What do you consider a large wardrobe? - YouLookFab Forum

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What do you consider a large wardrobe?

catgirl

Veteran

Vix was partially right in saying I have a lot in my closet, but as far as what I actually wear regularly, it's very little of what's in there. In fact, I still have the "what the heck am I going to wear" struggle every morning!

I'm working my way through the orphan skirts and have purged a lot. In terms of what I need for winter and the various aspects of my life, I don't feel I have an excessive amount of clothing - i'm just overwhelmed by the piecemeal nature of my wardrobe and how to make anything work together.

As far as true careerwear only (including business casual), I have:

5 multi-season dresses in regular rotation
6 skirts - more if I add in orphans and business casual
6 blazers/jackets I use regularly
8 tank/shells
8 cardigan sweaters

And then of course a lot of these items that I wear now and then. I think I may follow in Kate's footsteps and do a spreadsheet (Kate, you do this, right?) so I can catalog duplicates like black tank tops and skirts. I have lots of black in this category.

Do you feel you have a large wardrobe or not? (and I'd love details on what that means to you...) Are you happy with it and why or why not?

I know Kim, Vix, Jean and others maintain a relatively small in/out closet, and I think MaryK has a fairly extensive one....

General

56 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Queen Mum

Veteran

I call a weeks worth of clothes (of a given season) a very small wardrobe.
A month's worth or more of clothing I would consider a large wardrobe.
I currently could dress for about 3 weeks without repeating (other than bottoms). I have 7 daily wear dresses, 6 smarter dresses, a few dressy dresses and 10/12 summer weight tops. Most could work in the smart casual realm, a few relegated to a day at home/casual errand type thing.
ETA-- I should clarify that this is only a quick count of my summer items in these categories. There is much more than what I stated above in my closet actually.

So, I would say that I have a varied, not tiny, but not large wardrobe. Hmmm, not too big, not too small but juuuuust right!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm in the same boat (again - shock! hee hee) as you here. I feel I've done a good job whittling it down but I still have 158 pieces.

55 tops - 15 tanks/ 15 short slv/ 15 long slv/ 10 layer tanks
15 sweaters of all kinds
20 jeans and pants
10 shorts/capris
25 jackets (from vests to hoodies to wool overcoats)
17 dresses
2 tunic/sweaterdresses
14 skirts - 4 maxi/2 mini

I do still have the issue of 2 dominant seasons because I split my time from mountains to beach so all things considered, I think I'm doing okay. I'd like to get down to 150 items total. And once we move back home to Tahoe for good I may even be able to scale back to 100 someday. Someday . . .

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MsMary

Veteran

A year and a half ago I had a VERY small wardrobe -- just about a week's worth of work clothes and a couple of weekend outfits.

These days I think my wardrobe is verra big, bordering on unmanageably big. It turns out that although I like to shop and buy stuff, and I like to have the perfect thing for every occasion, I also really like the things I like, and I like to wear them a lot. And having too many clothes means I don't get to wear any given piece as often as I'd like.

I have 4 linear feet of tops, 2-1/3 linear feet each of skirts and jackets, and about 1-1/2 linear foot each of dresses, pants, and cardi's. A million shoes (close to 60 pair). A week's worth of workout wear. One drawer of sweaters. Half a dozen pair of shorts. Maybe 8-10 various outerwear coats and jackets.

I'm going to count the pieces when I get home...

yellowgirl

I have a very small wardrobe, which I prefer, actually. Right now, I own 35 pieces of clothing - total (not including workout gear). That encompasses my MOTG, smart casual and business wear capsules.

Part of this small number is due to the fact that my entire wardrobe is brand new and I'm still losing weight, so I don't want to invest a lot of money until I'm done losing. But even then, I'm a minimalist and would be paralyzed by too many options. For me, fewer items that I love is more freeing. I love the capsule mix-&-match concept and am working toward creating that with my wardrobe.

I have about 3.5 linear feet of closet space and I limit myself to whatever fits neatly in that space. Period. I have a cubby that holds 15 pairs of shoes, so I limit myself to 15 shoes each season.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I don't think a big wardrobe is a bad thing as long as you can effectively manage it. I started rebuilding my wardrobe after having DD2 and as I'm on a budget it is still very small, I think a large wardrobe takes time and patience to build. I now have four pairs of jeans one skinny, one cream, one red, one purple (okay five if I include my serious housework pair) and they all serve different purposes. I guess UNECESSARY or frivolous duplication would be a sign of an overly large wardrobe IMO.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I've been thinking about other forum members' small wardrobes lately. Of course I would love to have a small perfectly functional wardrobe of all things I love that play well together. Realistically this just doesn't work for me. We have 4 distinct seasons and no one dominant season. In addition I wear 2-4 pieces at a time, and have 3 costume changes per day based on my different roles (working professional with a wide degree of freedom in what I wear but high standards for myself, GOTG, and worm digger/puppy chaser).

Like you, I am in the midst of a complete wardrobe overhaul and I'm a little bit tired, and kind of broke from shopping all the time, and still feeling like I have legitimate holes to fill. But I'm also feeling very calm when I walk into my closet and feel like I have the appropriate attire for almost any situation I might face at work or on the weekends. I am starting to understand that it is an ongoing process - the closet purge continues and I am going to want updates every season. Eventually this will just be a few updates each season instead of an entire seasonally appropriate wardrobe.

For me the process of going from closet chaos to closet calm was two part: letting go of the "not quite right" things in my closet, and giving myself permission to purchase new things that are flattering and stylish, even if they are full price.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Rita, I love your last paragraph!

MNsara

Veteran

I have let my wardrobe get too large and varied for my comfort level. I also feel that I don't get to wear the things I really like often enough during their season, but I LOVE to shop. . .

I agree with Kim's assessment of three week's of outfits for any given season seems to be an sufficient size wardrobe. Even just two weeks worth would mean too many reruns and predictability for me.

Una, your business count didn't include business pants, but adding in a few pair and would you easily have three weeks worth of outfits? What would you need to make 15 outfits? A different jacket or two? A blouse or two?

yellowgirl

I think modgirl has some really good points - regarding the climate in which a person lives and the number of costume changes per day a person generally does.

In regards to my love for the whole small wardrobe/capsule thing - the thing that makes it work for me is that I've promised myself that at the end of each season, I can get rid of everything and start all over again purchasing a new capsule when that season rolls around again the following year. This gives me the mental freedom that I'm not stuck with these items for the rest of my life (but I can keep the truly great ones around if I want to). I crave variety and I love to shop, so knowing that I can shop for a new small capsule of things I love each season keeps me excited and keeps things fresh. Don't mean to be rambling, but this realization was a big one for me.

catgirl

Veteran

MNsara, I completely forgot about dressy pants! Thanks for the reminder! I hardly ever wear them in summer, so I just ignored that component. I have about 6 pairs of dress pants for each season, but I tend to reach only for the black or tan ones. Would love to find the right red pair. Mostly my dress pants are from the Gap as their sizing works well for me in length.

yellowgirl, what a great approach. Sometimes I just need to hear the same thing with a different spin, and that was a good spin!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think the fact that I haven't really changed size (or jobs) over the last two decades means I have a lot of holdovers. Yellowgirl's approach, starting over fresh each season, is so polar opposite to mine it would leave me trembling. I tend to think in terms of having something until it wears out or becomes outdated. That's likely why my wardrobe isn't tiny. It's 5 years of accumulations, with some weeding, but no complete overhauls.

catgirl

Veteran

Mo, same here! Only recently has my size changed. So my wardrobe has simply accumulated over the years with no real weeding or analysis. I'm really not that much of a shopaholic, but I am so overdue for an overhaul.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have a pretty small wardrobe. My husband and I share a closet, so half a standard/smaller closet (three feet with one hang bar), a set of shelves that divide the closet and one dresser is all I have to work with (plus a lingerie chest for accessories). I was just thinking the other day that my closet is actually starting to fill up a bit; and that's a good thing. If it gets to the point that I have things that I can't easily see or maneuver in my closet, it will be too large for me.

celia

Veteran

4 years ago I had a huge wardrobe, as in 2 months worth wear in every season and I would usually not wear half of it or even being creative with what I wore.And I would purge it every season and still couldn't get a hang of it.

After having DD my body changed and I needed to start from scratch. I was forced to look at my wardrobe and see cute things that I never wear and now they didn't fit.

I start buying new things and realise that when you have a budget to get dressed I do buy only what I feel looks good and works with other things in my wardrobe.

Right now I have a small wardrobe an love it. Of course I still feel the need to fine tune it so that all the outfits have the same vibe but can get dressed for almost anything.

I don't have specific numbers but , like Khris I share a closet with DH and apart from winter coats and acessories , every thing is there.

Jonesy

Veteran

Hmmm, well "bigness" seems somewhat relative, right :)? I think I remember Taylor mentioning that her closet is actually a spare bedroom...I like MaryK's description of her linear feet of clothes too! I have my own small walk-in closet, plus a second small walk-in for overflow/off-season/holding-until-I-decide-to-purge, etc. I have lots of stuff, but I've gone through several purges recently (got rid of maybe 4 large black garbage bags full of clothes). I admire people with a small, beautifully-integrated wardrobe, but I have realized that I am really on Team New and Novel: I love to wear new combinations of new stuff a lot! I live in a four-season climate, so I am always thinking ahead to the new season, which suits me very well.

Since finding YLF and Angie, my buying has become so much more focused. For example, I had tons and tons of cardigans, and I would always buy more, because I love the idea of a cardigan, all snuggly and warm. But then I realized that I rarely wear them to teach (too hot, plus I like the authority and structure of a jacket, I realized), so do I really need 40 cardigans for lounging around the house, especially when I tend to wear the same lounge wear over and over again? I am buying higher-quality items too; I've become really picky about fit, finishes, etc.

Are you going to show us a pic of your actual closet? I have to admit to being verrra (to quote MaryK) curious about what's in that magical kingdom :).

Aida

Veteran

I think mine is in the "medium" size, but currently the bulk of what I wear borders on "small". I know every piece that is in my closet though, and I think that is key to wardrobe management of any size (even if you don't have them memorized, you should be able to easily see what you've got).

catgirl

Veteran

Jonesy, my husband and I share a walkin closet which is all mixed up (my dresses are next to his shirts, and so on), plus it stores all the linens. I will take photos -
there really isn't all that much in there.

Wow, you sound like me in terms of what you like (except more disciplined).

Never thought of the linear foot measurement idea!

Briar

@maryk-I'm anxiously awaiting your definition of verra big, because I think mine might be verra, verra big and I know it's a problem for me.

Trying to contemplate how many weeks worth of outfits hurt my head. I live in a 4 season climate, change pant/skirt size several times a year with the same 5 lb weight loss/gain, and I don't like to wear the same outfit often. I'm hoping I can still be helped!

Mellllls

Veteran

I have a large wardrobe, but in all honesty I dont add much to it these days. And by necessity if I do add to it, then I cull something else. We recently purchased our first home and I honestly rejected alot of homes because of not enough closet space!
Another wrinkle (which will change after we move), laundry is very difficult where I currently live so I go much longer than the average person between loads of laundry. As a result, besides having more underwear, bras, socks, than the average person, I also have more pairs of jeans, dress pants, and camisoles so that I have the ones I want even if they are in the laundry. I wonder if this will change when I have my own washer/dryer.
But I love my large wardrobe!

MsMary

Veteran

Okay, I just counted. Give or take whatever might be in the laundry or at the cleaners:

75 tops
24 skirts
25 non-outerwear jackets
8 day dresses
3 evening/cocktail dresses
18 pair of pants
21 cardigans
6 pair of casual, non-workout shorts
5 pullover sweaters

5 pair workout shorts
5 pair workout capris
6 workout tanks
16 workout tees

8 outerwear coats/jackets

That's 201 pieces including outerwear.

Plus

34 scarves
20 handbags
about 60 pair of shoes

Marley

Veteran

Gosh - I'm not sure that I can count my wardrobe pieces - that just seems so overwhelming to me - which, I know, is indicative of a wardrobe OUT OF CONTROL! And inspite of all of the work I've done the last 10 months, I'm still really floundering. I know that I currently have a large wardrobe - but unfortunately, I do not know of all of the pieces that comprise that large wardrobe. Depressing.

Jonesy

Veteran

MaryK, I think we might have similarly-sized wardrobes, though I think I have more sweaters :).

Una, I'm no closet organizer or fashion stylist, but I'm going to take a stab that having your clothes interspersed with your hubby's as well as the linens might be contributing to your morning "what should I wear?" challenges!! I think that arrangement would drive me absolutely nuts. Can't you put his stuff on one side and yours on the other, then arrange your stuff by category (shirts, skirts, jackets, etc.)? That seems like it might help, no?

Maya

Veteran

I have a tiny wardrobe, simply because I don't have the space for a big or even average one. I'm living in around 400 sq. feet, including kitchen and bathroom. Even given the small amount of clothes I have, I can barely fit all of it.

It's funny, though, because my coworkers will often tease me about how I never wear the same thing twice. Their wardobes are even smaller than mine. It's just part of life in a large city with tiny apartments--probably why NYers have this reputation of wearing a lot of black.

Looking at some of the numbers here I am utterly shocked. I just can't imagine having that much (although I'd like to). It's so ironic. It seems like those who believe in a small, efficient wardrobe have the most clothes. Meanwhile I want a huge, totally impractical wardrobe and yet just don't have the accommodations for it.

I can't really advise about what is big or not. I just have to live within my limitations and leave it at that.

Aida

Veteran

Oh my, I'm with Jonesy: if there's ANY way to separate your clothing so that it's at least mostly all together that would probably help you tremendously! I know that I had a much easier time with all my stuff once I organized it; without having my clothes all in one place, in their little sections, and in their pretty colors, I'd have a much harder time keeping track of what I've got.

Lisa

Veteran

A large wardrobe to me means I can wear everything only once for an entire month. Or even two months before repeating.

Before YLF my wardrobe was a wreck, not only did I not wear a large portion of it (at least half or more) but I was doing a lot of repeat purchasing.

It's taken me 6 months to properly catalog my entire wardrobe into a spreadsheet and get the hang of tracking how often I wear items. This makes me realize I need a much smaller wardrobe to be happy. My end goal (probably another year) is to have enough items to wear everything twice in a month. More often than that, and I get bored. Although I notice I do favor items.

The spreadsheet helps me track my clothes and plan outfits. When I see something is going unworn, I remix it into an outfit. If it is not worn by the end of the season (I am a 4 season region) off to the donation bin it goes.

Currently I own:
Blazers 13
Sweaters that I cannot layer (too bulky) 13
Cardigans 19
Long Sleeve Shirts/Blouses 6
Sweaters/Knit Tops I can layer with 17
Long Sleeve T-Shirts 20
Jeans/Trousers 16
Dresses 9
Skirts and Shorts 7
Boots 10
Pumps 9
Sandals/Flip Flops/Sneakers 11
Belts 10
Handbags 11
Scarves 17
Tanks for layering 17
T-Shirts for layering 13
Short Sleeve Shirts/Blouses 18

Totals 236 items! Clearly I need to do more purging of my closet.

I also have an additional 52 items currently on hold in a second closet.

I've also donated/swapped 117 items since January. And there are still plenty of items I have that I feel less than 100% fab in but have not been able to move on to a new home yet. It's a slow process for me to wardrobe purge. My goal by the end of this year is to have everything in one closet (currently I am split between two of them).

One additional issue I am working on is, when I cannot put together an outfit or I feel less than fab with a particular outfit, I run out the buy a new outfit to make me feel "put together again." This is often an impulse purchase, which I am working on controlling. As with many things in life, my wardrobe and purchasing habits are a work in progress.

catgirl

Veteran

It's really not that bad. It's the way the closet is configured with this sort of 70s proto-California Closet shelving that is wood - my dresses have to go in the space where there is length, and his shirts would hit the floor where my skirts now hang. I will see if I can rethink the whole thing somehow...

catgirl

Veteran

Lisa and Mary (and everyone else counting their clothes), I am impressed! I should do a count and a spreadsheet just so I know what's in there now. Then I can come up with career combos and other capsule ideas. Phew!

Jonesy

Veteran

Okay, I've just done a basic count of what's in my main closet, not counting my full laundry basket, my dresser, my outerwear, or my second closet, and I have about 350 clothing items.....(no time to divide by category...). But everything is organized by type, use, and color so I can see exactly what I have :).

Mellllls

Veteran

Maya, you may give off the impression you never wear the same thing twice if you regularly replace your clothing. While I will never count the number of items I know (that is just too much for me), I have 90" of rail space in my closet. I also have 2 small dressers and a few things in my husband's closet.

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