I've been peeking at this thead but afraid to chime in because that means I'd have to count. But I think I'm at 20, depending on what you count (PJ jeans?). If it's stressful, it's too many. That happened to me, and led to a reality check that I somehow wanted one or more of every possibly style, "just in case", even though the truth is I only really wear two styles.

Wow, interesting thread. As someone who owns 3 pair of jeans total. Mostly because I am a crazy hard to fit pear.
I will echo what others have said if it feels stressful it is too many. I have over 24 dresses and it doesn't feel stressful it feels just right for me because I do wear them.
I think sometimes we all get caught up in minimalism. Really I think minimalism is more about not creating stress, consuming for the sake of consumerism and more about being mindful. Maybe your 32 jeans is you magic number. Maybe not.

ETA: prior to packing I tried on all of them! I culled out one pair of Mother The Looker skinny jeans (they are just too too skinny, fabric is very stretchy and cut is lovely, but they are too soft and form fitting, it bothered me), a pair of overalls (the more expensive Free People ones, I liked the Target better...huh), a pair of GAP straight legs, J Brand cigarette leg, a pair of Genetic denim chambray sweat jeans. I felt great about the ones I kept, so I guess they stay with me for now, an I'm good with that

Again, thank you all for your insight, advise, therapy, and in some ceases, commiseration. I appreciate your willingness to be kindly candid. This was very helpful.

Yay! Great job, Missey!

As others have said, 'too many' is a personal choice. If you wear them all often enough to make you happy, then it is not too many pairs. At 26 pairs, you would be able to go almost an entire month before repeating your jeans. I'm currently at about half of that, at 12 pairs, although I do not sport them all for every season, some of them are 'seasonal' jeans (brown for fall/winter, white more often in spring/summer).

Good job, Missey!

I think the lesson here really isn't about numbers at all. It's too many if you don't like them or don't wear them, and not too many if you love and wear them all. The real lesson is try everything on before editing! It's painful sometimes, but really makes decision making easier.

Ah, thanks for the commiseration on the hassles of moving. sorry to have sidetracked!
Good job on purging a few up front! As many have said, it's not a certain magical number for everyone but if you can't wear what you have, or wear it as often as you'd like, due to too many options, that's when it becomes too many IMO.
Good luck on your move!

Way to go, Missey!

Nice job on culling some that you don't want anymore.

You got me curious. Even though I don't do numbers very much, I counted today as I switched out a few more summer-for-winter items. I have pretty much the same number.

3 BFs - one distressed, one faded and cropped, one a little darker
2 "Tomboy" - one faded, one darker -- these are loose like BFs but not tapered, so I can wear them over boots, etc.
3 Flares - Love Story (faded), Gap (medium wash), Paige (dark)
3 other boot cuts - old jeans I can get grungy, Hudson baby boot cuts, and a pair of grey ones
2 pairs of straight-legs (one Paige getting faded, one COH dark)
2 medium dark wash blue skinnies
7 skinnies/straights in colors other than blue denim - 2 pr black (one lightweight, one heavier and actually more of a straight leg in a looser fit); one optic white, one cream, one light grey, one dark grey, one teal
4 skinnies in patterns - black tonal houndstooth, black tonal scroll pattern, the Jolt tartans, one pair of black with white tuxedo stripe down the side
2 pr waxed skinnies - dark plum and dark forest green
3 pr jeggings - AG grey corduroy, black Kut ponte, and blue denim Democracy

I really don't have much of a redundancy in there! But I wear jeans almost daily from mid-September through early June. Of course, some I wear more often than others, but I tried everything on and decided they were good to stay. (I did put one pair that is a little snug with no stretch in my holding zone, in case I lose weight, and I put one pair in the donation pile.)

So, if I'm a denim packrat, so be it! ;-D