Is it possible for your wardrobe to be too small? - YouLookFab Forum

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Is it possible for your wardrobe to be too small?

Charmian

Veteran

All this talk of closet purging has coincided nicely with something that's been turning over in my mind a lot in the past month: is it possible to purge too much from one's closet?

My husband and I will be in Hong Kong Jan - May 2012 and will put most of our possessions in storage during this time. I've already purged my wardrobe of items that I felt weren't good enough to bring along or to put in storage. However, when I started to pack, I realized that I'm bringing almost the entirety of my summer wardrobe. For example, the only bottoms I'm not bringing are a pair of pants that I almost donated and a pair of shorts (I never wear shorts). With so little being left behind, I'm tempted to purge all the summer items that I'm not bringing.

For a 4 month trip, does it make sense that I would want to bring everything? Is this a sign that my wardrobe is "right-sized"? Or is it a sign that my wardrobe is too specialized? that I'm not creative enough to need more variety? that I'm too picky about items worth keeping?

I'm especially curious to hear from the ladies on Team Lean n' Mean Closet: how do you approach a situation where you have to edit even more tightly (eg, for a trip)? And how do you feel about your wardrobe's size? A lot of the ladies who have been sharing their thoughts thus far are coming from larger wardrobes to smaller ones, but I'm curious about those who have been living out of small wardrobes for an extended period of time.

ETA: Note that I'm not specifying how many items you need to own to qualify for the title of "small wardrobe"; if you feel like you have an all-workhorse (or mostly-workhorse) wardrobe, then it counts as "small" for this discussion.

Dressing

19 replies

Latest reply was from Charmian

Anonymous

Hmmm. I used to travel a lot, and I think I unconsciously think of my wardrobe in terms of a travel capsule. Everything should work together, nothing should be so alike as so be redundant. I think it's perfectly reasonable to take your entire summer wardrobe on a trip that long, especially if you could fit it all into something the size of a steamer trunk. I think I could fit most of mine in a Rollaboard suitcase!

About how many tops/bottoms/toppers/shoes/bags do you have?

Aida

Veteran

I don't know the answer to this but I look forward to reading this discussion! I can chime in about lean packing later

Anonymous

I can live for months out of a carry-on suitcase if I pack carefully and if it's for the summer months. A larger wardrobe means that you can go longer without doing laundry and that isn't a good thing when the washing stacks up. Smaller is more easily managed. Three bottoms (or two and one basic dress) and a variety of tops that can be layered plus some scarves will do the job although you may get sick of them. You can always go shopping.

Charmian

Veteran

To be clear, I'm also a light packer but my question is more about wardrobe management than about packing for a trip!

I'm happy with my summer wardrobe, and yet it fits into a rollaboard suitcase. Is that wrong? (sorry, clearlyclaire, I know I'm being coy about my wardrobe size, but I want folks to respond without feeling like their wardrobes are too small/too large for me to learn from).

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I feel there is no right and wrong. My BF basically wears the same 3 or 4 pair of shorts and half a dozen t shirts all summer long. I, on the other hand packed no less than 2 dresses, 2 pants, a skirt, shorts, 5 tops and 2 light jackets for a recent weekend getaway!
Since I actually wore it all but 2 tops that were 'just in case' I feel my amount was perfect for me. And his lean version was perfect for him.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I don't know if it means your wardrobe is too small if you want to take it all with you for a 4 month stint in Hong Kong. I mean, our summer here is roughly 4 months long so you going go HK for 4 months and taking your summer wardrobe with you makes sense.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

lol; if you're in HK and run out of clothes - go buy more it's HK! LOL.

HAVE FUN! I'm so jealous.I haven't been there in 4 yrs!

Parsley

Veteran

Interesting topic!
Your wardrobe's not too small if you have something appropriate to wear for all the types of occasions in you life. After that everything is gravy!

But after traveling recently for 3 weeks out of a carry-on bag I'll have to say that by the end of the trip I was pretty bored with the same old clothes, and even though I was always dressed nicely I was eager for more variety.
So as much as I think I want a minimal wardrobe, I want to have more choices than that, and really do enjoy having just the right bag or shoes to go with my outfit.

So now I think I'd like to have a medium sized but well-edited wardrobe.

Good luck with your packing and your time in Hong Kong! And I agree with lyn- buy some stuff there- the shopping's great!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

To be fair; I didn't wear shorts at all (except for one day hiking) - I wore a lot of skirts and dresses ... with hosery.

When I was there, women wearing shorts was rare - very rare; and only tourists really did this. But then again, I briefly worked in a secretarial position in a large bank, and all the girls were super well dressed - gah; I miss those days very much

Have much fun ... if you have large feet, bring shoes. I couldn't find anything to fit my "large" size 8's in HK.

Charmian

Veteran

Interesting replies, all! Though, I regret using the term "small" ... maybe I should have said "too hard-working" instead. The crux of my question is: does a wardrobe need a little bit of "slush"? In other words, should a wardrobe contain items that don't get rotated in regularly? The reasons may vary (eg, difficult to style, very specialized [think ballgowns], or is outside your comfort zone), but the point is that they're not (yet?) workhorses.

@QM: good point about 4 months being an entire summer. I've had my nose down in packing for so long I managed to miss the big picture!

@lyn: yeah, I used to wear shorts, but fell out of the habit when I started travelling/living in Asia. I own (and never wear) exactly one pair of shorts, and it's been this way for almost a decade. At this point, I think it's a security blanket!

@lyn and @Parsley: I'm looking forward to doing some shopping in HK, but I'm not sure where to go after my ol' standbys are exhausted. I'll have to start a thread on HK shopping when I have more time, lol.

Anonymous

I guess it depends on how often you like to do laundry. My DH and I still have 3 daughters at home, so there's always laundry to do. That said, I make sure each of us has at least 2 weeks' worth of clothing so no one is stuck with nothing clean to wear. This is particularly useful when we go on vacation and are not able to do laundry that frequently.

Kristine

Veteran

A wardrobe that's truly "too small" probably means wearing nearly the same exact outfit every day. Anything beyond that is fair game. Slush is nice, but that can be accessories or one or two statement pieces.

I think it's completely reasonable to pack nearly your entire summer wardrobe, that's a long trip. That suggests to me your wardrobe is probably about right for you. You'd need a large wardrobe to pack for a trip that long and had a lot left in the closet.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I like to pack light and have clothes that are versatile and can be remixed with everything else. But I am also a klutz and traveling with kids means I am sure to spill coffee or crumb cake on myself on the first day of any trip. I always back whatever I think I'll need, plus at least one spare complete outfit just in case. For me, bringing just one pair of pants or one dress would not work. Take my advice with a grain of salt though as I am definitely on the large wardrobe side (3 capsules that get worn every day x 4 distinct seasons = alot of clothes!).

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Buy there! Bring fewer things for sure.

Lisa

Veteran

I've noticed for myself, I need two weeks worth of outfits for me to feel I have enough variety to not get bored with my clothes. When I go on a trip, I cut this amount in half and expect to repeat more frequently. I think wardrobe size will depend on one's personal preference for repetition, how frequently clothes are washed, and how many capsules a person needs (do you wear one capsule a day or more than one a day).

If I were packing for a 4 month trip, and it's all going to be one season, I'd bring two weeks worth of clothing. I think the fact that you can pack all your clothes is GREAT! To me, this means you have a tightly editied wardrobe that works for you. I use the unworn clothes left over after a season as my gauge of what clothes to purge. If I can't get to the items in a season, then out they go. But my personal goal is an efficient tightly edited wardrobe. I want my clothes to be worn frequently. In the past I wanted a much larger wardrobe and if I were to answer the packing question a few years ago I would probably say I needed a month worth of variety for a 4 month trip.

Anonymous

Charmain, I think I see what you're asking now about can your wardrobe be *too* small. I think mine would be too small under the guidelines that everything is a workhorse, in constant rotation and I'm tired of it before the end of the season. Having a really small wardrobe might not be a stopping point for me, but it's where I am right now. Having more outfit options would be fun, as would having accessories that aren't the same week-in week-out. Even just adding a few extra pieces can take a look in different directions and would exponentially add possible combos. But at least I don't have to think too hard right now!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Charmian -

First, yippee for your upcoming sojourn! "Trip" sounds far too frivolous when you will be gone for such a long time. If I were packing, I think I'd aim for a travel capsule of excellent mix and match pieces...with an extra bag, for the things I would buy while there!

As for your question, is it possible for a wardrobe to be "too" small...I think so, yes. Mine was at the start of this season, and probably still is; although I've been acquiring stuff at quite a rate, at the same time, I'm still pruning.

I haven't yet got to the point where everything works well with everything else, and I still have a few redundant items. I think it might take me a few years to get my wardrobe to the ideal size and shape for me. I am so unused to dressing myself in anything more than jeans and a T that this is quite a learning process.

In terms of the actual number of items, I have a few more than lyn's recent list, but fewer than many others who posted, and of the items "extra" to lyn's, most were trousers and layering Ts. (She doesn't wear pants much and doesn't have as many layering Ts). Another area where I have more items was her category of blazers. Mine are not all blazers (include denim jacket in this category) but are structured toppers. I LOVE jackets and seem to be forming something of a collection, thanks to consignment! I think jackets are on their way to becoming my signature, so I am okay with having more than some people.

What makes me say that my wardrobe is still too small? Mainly, I lack the kinds of footwear and accessories that allow me to change things up as often as I would like, and most of my basics are still in a colour (black) that I would like to minimize in my wardrobe. So maybe my wardrobe's not too small for me; it's just not my ideal wardrobe.

Having said that, at the start of the season I KNEW it was too small because I could only really go a few days without doing laundry, and I was repeating the same item three or four times a week.

I still do have a tendency to repeat; I'm on team wear and if I get something new I typically wear it a LOT in its first few weeks with me as I learn how I can use it best. And I don't mind repeating, in general, even if I am going to see the same people. Having said that, the eye does tire of the same darn thing day after day!

When I'm travelling, my approach is to consider the situations I'll be in, the weather, and my laundry/cleaning facilities. I aim to bring non-wrinkly items for short trips, so I don't have to iron. I try to bring mix-and-match items—a jacket that works with jeans AND skirts AND dresses, a dress that can go out to dinner OR to the playground with a change of shoes/accessories/topper.

rosee

Veteran

...in a word: "yes!" (the others have already elaborated).

Charmian

Veteran

@Suz & @clearlyclaire -- thanks for the reply! Most of the purchases I made during the YLF-stalking phase became instantaneous workhorses, so I knew my wardrobe was too small/hard-working at the time.

I kinda wanted to triangulate with you others to see if I'm out of the woods yet; and it sounds like no. But it also sounds like the area to focus on are accessories, which means I don't have to worry about sizing while in HK.