The ‘30 wears’ test applied to 2024 purchases

Runcarla

I’ve been appalled at the churn in my closet this year, and the number of new acquisitions (36). It’s the pinch of guilt at donating items that no longer fit and were replaced, and worrying about where the donated items would end up. This feeling was assuaged slightly, when the thrift shop actually put out a call for items, and seemed glad to receive what I had to pass on. But still…

When I shopped this year, I asked myself a new question: “Will I wear this at least 30 times? along with all the other criteria I set for garments - or conversely - will it spark enough joy on the few occasions I might wear it to justify the purchase and the space it takes in my closet? Really?

Today I did a quick review of what I added in 2024, and was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) by the results!

9 bottoms added at various times over 12 months:
-cropped pale blue Jules jeans - 40 wears
-full length pale AE jeans - 28 wears
-Wide leg jeans - 19 wears
-white cropped jeans - 11
-Levi 501’s - 21 wears
-3 pair of shorts: teal (16), wine (16), black (22)
-black ‘faux leather’ joggers - 9 wears

9 different tops of which 6 hit double digits, 2 were end of summer purchases and sleeveless with 6 wears each, and my last purchase - a black sweater with 2 wears.

A thrifted sleeveless summer dress ($2.50!) was a surprise winner with 8 wears!

The goal isn’t to get 30 wears over 1 year, but I count double digit wears in one year an indication of a good purchase decision. Also, I don’t count all items, but can attest that specs, a red bag, several pairs of shoes have been worn a lot. A thrifted topper has proved surprisingly versatile, and a new beret, thrifted blazer and thrifted ball skirt spark joy! I haven’t had opportunity to wear a new bathing suit as much as I want, but I have worn it, and it’s one of those things you don’t want to be shopping for at the last minute!

Since many items last more than ‘30 wears’, and can continue to serve their purpose and look good, I plan on owning (and wearing) my 2024 purchases into 2025, and hopefully beyond.

I’ll continue to use the same ‘30 wears’ strategy going into 2025, since it served me well in 2024. I’m also hoping for some ‘spark joy’ items to cross my path - rather than all the practical items I purchased this year!

* I still have 22/30 items acquired in 2023.

Do you regularly employ shopping strategies, and how do they serve you?

1 day ago

General

7 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Carla, it makes sense that you donated and purchased more than is typical for you if your size changed. Also, if it will make you feel any better....your "appalling churn" is pretty close to my typical turnover. And your wardrobe is tightly curated. So, as we have said in the. past, you are bound to wear things out a lot faster than someone with a larger closet, and this necessitates a relatively higher turnover for you! I hope you can let the guilt go and feel pleased with the way you have put these already hardworking items through their paces!

My strategy is organized emotional shopping. And I typically end up retiring around 25 to 30 items and purchasing the same approximate number. This is around 1/4 to 1/5 of my wardrobe, the overall size of which fluctuates within that range. Some years I retire more pieces and buy fewer; some years, it's the opposite. And every 7 to 10 years, it seems I need more substantial overhaul and the figures are higher all round.

I edit twice yearly (when I switch from winter to summer and vice versa) and minor edits whenever specific items wear out, stop fitting, or stop working as I would like. I then make lists -- what I need (usually basics and some essentials), what I would like but can live without (completer pieces, typically, and often focusing on a specific category, e.g. knitwear, plus some essentials that may be getting to the end of their lives but can eke out another season or two if the right replacement does not come along), and what I dream of (the *right* statement items.) I also keep a list in my. head of "do not buy" items, plus items that I need to think harder about because I know from experience they won't get as much wear and -- partly for that reason -- I tend to keep for a long time, meaning there are still perfectly good options in my closet. (Button front shirts I am looking at you.)

I ask myself a few questions in my try on sessions. Do I love it? Do I want to wear it ASAP? How will I wear it? How many different ways might I want to wear it? Does it fit seamlessly into my closet or do I need to add other items to make it work? Are those other items easy to get? Is it a good price for me, considering the amount I'll likely use it? Is it practical, or practical enough? Does it have the fun factor? Not everything can be fun of course. But if too few of my wardrobe items spark joy, I lose the fun of getting dressed.

My natural tendency is toward an essentials-heavy closet. This is practical. But it can be dull. I have tried over the last few years to buy more statement items, plus more essentials that nevertheless make a bit of a statement through cut or colour or both. Examples of recent statements and statement making essentials, below.

Custom Find

by Suz

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Everlane

The Cocoon Crew in Alpaca

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Top Pick

Custom Find

by Suz

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Anthropologie

By Anthropologie Flocked Menswear Pants

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Top Pick

Anthropologie

Maeve | Anthropologie The Colette Cropped Wide-Leg Pants by Maeve: Faux Leather Edition

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Top Pick

Anthropologie

The Hadley Relaxed Buttondown Shirt by Pilcro: Velvet Edition

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Top Pick

Bloomingdale's

RAILS Trea Pleated Top

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Top Pick

Zara

Crinkle Effect Midi Skirt Zw Collection

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Top Pick

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View Info

1 day ago

Murph11

Veteran

I hope you feel reassured by your choices this year after reviewing your numbers, Carla. Also, I believe you're mentioned your fits have changed, which likely added to your spending, right?

I do not track, but I am fully aware that my wears certainly hit the 3-digit space on my core everyday pieces these days.

"They" say we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. Well, I might wear 15% / 90%! Ha ha ha!

1 day ago

Irina

Veteran

Well, with your weight change and using smaller size wardrobe, the turn over is to be expected. I think that you work hard in using your wardrobe to the fullest extent while progressing tremendously with the development of your style. And it shows. In my opinion, your latest outfits are outstanding!
I’m planning to use a new shopping strategy for the next year:
1. put more effort into building shoe and bags collections.

2. Be open to new ideas.

I have more clothes than I need and my shopping list consists of 4 items. At the same time, I know that I will still be attracted to new things. I hope that if I decide to buy some new (or new to me) it will be for joy.

1 day ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I worry about donated items and where they end up too. A lot of ours make their way to Papua New Guinea where they are apparently a mixed blessing as they can be much cheaper for people there to buy but also reduce their ability to make clothing in their own country. That’s good that the thrift store actually called for items, maybe some will sell within your own community.
I have been trying to do #30 wears for about 7 years now. It’s almost 8 years since I joined the forum and at first I was trying for 20 wears before I read about the #30 wears from a post of Jenn’s, within the first year I think. When I had my own weight loss about 2-3 years after joining many of my pants still fit, strangely? I think it was because they had elastic waists? And my thighs remained similar, I reduced my waist more than thighs and hips. I have also now regained about 3 kg of the 12 I had lost. This meant I had to donate one thrifted pair of pants to my daughter and my white jeans fit me better again.
I don’t think you can help having to churn clothing with a weight change unless they are elastic waists, tunics, looser fitting items that won’t drown you in fabric.
I have a new plan- The Rule of Five by a UK former fashion editor named Tiffanie Darke. It’s to do with the effect of the fashion industry on the planet as a whole. It’s very demanding but I think I have met it in my first year, this calendar year. It has meant that only one of my purchases this year has really “sparked joy”. I’m hoping to continue to get joy from other things like my family.

1 day ago

Olive Green

Veteran

I always think of you as having a very tight, very workable wardrobe. I love a workhorse thrifted item, also. Buttoned shirts are easy to find. Totes want a ball gown skirt.
I seem to have an optimizing shopping strategy. Somewhere where quality and my price point cross, and it’s not too tragic, lol. Basics are important, as my style is pretty basic, and frankly, quality is so poor in stuff like tshirts and linen, that the churn is inevitable. Looking RATE is ok till you look shabby, fine line. Angie looks great walking dogs, and I have been inspired.
Some churn is age related. Feet and shoulders and waist are very fussy about fit. One pinch and they hit the donate pile. Nope. Such luxury, to say no. My younger self was ridiculously uncomfortable sometimes!
My luggage got a lot smaller. Eyeglasses come and go with eye changes. I cant read watches, so they are out. My 2 handbags are hand held now, shoulder straps started to feel constraining…the list goes on.
And I have simple wardrobe requirements after leaving work and extended travel behind. People with more complicated lives and more roles to fulfill are going to have a lot of churn, I imagine.

18 hours ago

Lisa

Veteran

When I lived in NJ which was a 4 season state, 30 wears in a year would have been almost impossible to do. I would've needed a very small wardrobe, because every 3 months our weather was changing temperatures and so were my clothes.

Now that I'm in NC, we have a much longer warm weather season and layering pieces (such as graphic tees) can get worn for many months. That's certainly helped my wears numbers. However, I do like to dress in seasonal colors and prints, so for those items it takes a few years to get to 30 wears (a great example is Christmas tees and sweaters which only get worn for a little over a month every year).

Core items such as joggers and jeans and footwear are always my heavy repeat items in a year, and reach 30 wears much faster than tops, especially jackets and blazers, which I don't wear as often due to our generally warmer weather and WFH lifestyle.

I have a pair of sneakers at 200 wears, but they were purchased in 2020, so they are already 4 years old.

My cold weather items (sweaters and coats) get a low number of wears every year. We aren't cold that long. I'm still working on breaking the habit of looking at and buying sweaters because I'm used to a longer cold weather season. I'm also still working on expanding my warm weather clothes, because those get worn more often.

You've done an excellent job of wearing your new additions quite often for only 1 year of ownership. That shows how well you've curated your wardrobe and how wise you've been with your purchases. It's inspirational! Bravo!

6 hours ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I don't track wears but I try to avoid buying any new clothing items. I did buy new shoes last year but I think that is it. There is just SO MUCH available second hand. The problem of disposing donations that either don't make it to the sales floor of a charity shop, or else do make it and are not sold, is real. Hardly a third of donations even have a chance of being sold in my experience. Better recycling might be the only solution, if it is even possible. On the topic, I recommend the Buy Now documentary on Netflix. It is not about clothes specifically but consumption related waste and how it is embedded in the profit making systems of large corporations.

5 hours ago

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