How many outfits per child is enough?

[Ooblie]

Have 4dcs aged 8,7,5 and 2 and our wardrobes are constantly overflowing 🙈 I'm due a big cull now as they've outgrown a lot, and I'd really like to scale back and have less for them, as much of their stuff doesn't even get worn.

We do a load of washing every day, so there should be enough rotation that we don't actually need that much.

So, how much is enough? I was thinking something like:

Girls
10 pairs of leggings/pants
10 tops
2-3 hoodies/cardis
4-5 casual dresses
2-3 dressier outfits

Boys
10 trackie pants
2 pairs jeans
10 tops
3 hoodies
2-3 dressier outfits

I'm quite minimalist and I think that looks ideal OP. Main things are casual dresses and leggings as it's comfy and suits nearly all occasions.

I think that's more clothes than I have

I think that probably is plenty. Do they wear a school uniform? I've been amazed since DS went to school how few non-uniform clothes he needs. I got rid of half his wardrobe a few months ago and it was great.

DD is at nursery and does need a lot more as she's in 1-2 outfits a day... I'm also terrible for buying her stuff.

Can you also sort into winter/summer? A bag of summer clothes put away in the loft can help thin out their wardrobe, and swap it in April.

Assuming they also have school uniform, I think they need fewer clothes. 5 full outfits is ample in my opinion. But I don't include a dressy outfit, as my children don't generally need that, and if they do need something smarter for an event I get that in addition to the 5 casual outfits.

For summer, they have more because they have no school uniform.

I'd add shorts to that.

Make sure the tops and bottoms can all be mixed and matched. Buy a couple of extra if needed.

Remember your school aged children don't need as many clothes. You have 15 casual outfits there.

I used to buy the multipack of leggings and tshirts from Next or Sainsburys, a couple of jumpers. Jeggings from Debenhams which Dd loved and a party dress. Obviously things get stained or need replacing. I found that as DD got older one weekend day was spent in the tracksuit/hoody of her chosen activity.

Yep they wear uniform 👍

I was planning on having this for winter/all year, and then 5 sets of shorts, t-shirts and summer dresses for summer.

My 8 year old prob has roughly

3 joggers
1 jeans
4 shorts
4 long sleeved tops
6 short sleeved tops
4 jumpers/hoodies
55 million unmatched socks.

My youngest has more as they have hand me downs plus new stuff. But I think 10 pairs of joggers/leggings is excessive.

I would think 5 rather than 10 pairs of leggings and tracksuit pants is enough?

Mine have 4/5 pairs of leggings, 4/5 tops a couple of jumpers and hoodies. Few pairs of shorts. They have oodies and pjs. If they need something smarter we tend to buy it specifically as we tend to a very casual lifestyle 95% of the time.

When younger they used to have those dresses from H&M they do every year on the big rails which they'd wear with leggings or by themselves.

You need enough to get through school holidays and vacations. While school uniform makes a difference compared to pre-schoolers, there is more to cover than just weekends.

Why do they need so many trousers if you are washing every day?

I’d also say five bottoms. I think your dresses is a bit high too. You’ve got 15 outfits for the girls. And why more than one dressy outfit? So you’ve currently got 16-18 outfits. They only have weekends to wear things, so that’s a different outfit every day for 8 weeks!

I don't know why I still find these threads fascinating but I do even though mine are grown up. That sounds a huge amount to me.

I worked full-time and could never understand the scimping on uniform. They had 5/6 pairs tights/socks, 5 shirts each, 3 jerseys/cardigans each, two tunics/two shirts. And dd had 5 summer dresses. I may have started with 3 shirts/dresses in reception but probably bought two a year so they always had some that were a perfect fit and some that were generous.

DD had
A warm coat
A light coat
Combo of leggings, tops, dresses, skirts to last five days in the holds, with probably a couple of nice bits and the rest M&S
A smarter/party dress
3 or 4 x Jim jams
7-10 vests, pants.

DS similar
We had lots of hand me downs from friends and clothes circled round. Years later at church I saw a child in a lovely velvet (v soft) frock I had been given by a friend and passed to another. I commented to the mother that dd had had the same dress and her dd looked v pretty in it. It had been given to her by a friend of the person I passed it too. Same dress .

I look back on those days with such fondness - such halcyon, carefree times.

Have a look at how much they actually wear now.
Both my DDs always go straight for their favourite things, so no point having 10 of something if they only ever wear 3 of them.

We needed more summer things because of the long summer break.

That’s too many I think. Are you washing things too often?

Girls
10 pairs of leggings/pants - 2 jeans/3 leggings
10 tops - 6
2-3 hoodies/cardis - yep
4-5 casual dresses - 2-3
2-3 dressier outfits - 2

Boys
10 trackie pants - 3
2 pairs jeans - yep
10 tops - 6
3 hoodies - 2-3
2-3 dressier outfits - 2

Our dcs have nowhere near that much! They are in school uniform 5 days a week, they change when they come home but will usually wear the same joggers and t shirt after school for 2 or 3 days as they are only wearing it for about 3 hours before they get ready for bed. They definitely wouldn't wear 10 pairs of leggings, the girls maybe have 5 or 6 pairs of trousers each which includes leggings, joggers and jeans. Probably about 10 tops/shirts plus a couple of jumpers/hoodies. Ds would wear his favourite joggers and t shirt every single day if they didn't have to be washed!
One coat each in winter and one light shower proof jacket each in summer.
They each have school shoes, trainers, wellies and a pair of prettier shoes for parties etc although these are rarely worn. In summer they just wear crocs.
They all have a lot of pjs due to bed wetting/spilling breakfast or toothpaste down themselves.
They probably have a few more clothes in summer due to long school holidays and changeable UK weather!
I think younger dcs need a bit more than older as they seem to constantly get covered in paint/food/mud.

No need for 10 leggings, definitely cut back here. 3-4 leggings/pants more than enough and one dressy outfit( if they even get to wear it)

Do they get changed when they get home? Mine tends not to unless it's into dress up or a onsie/nightwear so term time he wears very little of his own clothes

Girls
10 pairs of leggings/pants + 4-5 casual dresses that's two full weeks of clothes assuming clean every day without a wash. Do they often soil clothes during the day and need a change? If not I'd reduce to 3/4 leggings (dependent on if they wear them under dresses, 3 other bottoms, 4 dresses.
10 tops I'd cut down to 6
2-3 hoodies/cardis fine
2-3 dressier outfits get one with money aside to buy more if needed. How often do they actually need dressy clothes?

Boys
10 trackie pants I'd knock a couple off
2 pairs jeans
10 tops I'd cut to 6
3 hoodies fine
2-3 dressier outfitssame as girls, get one and more if needed later.

Sorry re 2 year old, your original amounts are fine given how they get through clothes if they're like mine 🙄

Also, before you buy those amounts, put those amounts in their wardrobes and cupboards. Do they fit.

Wow I'm surprised that most of you think that what I've posted is too much, I'm obviously way off the mark with what they need so.

Currently, they have SO much, esp the girls and toddler, who have about 20 pants each, same amount of tops, and about 15 dresses each. I know this is WAY too much, and it causes no end of problems.

For reference, we hadn't much money growing up and I had very few clothes, which is why I find it difficult to get a proper perspective.

I'd remove a third of that for the 2 year old, and remove two- thirds of it for the school aged kids.
DS1 has 3 pairs of trousers, a pair of joggers, a pair of jeans, half a dozen teeshirts, 2 jumpers, he'll need 3 or 4 pairs of shorts come summer. He also has 2 sets of cadet uniform.

DS2 has similar tops, but 5 pairs of shorts and no trousers (other than the least evil pair of his brothers cast offs for the 2 days a year he wears trousers).

@Ooblie I understand that but the difference is, is that if they need something you can go out and buy it.

Mine also only had their school shoes and sandals/doodles in the summer, wellies in the winter. Trainers came once they were about 4/5.

I think less than that. Enough for a week without washing is plenty.

We have 4DC and because of the daily washing you need very little.

Each child had a 10 pack of socks each different their siblings. Sorting clean socks and pants was their job!