Number game: what is too much?

I have really really purged and really really like my closet now.

But I don't know where the limit goes and what my goal should be. I have nearly an entire wearable set of clothes now and I don't think anything is too orphaned. But I do have alot of stuff. I track everything in excel and I can at a glance see what I own...and this is probably more embarrassing than posting my body shape. Is this too much?

belt 21
delicates 1
dresses 30
gloves 1
jacket 32
jewelry 14
other 1
outerwear 12
pull overs 15
purse 9
scarf 26
shirts 32
shoes 53
skirts 12
slacks 19
socks 4
sport 33
tanks 8
tights 7
vest 3
basics 10
shorts 4
Grand Total 347

Note without things like accessories the total is

dresses 30
jacket 32
pull overs 15
shirts 32
shoes&boots 53
skirts 12
slacks 19
vest 3
shorts 4
Grand Total 200

If I wear a dress, slack, or skirt once for every day, each of them will get used 3 times in a year. Jackets and blouses would be about the same. In 3 years, each item would be used 9 times. I think Queen mum gives things a 3 year lifetime? Hmmm, seems extreme! Cost per wear is certainly high here!

Hanging head in shame here

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

Don't beat yourself up over it! I feel like I have purged and purged (and still have more - dresser, etc.) but it's a work in progress.
I have never counted although I tried to do shoes and gave up at 30.

It really helped me to make some wardrobe goals:
One of my goals was to be able to access everything. No more storing under the bed (unless that is only storage) or in boxes somewhere. Where I live (San Francisco) we don't have too many seasonal changes. In fact i wear my Norwegian sweaters even in summer sometimes (I have not figured out how to make them fab yet - maybe you can hep me!) so I don't want to store away.

I also wanted all my shoes to fit in a certain space - no more than that. So I had to make tough choices.

The other big step has been this thinking about colors and capsules - I tried to pair things (took two full days) and then I could see the orphans. It helped.

Keep going - sharing what is working for you will help

soobee

Well, I wouldn't hang my head in shame, I would be so proud of myself! Until a few short months ago I barely owned anything. My, how things have changed, and I am totally loving it. How wonderful to have so many gorgeous things to choose from - lucky you!!

Mirp

Active Member

I agree don't hang head in shame. I'm always interested in these types of post because although I haven't counted I know i have alot of clothes. Sounds like your concern is that the clothes won't get worn "enough" I say wear what you like; when you like and if things don't get worn either pass on or keep if you have storage space.

Me my concern is storage. I've been buying new items for spring and now all my clothes won't fit in my closet -- so today I will pick items to ebay, throw out and give away. the volume of my purchases has reminded me why some people follow one in one out.

Also for me -- my wardrobe refresh has made me see how date and sometimes shabby looking some of my pieces are and they have to go.

Fruitful

Jayne, I think you'd wear them about 6 times a year, not 3 - a bit lower CPW than you thought!

Jjsloane

Sounds like you have a great amount to choose from. I prefer to have more options for mixing and matching (but have not yet gotten as organized as you to count them) I have items that are basics that last much longer than 3 years. Probably because they don't get worn as much due to the other options. The only time 3 year rule might apply is if they are no longer stylish in 3 years, or really do fall apart or don't fit. I say if you love all these items and they fit and look good and you have room to store and ways to find them you are in great shape.

For fun you should see how many complete capsules you can make and photo them. You might even find some holes!!

citygirldc

(website)

Do your clothes include all seasons? Because if they do include all seasons, then you should be fine. It would be a different thing if you had 30 dresses for the Spring/Summer season then I would thing you'd need to purge. Heck, I don't think I even have space in my one small closet to have 30 dresses. Good luck!

Michelle

Jayne, no need to beat yourself up. There's no such thing as a right or wrong number of garments to have in your closet. What may seem hopelessly bare bones to one person could be minimalistic perfection to someone else. If you personally are happy with your current collection and believe you can get good use out of every item in it, then that's the right number.
That said, if you do feel you need to cut it back, perhaps you could perform a couple of experiments to see what you *really* get the most use out of? I'm thinking of those "30/30" challenges where people select 30 items and find ways to mix and match them over a month. Perhaps you could do a couple of different cycles of this challenge to see which of your clothes go the distance for you? Or perhaps, as someone else suggested, you could sit down and actively sort things into capsules to see where you may have too much overlap. You could also just break down categories and enlist the forum to help you cull the duds, if in fact there are any. Regardless, we're all here to help.

jayne

You gals are so nice! To clarify a bit, yes I have 4 seasons for sure and have items that are winter only (darks like blacks and greys) and items that are summer only (pure whites and light materials) and in addition I do wear mostly dresses and skirts in summer and slacks only in the deepest coldest part of winter.

And no matter the numbers, I feel 90% of what I have left is fab stuff. So I enjoy wearing it, just getting time to wear them all is a patience game! Thanks, I am feeling better now.

Fruitful, you are correct I guess, I just counted working days and didn't consider weekends in the numbers. Most of this stuff is work, and my uphill battle is wearing them as off work clothes. There is no reason I cannot, my work is pretty casual dress code, I just have a habit of separating them in my mind. Gonna have to work on that...hmmm, now I need a strategy to break the habit!

Jayne, if you wear it, it's not too much. Even twice a year - who cares? I had quite a bit (close to you I'd guess) and have now scaled back to about 150, not including loungewear or exercise gear or shoes or bags/belts/scarves or jewelry. I still don't wear some of my stuff more than twice a year (much of my time either working in a uniform or lounging in the house) and I'm totally fine with that!
If you can store it, see it, afford it, and you wear it, I figure what's the problem?!

Thanks Mo, yes storage is not a problem. Single lady here...but trying to leave room for the BF to move in, some day, wink wink

rachylou

Seems fairly standard. I'd go fewer on the jackets and scarves, but then way than make up for it in the parka/overcoat and hat side of things.

Meredith1953

If you love all of it and wear it all and have the room to spare then it's all good!

Amy

If you like everything, then just count your blessings. I have maybe 1/3 of the clothes, but I suspect my seasonal requirements are different than yours (i.e., I wear most things year round). There isn't a right or wrong number here...just what "feels" right or wrong to you.

Adelfa

I think you're amazing for counting, tracking, and telling! There are so many different ways for us to feel ashamed of our clothing and ourselves. You're putting it out there which to me means you're ready to just be you.

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