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Wardrobe counting - how small is a small/tiny wardrobe?

harmonica

Veteran

Inspired by my mini wardrobe overhauling (not done yet...) and citygirldc's post on her many lovely dresses, I decided to count the items in my wardrobe. I excluded underwear, camis, hose, sports-/home-/dirty work / winter sports wear and shoes / boots. By the number of citygirls dresses, I thouhgt that I must have a very small or tiny wardrobe. The main colours revolve around black, grey, white, blue and green + a few red items,

Dresses, long or 3/4 sleeve: 4
Dresses, without or short sleeve: 8
Tunic: 1
Skirt, winter: 3
Skirt, all year (incl 1 denim + 1 pencil): 6

Trousers (chinos, tricky one): 4
Jeans: 3
Leggings: 2

Jumper /sweater: 5
Blouse, long or 3/4 sleeve: 9
Blouse, sleeveless: 5

Cardi, wool: 5
Cadri, cotton, silk, linnen: 5

Cashmere v-neck: 1

Coat, winter: 2 + 1 parka
Coat, spring: 1 + 1 trench
Blazer: 2

Assorted jackets, anoraks, rain coat: 5

My ultimate dream is to have a *small*, but functional and versatile capsule wardrobe where I don't have to bother about shape to wear an item, i.e. tricky trousers which need specific styling to work http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....age-blouse. I also want to let all dead items go.

How is your wardrobe? Is your fantasy wardrobe small og large? Are you close to or far from your fantasy?

PS Some of the items in the photo are deleated from my wardrobe.

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17 replies

Latest reply was from harmonica

Kirti

(website)

Veteran

I have less stuff than you and while there are still some holes, I find that I can still use the stuff I have in a lot of interesting and different ways. So I definitely vote for a compact wardrobe with some versatile and fun pieces. I still have days when I have 'nothing to wear' but overall, I am pretty happy

harmonica

Veteran

After joining YLF, I have actually come up with more and other combinations than earlier, so I don't think it's hard to have a small wardrobe. But I long for more colours. I also discovered that I don't need many trousers/jeans because I prefer dresses and skirts.

Makrame

Veteran

I had a post recently where I counted my "actively worn" wardrobe items (meaning everything that fits well and is not on its way out), and the numbers were slightly higher than yours. This list does not include summer items (like very lightweight dresses or skirts)

Jeans - 6
Trousers - 3
Skirts - 5
Dresses (long or 3/4 sleeve) - 4
Shirts and blouses - 10
Sleeveless tops - 4
Long-sleeved t-shirts - 5
Turtlenecks - 6
Pullover sweaters and knit tops - 7
Cardigans - 7
Jackets - 5
Knit jackets - 3
Waistcoats - 1

I don't consider my wardrobe to be small (I still don't have a chance to wear some of these more than a handful of times over the course of the season) and I would not want it to be any bigger. It is very functional - I don't have trouble getting dressed in the morning (well, most days - there are some day when nothing looks right ), and I am able to put small travel capsules together when needed. So I would say my dream is to continue maintaining a relatively small wardrobe and not let it get out of hand and grow too big.

Oh, and I have a lot of color in my wardrobe - I love bright colors. Somehow, most of them seem to coordinate with at least some things in my wardrobe. I have red, burgundy, olive, cobalt blue, orange, teal - they all work pretty well with the supporting cast of black, navy and grey.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Mine is smaller than it was but not small. It fits in a 4' closet and 6 drawer dresser, with coats in a second 3' closet.
I have:

18 dresses

12 skirts

45 tops (about 15 each of tank, short and long sleeve)
10 layer tanks and tees

5 blue jeans
6 colored jeans/pants
4 trousers

7 shorts

10 cardigans
4 pullover sweaters

14 blazers & jackets
6 overcoats
4 hoodies

But I have been moving from snow to beach and back 4 times over the last decade, so I have two distinctly opposite climates to dress for. Ideally I'd have a bit less than this if I stayed in one place.

Tanya

Veteran

My wardrobe is pretty large, and I am actually afraid to count the items in it. For example, I have ~20 pairs of jeans (blue, black, grey and white/cream together), but I wear jeans a lot - 80% of the time at work and about 50% of the time outside of work.
However, what for me also matters is the climate- I live in the 4-season one which requires almost everything imaginable other than a shearling coat ; and lifestyle - I need many different capsules, from casual to formal, for various roles in my life. I am also an early adapter of trends, and get bored easily.
My dream wardrobe would probably be the same size as my current one, but much better edited and much more current - I have been doing some version of SYC for almost 2 years now.

Louise

Veteran

Looking at these numbers my wardrobe must be tiny!! I'm sure I have way less that some of you I NEED to do some counting x

Meghan R

Wow, now I think that my closet is really tiny! I'll have to count, but I think I have a lot less. It's fun to see the variety in closet size.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I have two wardrobes, one casual and one for work. I have more than you, but not terribly much more. Plus some of it has not earned its keep and will be purged.

harmonica

Veteran

Makrame: the colour combinations you mention seems wonderful.

Mo & Tanya: I totally agree with living with different seasons makes an extra dimention to get your wardrobe work. I just discovered that I feel difficulties getting an outfit right when early spring comes because it is still cold, but I long for lighter clothing and more colours. I also discovered that I want more coral and tangering, as well as kelly green. Pre YLF, I never thought about colours like I do now.
You are so right about the need to cover your different roles. When staying at home with a baby, I had no need for work wear -- or my work wear had to be mommy functional. Now I have more roles to cover, but I do feel that my current wardrobe works pretty well.

Louise & Megan: counting helped me figure out that I have more than enough trousers / jeans, though I need to edit and replace some of the chinos. But I don't feel an urgent need to do it because I'm pretty well covered.

I did the exercise of "one in two/three out" to weed my closet efficiently. Now I don't count every item like that, but after letting go of 9 items the other day, I feel that I've done some duty. I still have some shoes and other stuff I need to get rid of too. I've been om SYC since feb and after joining YLF it actually became easier.

I find a small wardrobe more efficient in terms of CPW and knowing each and every item. I also love the challenge of how I can organize and style the items I have, though I must say that I love getting now stuff two. I'm not an ascetic

Anonymous

I kept my winter wardrobe pretty teeny-tiny but now we are coming into my dominant season so I'm giving myself permission to accumulate more summer clothes. Like you I long for more color. Last summer I was into denim/neutrals with maybe a pop of color (usually turquoise). This summer I'm collecting some brights and mid-tones and I'm finding that I want to wear color *with* color (which I used to associate with the very elderly). Not including swim/workout/sleep/under wear, I have:

2 pr jeans (white and blue)
1 moto
1 trench
2 blazers (black and navy)
2 cropped denim jackets (white and blue)
1 summer dress
5 skirts
1 pr shorts
1 long sleeve striped T
3 button front shirts
7 summer tops
2 cardis
3 cropped summer cardis (if you count the two I recently stole back from DD)

For my (one day a week) volunteer work wardrobe I have
1 black skirt
1 white blazer
4 colored button front shirts
1 grey sheath dress

In addition I have
6 neutral short sleeved layering Ts
about 6 scarves
maybe 5 handbags
and about 12 pr shoes

This number is constantly fluctuating as things come in and go out. I'd like to collect more summer dresses and tops--maybe even skirts but they have to be long enough.

Meredith1953

Veteran

I better go do some counting. Mine all fits in one regular closet and two drawers. I consider my wardrobe "smallish" but not as small as it needs to be. I am still in the process of deciding what I need to keep till I find a replacement and what I need to just purge. Ultimately I want most of my wardrobe to work together. I want it "lean and mean" and I absolutely am adoring scarves to help add some much needed color and pattern.

Makrame

Veteran

Those of you with tiny wardrobes - how often do you repeat the same item or a combination? I know that I could reduce my wardrobe by 1/3 and still have enough clothes for all seasons but going below that would be a struggle. I probably repeat most of my "bottoms" at least every week or every other week. But I have some things that only work for about 1/3 of the year - for example, wool cardigans are great in the winter but cannot be worn in late spring/early fall etc. I love bootcut jeans but switched to wearing more skirts or skinny jeans in the winter to avoid wet hem issues due to snow etc. Do you keep your wardrobes very lean by focusing on a few specific silhouettes that work for most weather conditions?

Meredith1953

Veteran

Oh... I have really only 5 pairs of pants that are appropriate for work and two of those pairs are probably going away. I definitely repeat myself a LOT!! Just look at some of my posts and you will see all the "usual suspects" over..and over...and over....

Isabel

Veteran

This is just so coincidental. While my kids swam at the Y today, I planned out a summer wardrobe and took stock of what I can carry from winter into Spring. Mine is small right now. I gained allot of weight and I am starting seasons almost from scratch. I literally have nothing from last summer that fits. I also don't know what size I will be in June, so I am planning out what I think a reasonable summer capsule will be.

Thus far, my goal is to have the following :

3 dresses
3 skirts
3 pairs of walking shorts ( one of these will be supplex for activewear )
1 pair linen pants
1 pair capris
6-10 "floaty" tops
1 button down linen shirt
3-4 lightweight camis

I have 10 pairs of Spring/Summer shoes.

Outside of this plan, I have 10 jackets. A couple of knit, 2 utility/safari, 3 denim, 1 leather, 1 faux leather, 1 canvas

I have about 10 sweaters and 4 sweater coats. I also have 1 lightweight wool vest, 1 linen vest, and 2 lightweight sweater vests.

I have, maybe 5 long sleeve Ts that fit me. I have 3 denim shirts ( 1 dots, 1 dark rinse, 1 light rinse )

I have 3 tunics.

7 button down shirts.

1 red jeans

7 pairs blue jeans different silhouettes and rinses and heel heights

2 pairs ponte knit pants

2 winter shifts

1 ponte knit wrap dress

13 pairs of boots ( including 3 winter boots, ankle and bootie )

7 pairs of other shoes

I have always wanted a small, manageable wardrobe. So this summer, I am going to experiment with 29 pieces of clothing for 80 days with one add in ( a wild card ) as I see fit. Even that seems extravagant. This will hopefully somewhat easy since I am deterred from buying too many things since I have no idea what size I will be in a 1 month, much less a year !

ETA : I do have about 6 winter coats, 1 long trench with liner, 1 short trench, a Spring quilted coat.

harmonica

Veteran

clearlyclear: seems like you have a wonderful, functional wardrobe. As mentioned, dominant climate and social and work related roles are important when building a wardrobe that works for you.

Meredith: I'm all with you when you say "clean and mean" And I also love all your wonderful scarves. They really add a twist to an outfit. I think I'll add a scarf or two with the colour I crave, instead of buying a larger item.

Makrame: some of the stuff I have is just 1-2(!) a year because of being very dressy. And a lot of my wool cardi's are autumn + winter wear. The same goes for summer clothes. But I do repeat an item or combination quite often. I think of repeating as efficiant, economic and good, especially if you have some outfits that you feel really good in. Talking about siluettes, I just discovered that, so I havn't been thinking of that when shopping.

harmonica

Veteran

Meredith: good to hear that you also are familiar with "the usual suspects" I think I'll rename my workhorses to that frase

Isabel (MA): Sounds like your goal is really well thought through. Weight loss is a huge change and your challenge seems really interesting! You have to keep us updated on your journey

harmonica

Veteran

about repeating: I have a small lookbook kept in my drawer and that makes it easier to pick an outfit for the next day, or do some other styling based on some of the looks. That means a lot of repeating for me