tops : bottoms ratio -- what does your closet look like? - YouLookFab Forum

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tops : bottoms ratio -- what does your closet look like?

LaPed

Veteran

When I browse wardrobe-building or capsule-oriented sites, especially the ones with a minimalist bent, I often come away with the impression that women's wardrobes have at least twice as many tops as bottoms. There seems to be an emphasis on acquiring versatile bottoms that go with anything, dress up/down, and then playing around more with tops and having a wider variety.

Do most women wear their bottoms multiple times before laundering, whereas shirts are more of a one-shot deal for most people? I'm pretty sure my pants get dirty at least as fast as my shirts. Or is the thinking that pants are pricier than tops, so it's more cost-effective to buy a wider variety of tops to create different looks?

Disregarding outer layers like jackets and blazers, what do you estimate your tops:bottoms ratio is, and are you happy with it? Do you own any "statement bottoms" like the skirts in Angie's Ensemble post from a couple weeks ago?

I ask because I constantly feel like I'm running out of pants. I have perhaps 6 pairs of "everyday" pants -- 3 denim and 3 in other materials -- and this really doesn't feel like enough, despite what the experts seem to suggest. (That doesn't count a couple pairs of gear pants and torn/stained "chore" pants, which I'm diligently trying *not* to wear on a daily basis). I don't have any pants right now that can really be dressed up, which is also feeling a bit problematic. I'm in a cold climate so my skirts and dresses are out of rotation for a couple of months. I don't mind skirts with leggings/tights if it's above freezing, but below freezing, I really prefer a pair of pants with a baselayer underneath. I generally wash pants after one or two wears, because any longer than that and they're too stretched out.

In contrast, I have about 15 tops in my current rotation, not including undershirts or lightweight tops that are summer-only. I don't think I need 15 pairs of pants to be happy, but I definitely feel like this is an ongoing wardrobe hole for me. Especially since I keep most of my pants in rotation year-round on all but the hottest days of summer.

Dressing

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Bonnie

Veteran

It sounds like you need more pants. I have about 10 pair of pants for cold and cooler days and 8 pairs of crops/shorts for hot days and feel that I have enough. I'm not sure about the ratio of tops to bottoms but it's probably 3 or 4 to 1.

Liz

Veteran

It sounds like, for your life, you need to buy some more pants.

I have about your amount, but I don't wash as often, especially in winter. Because washing wears fabric and wears out clothes, I try to wash only when the garment is actually dirty. If pants get stretched out between washings, I mist them and hang them to dry back in shape.

I probably have around 3 tops to one "bottom" (skirt / pants).

Style Fan

Veteran

I think it depends on lifestyle. I am retired and wear mostly casual clothes. I have 3 pairs of jeans that I wear regularly (I have others but they get little wear), 1 pair of black linen cropped wide legged pant, 1 pair of black slouch, 1 pair of brown linen wide legged pant, 1 pair of brown cotton flares, 1 pair of shorts and 1 pair of cords. I also have 2 skirts. That is 11 bottoms for all seasons. It works out to 4 pairs for cold weather and 7 pairs for warmer weather. I really need another pair of shorts. I am not counting dressy and funeral wear.
I have numerous tops. I never have enough tops. I wash my tops after a couple of wears. I don't see the need for that frequent a need to wash my bottoms.
I keep my wardrobe on the small side because I travel a lot. I can only put so much in my suitcase and then into the vehicle. We do have a roof top box. We go on trips for 2 or 3 months so I do need a reasonable amount of clothes but still they do have to fit in the car. And Sophie the dog takes up the whole back seat! She gets unhappy if she is squished. So would I.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

If you think you don't have enough pants, you're probably right. For practical reasons it makes sense to have more tops than bottoms, but there are all sorts of reasons for having loads of pants. Maybe you need it for your lifestyle. Or maybe you just like to vary the silhouette.

For instance, I like having a wide variety of bottoms because in general I prefer to keep things simpler on the top half. I'm an IT with broad shoulders, long arms and a large bosom so it's hard to find tops I like that fit well, whereas I've rarely met a pair of pants I didn't like.

My ratio is about two tops for each bottom. I wash tops more often because it's easy and they look better for it, whereas typically the fabric of skirts/pants suffers with too much laundering.

Disclaimer: I have about 200 items in my closet. Way too many of those are t-shirts.

LaPed

Veteran

It just occurred to me that many of my tops are merino, so I don't wash them often at all, part of why I don't run out of shirts. My casual pants are by and large all-cotton and withstand a fair amount of washing.

I also feel much less guilty letting my toddler use my jeans as a napkin than wool-top-as-napkin. (And when you have a little person in the house your pants are often right in harm's way while your torso is somewhat more out of the fray!)

As for warm-weather bottoms, I'm in even worse shape. I have three pairs of shorts, two of which are gear. (!)

I also feel like I'll just never be one of those people who can settle on one silhouette for pants. I'm not overly concerned with figure flattery, and happily wear straight, skinny, bootcut, wide leg, cropped, etc, with equal gusto.

approprio -- I have a lot of short sleeve graphic tees, but I get so cold in the winter that I really only break them out once spring arrives. If I counted all of my sentimental band tees, cute thrifted graphic tops, shirts from old jobs, shirts from political campaigns/volunteering, then my top:bottom ratio would be much higher and I would feel like I have an even bigger problem! But, in practice, I'm not actually going to wear those shirts for the next few months, unless I layer them over a thermal long sleeve.

StyleFan -- yes, I have traveled and moved around a lot in the past decade (my whole adult life) and that has kept my wardrobe on the small side, though I don't feel that it's truly minimalist, and I'm fine with that.

Sara L.

Veteran

I do laundry once a week and I like to have a different pair of pants for every day of the week. I don't always wash pants/skirts after wearing them if I don't feel they're dirty, but I don't want to wear them more than once a week. That's more because I get bored with my clothes than I'm worried about other people noticing that I'm wearing the same black pants twice in one week. So for me, that wouldn't be near enough bottoms.

My ratio is many more tops than bottoms, although I'm not sure of the exact numbers. My lifestyle requires work attire and casual attire so I have a wide variety of bottoms and tops.

Aziraphale

Veteran

I've got about twice as many tops as bottoms, and yes, as you suggest, I often wear the bottoms many times before washing them. The tops, on the other hand, must usually be washed after one wear because they come into direct contact with my underarms (whereas pants and skirts are protected by underpants).

Another point is that most of my pants cost three times as much as my tops. I mostly wear inexpensive jersey tops, whereas I'm happy paying several hundred dollars for bottoms, which will last far longer than just about any top. And yes, I have a number of "statement bottoms". Also quite a few "statement jackets", "statement coats", and "statement shoes".

I think I view tops as I view underwear: a necessary but unmemorable component of an outfit. That's because in my outfits, the top usually gets mostly covered up by a jacket of some kind, which I leave on for a lot of the day, whereas my bottoms and shoes are always visible. This is just me, however; I see lots of others who wear memorable statement tops. It's just that always feel constrained in a voluminous top -- I prefer, for reasons of comfort, to be able to take off my jacket if need be and only have a tee shirt underneath. (It has to be a well-fitting, nice tee shirt though. I wear both long and short sleeved ones, and they are not just plain boxy ones like boys wear. They have different necklines and hems etc). This has to do with habit and lifestyle -- I've never had to dress up for an office, and I'm currently an art student -- and also the fact that I get hot easily.

LaPed

Veteran

I've also noticed that since having a child I'm less likely to wear dresses/skirts and skew towards pants for pretty much all occasions. I think this is twofold:

1. Pants are way more practical when you're kneeling/squatting/bending on a regular basis.

2. I feel like having a small child in tow effectively announces to many/most people that I'm a hetero female, (for better or worse -- there's a whole lot of assumptions about gender and femininity tied up in momhood, but that's another discussion) and in response my tastes seem to be skewing towards androgynous/tomboy styles.

I've never had a real need for dressy pants before, as I always just went with skirts and dresses, but these days I'm liking the idea of elegant pants at events -- whether or not I have the kiddo with me.

Anonymous

Probably a 2 :1 ratio (top to bottom) for me too. This is for two reasons: pants and skits are hard to fit, and I have a really difficult time finding them. Hence I have few of them (not counting jeans or leggings ) . I dry clean them once or twice a season and spot clean where necessary. I am totally happy wearing the same bottom several times in a week - sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't!

rachylou

Veteran

Gosh, I don't know. Probably more tops than bottoms, but I have a lot of both. I don't need to wear for example, the same pair of pants with different tops during the week. On the other hand, my bottoms are more varied than my tops. I have a whole heck of a lot of black and grey turtlenecks. Every bottom is different. No repeats.

Gaylene

Veteran

If I exclude jackets and layering Ts, I'm probably a 4:3 ratio for tops to bottoms. I have slightly fewer bottoms than tops, but not by much. As an IT, bottoms are easy to fit as long as I stay with brands that have a straight, not curvy, cut. Tops are harder because I rarely wear patterns, find shirts difficult because of my broad shoulders and back, and generally prefer to wear neutrals on top instead of colours. Bottoms are just more fun because I can play with shapes, colours, detailing, and lengths. I rarely wear dresses because, unless they are a narrow shift style, one that fits on top is huge on the bottom.

retailgirl

Veteran

My ratio is probably 2 or 3 to 1, tops to bottoms. Most of my bottoms are dry clean and I wear them several times before they go to the cleaners. I'd like to have more bottoms,( I wear pants, mostly, seldom wear a skirt.) but there just aren't that many interesting pants out there. I'm a classic traditional dresser and would love some tweed or muted plaid pants but I only have two pair of plaid and one tweed in my closet. Spring summer is more problematic.

unfrumped

Veteran

Well, first I need to count!
That is on the agenda as part of my Organizing the holding zone post!

I think the " suggested" ratio is because of the theory that tops are more visible and memorable. Available in lots of colors and patterns, and may give more outfit bang for buck to vary them. I would say that tops are more represented in retail than bottoms, too.

I wear pants mostly, and I have a lot. But I think I have too many because pants are hard to fit and sometimes I
have been settling for less good fit when I woukc be better off to wear my favorites more often.
I would still probably have s fair amount because I like really warm pants fabrics in winter if I can find them, and wear them hemmed for booties with a slight heel. In summer I wear flatter lower vamped shoes and hens are different and slso I lijd to have s few washable cotton blend types for the hottest days, more because of hot car and errands than indoors at work per se.
So even though I have transeasonal pants, I also have summer v. Winter.
Skirts are similar due to legwear and fabrics. In " tights season" I go for skirts that look good with tight! I actually wear more then, because it's easier for me. In summer I wear nude hose anytime I wear a skirt to work, and I find dark flats + dark skirt+ pale legs more schtumpy On me,so I like to wear lighter or blended colors in skirt and wear nude or tan or similar footwear.
I still think these are my favorite options, but need fewer of each of them overall and am trying to keep the best.

LaPed

Veteran

unfrumped, yes I'm leaning towards adding some cozy winter-only pants (corduroy and heavier wool) because I don't love wearing denim in the winter. Denim really leant itself well to the two-season climate in Las Vegas, and the dry weather. Living in New England now, I feel like I don't really need any more jeans, just more options.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I have more tops than bottoms, but it's not a 2:1 ratio - maybe 3:2? I like to have two full weeks worth of unique outfits available for each season, since I do laundry once a week (obviously a lot of items work for more than one season) so six bottoms would be nowhere enough for me.

I'm with you, LP, often my jeans get dirtier than my top. As far as laundry goes, I don't think I wash bottoms that much less than tops. I do tend to wash sweaters and jackets less - anything that is a second layer and doesn't touch my skin directly. Sometimes I can get multiple days out of a pair of jeans, but often with spandex they bag out even if they're not literally dirty.

Sal

Veteran

Probably two bottoms to three tops across all seasons. I definitely need to work on winter tops this year after increasing summer bottoms this season.

This summer I have two pairs shorts, three pairs of cropped pants, two pairs of loose harem pants, and jeans (rarely worn) plus dresses and gear. Numbers seem about right but I wash clothes every day to keep up with sweaty gear and boys.

There are also some great drapey pants around now- some could be layered with tights for warmth.

Gigi

Veteran

Right now, I think I have probably twice as many tops as bottoms, but that is only because I gained weight in my bottom half and have had to stop wearing quite a few of my bottoms. Normally, I have probably twice as many bottoms as tops, and that is because I am very hard to fit on the top. Now that I have gained weight and am "curvy" but also petite, finding bottoms that fit is harder than finding tops that fit, so the proportion is skewing the other way! Argh.

From what it sounds like, you would definitely benefit from buying more bottoms. I think that it is assumed that there is more variety available in tops, and we sweat and make them dirty easier, which is the reason for the larger number of tops. But some of us just enjoy having more variety on the bottom. Even though I am starting to amass more tops, I still prefer my variety on the bottom.

LaPed

Veteran

Gigi, I also have a hard time with fit! I have an afternoon to myself today (family visiting) and just did some try-ons in a couple of shops. Struck out big time.

I don't have photos because I forgot, of course. But allow me to rant a little bit... I have pretty consistent measurements, somewhat "classic" proportions... a 25" waist and 35-6" hip. This should put me in a 0 according to most major retailers. But the 0s and 25s I tried on today were straight-up HUGE in the waist.

1. Tried Gap Girlfriend jeans, grey garment-dyed all cotton, in a 25 (smallest size available in-store) and they sat *below* my hipbone, and loosely. I don't think I could go down a size, because they were pretty snug around my calves.

2. Found a pair of black wool ankle pants (100% wool!) from J Crew in a local consignment shop. Size 0 and just huge all over. The waist sat so low they were no longer ankle pants, just regular-length pants. Slouchy fit achieved, I guess? I guess perhaps I need to try 00s from J Crew now. In my teens/early 20s I shopped at J Crew quite a bit. I weighed 10 or 15 lbs less than I do now, with narrower hips, and was mostly a 2 back then IIRC.

I guess it's been a while since I bought new clothes, because the size inflation and changing proportions are really throwing me for a loop. Is it worth getting cheapo pants for casual wear taken in at the waist? I did it with all my nicer "work pants" back when I was working but it feels so silly on pants that hardly cost more than the alterations will. Sigh. This is why I have no pants.

Gigi

Veteran

Wow, what a frustrating shopping trip for you! My hip measurement is about the same as yours, but my waist is 26.5, which helps a little bit. I know what you mean about pants being designed for a straighter figure, despite the fact that the hourglass measurements are what is normally seen in the sizing chart. I already struggle big time with the waist gapping, so I can't imagine what you have to deal with! Finding belts is probably difficult for you too.

I did find that the Old Navy curvy fit worked well when I was shopping the other day. I don't know if their curvy fit is for their pants as well as their jeans...Old Navy has quite a few different types of pants now, so maybe you could find something for a placeholder, just to experiment? If it were me, I wouldn't pay for alts on something that was cheap, because the item won't last very long. It would be better to find something at a higher-end store and pay for the alts on that.

As far as J. Crew, I did have some luck with their white jeans, because they are really stretchy. Some of the darkest washes there weren't so stretchy (though some of the midtone and lighter washes were stretchy; maybe the spandex content is different). I realize you weren't in-store, so you didn't have the luxury of trying on different cuts. I would maybe try a 25 in J. Crew...I have 25's that are a little too snug in the waist for me to wear, so maybe that size would work for you? I will say that J. Crew runs small compared to other retailers, IMO.

You could also try Loft curvy fit. From what I saw when I was in-store the other day, the curvys have a smaller waist than the corresponding regular size. You could maybe try a 25 here too? The pants fit me quite well at Loft, although I wasn't in love with any of the styles. Again, Loft would be a more cost-effective option just to get you some pants that fit while you look for something you'd like to invest more in. Some of their regular pants are quite stretchy too and might accommodate your shape.

Anonymous

I probably have 3-5 tops to every bottom. Many of my bottoms get worn in multiple seasons with appropriate tops for that seasom. I have 3 tops for my burgundy jeans ranging from a short sleeved tee to long sleeved blouse to plaid warm shirt. I would also wear other tops like pullover sweaters and turtlenecks, and sleeveless shirts and knits with the same jeans. I do not wash jeans every time I wear them and often use the freezer to avoid too many washings.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have WAY more tops than pants/bottoms simply because they are so much easier a fit for me. Shopping for tops is way less fraught than trying to cram my thighs into yet another too-slim-cut pair of jeans, or shimmy them up only to realize they are 2" too short in the inseam. I hate shopping for pants.

Aida

Veteran

Currently I'm at about 5:9 bottoms-to-tops, but a happier place for me would be more in the 2:3 to 4:5 range. Definitely love having a lot of variety in bottoms!

crazyone

Veteran

I'm with Janet and some others in that I have way more tops than bottoms because of fit issues. With only a few exceptions, I can generally buy tops online without trying them on and have them fit nicely. Bottoms (unless they're flared skirts)...not so much.

LaPed

Veteran

Gigi, thanks for the recs! I will have to check out Loft the next time I'm near one. Most of the clothes I've purchased new over the past several years have been from outdoor/gear brands like Artcteryx, Prana, Patagonia, etc, and I'm consistently 2 or 4 (still have to hunt for things that don't gap at the waist, but overall I've had pretty good luck), so it's weird to be switching back to "fashion" sizing and have everything be so big! The denim I have that fits is ancient and ranges from a 26 to a 28 depending the style so it's odd to be looking at 25s. The last time I shopped at malls, I don't think the "curvy" cuts were nearly as big a thing -- it was mostly just Lee brand mom jeans and such that came in "curvy" so I think I've avoided that designation when in fact it might be just what I'm looking for...

Gigi

Veteran

I would definitely check out some curvy fits just so that you can see what they're about. I don't know how long they've been more common...before YLF, I hadn't set foot in a decent mall for several years, and like you, I found that everything had changed. I used to wear a size 6 in bottoms and am now a 0 or a 2. It was frightening getting acclimated again, but it's nice to have more options. Back when I was in school, there were no curvy fits to speak of, and pants shopping was a nightmare!

Helen11

Veteran

I hear you on the need for more pants and more frequent laundering when you have a little person in tow. It has taken me years to consider skirts and dresses again! I have at least 3 tops for each bottom in use now (summer) and wear bottoms twice or more before washing . Except the white shorts!

Staysfit

Veteran

I definitely have more bottoms than tops. I'm currently more prone to wearing jeans, and I wear them once and wash. I never know what I encounter during the day at work around children, so washing is always the best plan! I have more than I need though. I'm working on increasing the variety of cuts and decreasing the overall number. I probably wear 6-7 pairs of them most frequently, but I have 12 hanging in my closet. The remaining pairs are worn, just less often.

Anonymous

Roughly fifty-fifty.

I have never met a pair of pants that I didn't seriously consider bringing home with me, but I have trouble buying tops. I literally have to force myself to buy tops. There is a nearly constant turnover in tops in my wardrobe because I am never quite happy with them. I very recently started buying more knits. I seem happier with them (for now).