, and a black fluid sweater -- all which should work over my current blouses and tees and under my jackets but also could be worn alone with slacks or my black pencil. Beyond that, I want to switch up my toppers by adding 1-2 cardigans--- one in a neutral and one in red. I also plan on adding color with another colored top or sweater (red, orange, blue) and a dark green blouse. I will also be on the lookout for an orange thermal to wear under my favorite Metallica tee on weekends and a flannel shirt (probably in red). I also want to bring color in with 1-2 scarves, and most of my shoes are red, olive green, or cognac.

Joy

Veteran

Addressing you fit problems for tops, have you tried Eileen Fisher petite tops? Much of EF will overpower you, but her basic layering pieces often have a slight flare so that the top part fits but the midriff is skimmed over so that there is no pulling. I look for these on sale and like silk or linen. The cotton tees are mostly straight without the flattering flare. Those brands that copy EF sometimes have the flare too.. JJill for example, although they are too big for me in general, but you have a bust. I've also had pretty good luck with some Pleione and Classiques Entiere tops.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Less than 20 tops ... but I purge them often if they won't play nicely with my skirts.

Anonymous

Very few! But I like them all.

I have some of the same issues as you Shiny. The new over-sized silhouette is hard to get just right for me. I need tops to fit my shoulders but I don't want them to cling around the midsection. So many I've tried have tight arms and a really long, swing silhouette that is just too much fabric. And the sweaters really can't be altered for length. I feel like there is a disproportionate amount of tunic length tops out there, which would make sense since most of the population seems to prefer wearing leggings 24/7. Even though my torso is long, and I need to keep my back covered when I wear jeans, tunic length is TOO long on me and makes my legs look short. Then of course, we have to get the neckline just right or I look like a box too. A long box, like a shoebox, lol!

Here's what I own at present:

sleeveless silk sweater (navy and cream animal print)
short sleeved fine cotton sweater (blue, taupe & cream floral)
3/4 sleeve cotton/silk sweater (neutrals in a snake print)
long, tab sleeved Tencel chambray shirt (solid medium blue)
long sleeved cotton sweater (cream with navy stripes)
long sleeved cotton/wool sweater (navy with with cream stripes)
long sleeved button front silk blouse (another neutral snake print)
long sleeved pop-over silk blouse (black with tan dots)

I also have a charcoal pullover made of merino wool, but I'm not counting it because I can't wear it next to my skin. It layers nicely over the silk blouses.
I have worn mostly dresses this summer, so that's why there are only 2 summer tops. Both are the right length to wear with my denim pencil skirt. The floral one can be stretched and dried flat if I want to wear it with jeans, but all my other tops really only work with pants. There is a problem with top lengths in many "theoretical" capsules in my opinion. Things that should work together in theory often don't in reality, for me anyway. I'm sort of picky.

ETA: As you can see, I prefer a print on top, too! I have tried solids and even solids with "interesting textures" on top and somehow I feel they don't work as well on me, and leave me feeling thoroughly uninspired. So I get you on that!

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