Not just enabling, but the number 5 is arbitrary.
A number limit does help with discipline and habit-formation--whether it's a budget or a number of items. So the fallback seems would be budget--whatever is reasonable for you--as the basic limit, and then the style-honing restrictions are added to that.
I think you might be able to "complete the shift" still using some specific criteria--maybe wardrobe planning, capsule planning, list-making--such as, need x tops for basic wardrobe, only have x-2, found another top even though is item #6, it's good. Or, need warm jacket, or indoor jacket, or whatever.
I think the thing to resist, that is sometimes hard for me, because I am imPatient, and I think I can "hear" it in some style-shifters, is lowering standards too much in order to get the wardrobe style shift (or sometimes color palette shift) in place right away.
I think I hear that sometimes when people do a huge "purge" and say they hate their wardrobes and then feel very impatient to replace, because it can be hard to find the right pieces right away.
That's different from coming across the perfect F/W leather jacket at a great price at the Rack in the spring and saying, oh, it's not time to buy my fall items yet and I've bought 5 S/S items already. Or walking into a boutique that has a clothing line perfectly in your style and quality goals, and a whole grouping fits--why wait?
Then my next big temptation is too much duplication of something that's very appealing to me right now. You know yourself best about that, but just remember that style-shifting will evolve further and you want to give yourself some room to keep going.
