It's time for a massive Spring/Summer wardrobe edit. I always imagined I had a relatively small wardrobe unit Jussie's infamous "how much is too many" post of last week......which had me doing an actual count. To say I was embarrassed, shocked, and annoyed is an understatement. I have into the 200's in pieces for S/S and probably wear about 20 of them. I have winnowed my Fall/Winter wardrobe right down to the bare bones and Iikely don't have enough knitwear and lightweight tops, but for some reason, I lost steam when it came to my Spring/Summer stuff and never got to it. The irony is that S/S is a shorter season here (running from mid-April (maybe ) to mid-September) yet this is where the bulk of my wardrobe lies. Dumb.

The issues:

1. I have too many clothes, which makes me unhappy and stressed out.
2. This goes against what I want to think are my values (consumerism and shopping for recreation is not what I support) and paints a picture I don't like: someone who buys impulsively and settles for second best just to fill some psychological hole.
3. I haven't got the room to store a lot of stuff, and right now my clothes are in too many places. They get forgotten and are stuffed into my closet(s).
4.I strive to have few , very good pieces that are all 10's. 9's at worst. I want a visually clean and organized closet and drawers.
5. I have little time and money right now for shopping, which is a good thing, but also furthers this whole bad habit of rushing in to find a new top (or bra, or pyjamas or jeans etc) and settling for something I don't absolutely love just because I have run out of time. I also don't really like shopping. I think if money were no object, that would be a different thing, but it's the way it is at the moment.
6. My unwillingness to spend time on-line and even b&m shopping is in direct conflict with my desire to have the perfect wardrobe. I simply am not interested in sitting at the computer searching for clothes and don't have the disposable income to play around with credit card ordering, returning, etc etc. My money is going elsewhere now , and I can't see that changing in the foreseeable future.
7. I have far too many duplicates: jeans, "long over lean" tops (a silhouette I am sick and tired of and feel dated in now) and denim dresses for starters. And shorts - I have about 8 pair of shorts, and could likely get away with 2. Seriously. And who needs 5 grey short sleeved t-shirts??
8. laundry bottlenecks are not an issue - I can do laundry when I want and need to.

Questions:

1. do numbers matter? Should I be editing down to a certain number of tops vs bottoms, and a certain total number that puts me into the small wardrobe category? Or does that not make any sense at all?
2. is it unrealistic to expect each piece to be a 9 at worst, and hopefully a 10? Do I ditch anything less than perfect?
3. how do I get a great wardrobe considering my general dislike of shopping and no money to spend?
4. do I ditch anything that is a duplicate and that is just splitting wears?

Tell me what works for you in terms of editing, keeping it tight, and making sure what you buy and add in is absolutely the best version you can find. I'm all ears.

xo