How many outfits does a woman really need?

[horsetowater]

I am nearly fifty, and have a wardrobe full of clothes that I never wear. They are all beautiful but I will never wear most of them and most are too small for me now although I fully intend to lose weight. In the meantime though,
I need to make space for clothes that I really will wear.

So far I have thought I need

Party clothes - 2 x winter, 2 x summer, formal and informal
Seriously formal - 1 jacket with trousers and skirt
Casual work clothes (I'm a designer) - 3 outfits winter, 3 x summer?
Casual homey clothes - 3 outfits winter, 3 x summer?
General long sleeved and short sleeved tops around 5 of each.
Coats/ jackets - 2 x winter, 2 x summer

Wow that's 17 with 4 coats and 10 tops

Most of the time I wear jeans and shirts. I would be grateful for other views, I'm trying to get this to fit into one large 1m wardrobe.

one practical winter coat; waterproof (not showerproof) with room for fleeces underneath. Maybe a big long coat if you do posh events.

one summer coat, or none.

you need more tops than bottoms for summer - t-shirts etc get sweatier. So counting outfits doesn't really work.

rather than numbers, you know what you don't wear so get rid of it!

I'm counting because it will be easier that way, so I can pick out my best things and scrap the rest. I have to trick myself into decluttering as I have spent years learning how to convince myself that I might wear something again.

First of all get rid of everything that is tattyand that does not fit. Recycle the tatty stuff and box the things that are too small, but you want to keep. I would then put all your clothes out on the bed and work out what goes with what. Make up outfits that you like and that work together and then put the rest away in a box, if you have not missed it after and alloted time then get rid of it. I would keep summer clothes in a storage box and rotate the wardrobe on a seasonal basis. HTP

This drives me insane. I probably would choose to wear one of three outfits on a weekly basis. But then there are the suits for work and then the stuff I wear once a year but can't get rid of - outfit for funerals, for painting, for the gym etc.

So three outfits is enough for general daily wear? That sounds positive. Yes there will also be outfits for funeral, party, gardening, hiking, summer and winter versions of each. So 7 winter and 7 summer plus about 10 t shirts and tops?

I need to think in terms of numbers otherwise I will start looking at the fabrics and buttons and start reminiscing and accommodating them all. God damn you clothes and your seductive qualities.

Come to think of it I can't even bring myself to throw out old grey pants.

As many as she wants or as far as her budget will go

In theory I can do this in forty hangers? Can I keep the clothes that I don't want in the loft or am I just kidding myself again?

If you live in the UK, I would put the emphasis on winter/autumn/spring clothes rather than summer.

The summer season is so short here (North West of England) that I hardly use my summer clothes.

I tend to have:
Random party/going clothes
Leather jacket
Big coat
Denim jacket
Blazers
Various summer bits like dresses,nice tops and shorts
Staple skinny jeans

I'm fussy about things going bobbly so usually buy a few bits of knitwear and lots of tees and vests at the start of autumn, wear them to death then recycle and buy new ones next year.

Moment, I like your acceptance that bobbly tops don't deserve a second year. I got rid of a binbag full not long ago but agonised over it. Bobbling is a good place to draw the line of usefulness.

And good point about the seasons, I shall add 2 more winter/autumn outfits, less than 3 summer ones won't be enough.

'What if?' outfits are my downfall. Find it difficult to throw out all those bootleg jeans and long sleeved tshirts that have kind of shrunk... I might need them for gardening! Or... or... if there was a flood and we needed to wear old clothes to pitch in with the cleanup?