what percentage of your wardrobe do you replace each year?

shedev

My wardrobe budget for the year is 2 items a month, which is 10% of the 240 pieces I want to get down to by the end of 2014. It made me wonder what percentage other people replace each year.

12 years ago

Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from farmermom

Meli

(website)

Active Member

I've never thought of it this way and honestly don't know! I usually cull and add but rarely 'replace'. I do need to replace 2 pairs of shoes, and recently replaced 2 cardigans for better ones, but I honestly rarely wear my clothes out to the point of replacing- just upgrading. Probably because I am so careful with my clothing (wear until dirty, wash on gentle and air dry most things) and up until recently had too much clothing.

12 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Typically a large number. It's one of the things that annoys me most about myself TBH.

12 years ago

Sharon

Veteran

Yeah, I have a very high turn-over too. I have given myself a pass for this year, as I had weight-loss and body changes to accommodate, but the Holy Grail for me is a wardrobe that I feel so good about that new purchases are kept to a minimum and are genuinely about replacing worn things or updating old things.

12 years ago

Gracie

Veteran

I hadn't thought about this, and it would be hard for me to calculate it. I'm blissfully ignorant of the total pieces in my wardrobe Except my bottoms, I do have a list of those. My out of season clothes are boxed so, to count everything would be a time-consuming undertaking, though I want to do it soon. I also add and purge without really replacing items and my goal is to have fewer items. I'm starting to see a bit more room in my closet, so I think I'm getting a handle on it. It's wonderful that you have such clear goals.

12 years ago

Anonymous

It varies and I suspect that it could be quite high in the coming year as most of my current wardrobe is several years old and thrifted then. I suspect more depends on job, life, and body changes than clothing wearing out.

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I haven't thought of it in terms of a percentage, but up until now my numbers have been really high. This is partly because I'm still in the process of building a closet and refining a style. But I would like to get to a place where I was not turning things over so quickly. It seems awfully wasteful.

12 years ago

Meli

(website)

Active Member

If we're talking turnover, I had A LOT this year. I had a baby last november and gained 50+ lbs. I lost most of it by july but am about 10lbs heavier than pre-pregnancy. I also nursed until literally this week, my chest is much larger than it was pre-pregnancy but has been shrinking over time. Even so, that only excuses maybe 1/5 of my purchases lol. The rest have been upgrades, mostly excused with the fact that I'm preparing for a (hopeful, yet likely) promotion.

12 years ago

shedev

Veteran

Thanks everyone for your replies. The whole concept of wardrobe management is still pretty new to me. Before I did the big purge, I had no idea how big my wardrobe was. It was just an untamed monster and it is still a work in progress. Babysteps. I bought a ton of stuff recently while revamping. I think this year is for refining. I cant really sustain a really high level of buying and maintain smaller wardrobe numbers.

12 years ago

April

Veteran

I've never counted total pieces, but I suspect that for me, the percentage replaced varies tremendously based on the circumstances of that year. The year I started reading YLF, for example, probably 90% was replaced. But I had very few clothes at that time and had only recently transitioned from grad school to a professional wardrobe, so it wasn't that many pieces.

Now I'm trying to build one central wardrobe at home and two mini-wardrobes in other locations, so I'll be this year will be an "adding" (not really replacing) year.

12 years ago

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I also don't think in percentage for replacement. I do purge all year round and so far my purge number more or less equalled the number of new pieces added (it was not intentional though).
However as I am trying to follow "one in - one out" strategy now it looks like I do need to decide which percentage to purge in order to get something new...thanks for the reminder to do it!

12 years ago

MRL

Veteran

I go through my closet twice a year- spring and fall and pull items I haven't worn in a year. I would guess that about 25% of the items go. I am actually hoping to lower this by doing a better job choosing clothes that fit well, are of good quality and are flattering. I will still need to cycle out items that are no longer fashionable, but that's all.

12 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

I am no help. LOL I have NO idea. The last two years I replaced 100% because I gained weight. So I have no idea what I am headed in to.

I do have a question : how do you decide how much you want to replace ?

12 years ago

deb

Veteran

I have never thought of a percentage. I usually purge as I go. For instance, I just put a sweater into the purge bag because it was a little too pilled for my my liking. Also a top that was work around the neck. They were both about two years old. I will replace them next fall with something more current.

12 years ago

froggiebecky

Veteran

Mine was a bit unusual this year, as I lost a fair bit of weight, but I had a 95% turnover (including socks and underwear). About the only things that didn't get replaced were shoes.

In a normal, non-weight change year, it's a lot lower--maybe 30%

12 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I've historically held on to things and am slow to purge. That is shifting, and I feel more natural turnover to come.
I had figured what would be replacement rates both through attrition and if I stuck with a 1 in 1 out. This is more a template and not the hard truth of my closet. In reality, I add, hold on for a bit, and then purge the items out of the category. Rarely do I 1 in 1 out in the same day I bring home the new item(s).

I'm aiming for 18 - 20 items next year and figure I will be purging more than that total amount by the end of it. Dresses in particular need to be culled down. I just don't wear them that much. So the 2 dress purchase rate should be changed to one dress in, 2 out, in reality. Looks like I have some tweaking to do to my list lol.

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12 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I don't have a percentage, and I don't outright replace items. I just phase in new ones, that will eventually replace favorites that are starting to show wear. Once a piece reaches a certain point of wear, I donate it. If that makes any sense? I guess what I am saying is, I'm not a one-in, one-out person. More of a go-with-the-flow.

This probably equates to about 6-8 replacement pieces a year, that are specifically going to (eventually) take the place of current favorite basics: white and black thin, longsleeve tees, black ponte pants, and currently, a replacement draped black skirt that will eventually take place of my black draped Kamali skirt that is starting to show wear.

Black leather pointy-toed pumps are on my list for replacement this year, and structured shorts in a neutral dark (black or grey), and white.

12 years ago

Peri

Veteran

I'm just guessing, but in past years I think the percentage was extremely low...and that isn't good either. I didn't buy much, and rarely purged and it was all one big mess of worn out and unhappy.

Now I think I purged at least 60% (guess, not math!) but I have not replaced 60%. My goal is to build slowly, keep the number fairly low, and when I get to full wardrobe happiness, purge and replace maybe 25% yearly, to keep from getting in such a schlump again.

12 years ago

farmermom

Active Member

I have been floating in and out of YLF for a couple of years. (I have been just a learning lurker, but I can't see pics until I post....no fun lurking and no learning without the pics!!)

I would say that my wardrobe has been a good 75% replacement every year or so- mostly because of doing the "it's on sale and mostly fits, so just buy it" treadmill. I'm now trying to get a good foundational wardrobe started so I can get on a different path.

12 years ago

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