Bare minimum needed in a SAHM wardrobe?

[BabCNesbitt]

This is the opposite of those "decluttering your wardrobe" threads. I've got so few clothes (mainly because I can never find anything I both like and afford) that I need to rebuild my wardrobe pretty much from scratch. (Me: SAHM to a 2-year-old with a horror of yoga pants and scarves and a preference for warm colours and simple lines.)

I've asked similar questions in the past and been given answers like "long sleeved tops, skinny jeans, scarves, pick a neutral and a couple of other colours". Which is fine and definitely helpful, but I need specifics. If you have a tumble dryer, how many plain tops do you need for a functional wardrobe? 3? 5? How many pairs of trousers? How many patterned things to add colour/variety? Basically, how many bits do I need to get to not look like I'm wearing the same two outfits in rotation? There must be a formula to this somewhere!

I don't think there's any hard fast rules. All depends how bored you get wearing the same things and how often you want to be washing. I'm a sahm and have a 2 yo and have quite a 4-5 pairs of jeans as these I find often get dirty and baggy really quickly by sitting on the floor at toddler groups. Tops I can often make last longer than one day as we're past that really mucky finger stage but I like to have a few for variety. I probably have about 5-6 tees/blouses and about 10 cardis. Plus a couple of jumpers.

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Ah, QofC, but I NEED hard and fast rules!

I don't know why getting clothes is so bloody difficult for me...

15 of everything so you don't get bored. You wanted rules...

Being a SAHM isn't like packing for Pony Club Camp.

Shame! Life would be MUCH easier!

Ive got 4 vest tops in white, black, grey and oatmeal (h&m)

3 pairs of skinny jeans and a pair of burgundy skinny trousers.
A couple of tracksuit type bottoms for housebound days only!

A few jumpers mainly grey and just got a couple of long sleeved tops for when I dont want a jumper.

A few scarves but I dont wear them that much tbh.

A couple of blouses/ cardigans but they're not my first choice.

One t shirt

Long brown leather boots, uggs and brown ankle boots.

Im a SAHM to a 3yo and 1yo.

Sorry to disappoint you bab

There are no rules. You stay at home. Wear what you like.

Cold days i wear sknnies, longsleeve fitted tops, knitwear, zara scarves.

Less cold days i wear pencil skirts, rockabilly cardies, band tops.

Shoe wise i alternate between viv westwood ballet flats, 16 hole docs, wedge ankle boots or converse.

Summer i wear tea dresses and cat eye sunnies.

Yes, i am THAT mum at the school gates.

I was a sahm for 6 years and went from needing very smart casual but edgy clothes for my former job (whistles, cos, jigsaw, birger etc etc) to needing things that I could fling on in the morning and feel 'dressed' but ready for a day with a small child. It took me a LONG time to find a new style that suited me and my new lifestyle (plus the fact that my income was considerably less for random clothes shopping).

Anyway I started gradually and built it up every time I had spare cash (birthdays, christmas etc) and i shopped almost exclusively in sales. I started with a really lovey smart casual coat from Noa Noa and a scarf and gloves to match. First dc was a winter baby, that way I always felt nice going out no matter what was under it.

Then brown leather knee high boots and a denim skirt from whistles and some lovely wool tights from Noa Noa (all sales)

I used occassions such as friends hen nights to add to my wardrobe -in my old life I would have bought a glam dress, but the first one I went to I rem buying very nice Marc Jacobs jeans and dressing them up with heels and a pretty top but then having lovely jeans to wear everyday afterwards.

In the end I sort of had a uniform: 2 X pairs of jigsaw needle cords in navy and bottle green, 2 X long sleeved t-shirts to match 2 x interchangable outer tops with green and navy so any combination of them worked. Navy leather camper 'converse' style flat shoes, denim skirt with numerous tops - jumpers, cardigans, blouses, nice tights and the brown boots

The jeans and various tops including a bargain whistles navy hoodie which I LOVED.

About 4 tunics and matching cardigans, and long sleeved tops and skinny jeans or leggings from Noa Noa.

A couple of more grown up sexy nighttime outfits - black dress, high heeled ankle boots etc so I had something for the rare occasions we went out at night.

A nice leather bag and a few scarves, some nice chunky jewellery.

That was it really!

I got very used to dressing like this and spotting things that would work with what I already had in sales etc and then a whole new can of worms opened when I went back to work last year and had to figure out what to wear in a work environment after 6 years at home!

3 lots of underwear, 2 knickers per bra
5 pairs of socks
5 pairs of tights
One denim skirt
One pair of cords
One pair of jeans
One skirt
4 dresses
One shirt
Two of the following:
Long sleeve basic tops (white and navy)
T-shirts (white/grey)
Long vests (black/white)
2 jumpers
One cardie
One pair converse
One pair boots

What I did was buy the entire manequin in Gap, H&M, Mistral. I liked the look they put together, so just paid for everything in my size, my child came with inbuilt shopping detector, screamed every time we made it anywhere near a high street, so for me it was desperation.

If it helps, the gap one had dark grey cords, a white shirt and a black v neck slouchy jumper.
The Mistral one had a white shirt with lots of tiny colourful flowers, a bright green jumper and a denim skirt.
The H&M one had a long white tshirt, a batwing steel grey jumper thing and jeans.

I think Dilidali's suggestion is excellent and I used to try to do similar when first dc was tiny - get the whole outfit so you don't end up with a whole loads of random things that don't match anything. That is exactly what I did with the navy and green cords - got the whole lot in one go.

Thanks for all the replies, they're really helpful! I have to buy clothes online as the place I'm currently living at the moment only seems to have shops selling outdoor or sports gear, and I panic at the idea of doing a big online splurge in one go. But if I can justify it by telling myself I'm putting together a basic functioning wardrobe so I don't look totally crap, then I feel less guilty!

Just use somewhere with free returns and have a bit of a try on at home in peace. The ladies on this board are great, maybe post some links to looks that you like and you will get some ideas of clothes to buy and try?