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Original poster

How many jumpers and cardigans do you have?

70 replies

Lioninthesun · 01/02/2014 10:11

I am just about to move and realised that although I never feel 100% happy with my outfits any more I appear to have way more actual clothes than ever before Hmm
I need to limit but am constantly making excuses to keep certain things for eg an old Hobbs top I used to wear to work that could be smart casual but is cashmere so hard to clean...can't quite throw it out.

I was just looking through Jigsaw's email with their basics range and suddenly had an urge to completely boot out EVERYTHING bar 2 pairs of trousers and start again.

Is this madness? Should I just start with minimising what I have(a drawer full of jumpers and half a wardrobe of cardigans Shock )? How do you choose what stays and goes?

OP posts:
dexter73 · 01/02/2014 15:09

According to my Pinterest board I have 36.

TheJumped · 01/02/2014 15:17

I always feel like an old lady when I wear a cardigan - they're just not fashion somehow, not on me anyway. I have a black one to put over work dresses if it's cold, but never wear them otherwise.

thriftychic · 01/02/2014 15:35

7 jumpers and 3 cardigans , and a cape / poncho from jigsaw recently .
i have a very simple collection of clothes , everything is navy , white , beige/ taupe or burgundy except for a sparkly gold cardigan that i wore at christmas .
shoes and bags are the same colours apart from a tan bag from massimo dutti .
also have belts in tan , burgundy , gold and navy.
yes i am a bit boring really Grin

bigkidsdidit · 01/02/2014 15:40

About 25. And I STILL don't have the perfect cardigan to replace one the moths got

(grey cashmere, hip length, slightly relaxed fit, if anyone knows of one...)

Original poster
Lioninthesun · 01/02/2014 20:13

I think I have about 25 jumpers and 10 cardigans, so about average I suppose.

I like the sound of culling - all of you who have the minimum are quite inspiring. Did you follow a specific rule/site or did you just get stuck in with chucking everything out? I like the idea of having a few simple colours to mix and match. Never got around to having my colours done though, so would be worried i'd end up with the wrong 'season' or whatever. People seem to think cornflower blue and lilac go well on me, if that means anything - I feel much more at home in navy and teal though mustard if feeling brave Grin

I don't drive so I think the temptation is to buy lots of things to layer so I can throw them on if the weather changes.

Have just realised 4 of my larger specimens are ex-partners, which I keep for days in the house in PJ's. However that so rarely happens I don't know what I am holding onto them for. They are well made and big I suppose? No feelings there, purely that they feel comfy/luxurious. I feel a purge coming on...

OP posts:
vitaminC · 01/02/2014 20:54

Goodness I don't tend to wear just one a day, though - at this time of year, I layer (it's very cold where I live), so for example today I was wearing a thin silk/cotton knit jumper, with a thin cotton top underneath and a thinnish cardigan over to go out for lunch.

Then when it came cooler later on I threw on a big chunky long cardigan just for lounging around at home in.

The temperature can vary a great deal over the course of a day around here, so I'm constantly adding and removing layers - especially in Spring and Autumn, when we have very (icy) cold mornings and hot afternoons!

Most of my clothes are neutrals or solids, which I tend to dress up or down with knitwear...

pixelchick10 · 01/02/2014 20:54

Four jumpers I really like (J Crew, Whistles and a Cashmere one) and four cardigans ... the jumpers I mainly bought this year as I've not generally been a great jumper-wearer ... seem to be changing now though into one!!

Specialbrew · 01/02/2014 21:02

I have 8 jumpers and no cardigans, three of which I bought this winter. I walk everywhere though, and find I get too hot with a jumper on. A couple of thin layers and a coat work for me. I own a couple of sweatshirts for pottering about the house in.

I'm hardly a minimalist though, knitwear just isn't what I like to wear.

Catypillar · 01/02/2014 22:43

I have 7 jumpers and 12 cardigans. 4 of the cardigans are cotton jersey though so not really knitwear.

I wrote a list of all my clothes a couple of weeks ago and have been marking off which ones I wear each day- I have some nice things that I don't tend to wear so it's made me think of wearing them instead of the same stuff all the time. I have a few items that are lovely but I don't feel that I have anything that goes with them- looking through the list has helped me think about possible combinations too. Going to do this for a year then get rid of anything I haven't worn. I'll try to identify why I don't wear certain things e.g. colour not right, uncomfortable, neckline too low, too short, so I don't make the same mistake again next time I'm doing some clothes shopping. I'll also think about the things I have worn the most and why so I can look out for clothes with the same features.

chickydoo · 01/02/2014 23:46

Deep breath...
I have 80 items of knitwear
Including cardis
Jumpers
Sweatshirts ( not knitwear really)
Jumper dresses
Ponchos
Knitted jackets.
Half are good quality. Brora, Toast, White company, Jaegar, Missoni etc, quarter are middle of the road. Jigsaw, whistles, Boden.
The rest are a mix of high street & vintage.
I love knitwear, I am always cold. I have no idea how those of you with 6 items keep warm. I have items for freezing days, summer evenings, walking the dog and going to the pub etc etc.
But I only have a few pairs of Jeans. Knitwear is my weakness.

Apatite1 · 02/02/2014 00:58

About 15-20 I think. Good number I think. Enough to have variety but still get a good amount of wear out of them. I regularly cull my clothes.

Mrswellyboot · 02/02/2014 01:32

Recently had a cull.. Then another cull

I now have about ten cardigans one red, few navy, few black, one biscuit, one burgundy, multicoloured (also couple of old ones I wear around the house cleaning etc)

Two roll neck jumpers

Five light jumpers

madmomma · 02/02/2014 07:34

I think I probably have 5, but I only like one of them; a gorgeous brora limiter edition sweater with a picture of an enormous flower on it.

I hate buying and wearing knitwear - dunno why. Makes me feel claustrophobic I think.

bunnymother · 02/02/2014 07:38

Oh dear, this thread is confirming how much I need another cashmere roll neck. For layering, you see. Off to google discount codes...

KosherBacon · 02/02/2014 08:33

And this thread confirms why I constantly look a scruff. I have about 2 jumpers and 3 cardis, so I wear them too much and they look scruffy.

bunnymother · 02/02/2014 08:36

Just give them a comb, kosher?

TheJumped · 02/02/2014 08:48

How big are your wardrobes, people with 30-80 jumpers?! Seriously Shock

I also regularly cull my wardrobe, so all the knitwear I have been wearing this winter is about half new this year and the rest from the last 2 years. Do you all buy loads, or keep it for years and years?!

I don't get cold and I don't like the look of layers. I wear typically a vest and a jumper with jeans, and when I go out add a scarf and a winter coat. That's surely enough layers? I am in the SE where it's never that cold though.

MarshaBrady · 02/02/2014 08:49

I throw them away after a while. Hazards of picking up small children.

But about 12 I think.

Dilidali · 02/02/2014 08:51

Two jumpers (cashmere, one grey, one navy), one taupe cashmere cardigan.

I also have a black cardigan, but it is packed away with the summer stuff, it is a thin-ish one.

For loungin round the house I have one very oversized navy cashmere jumper and a chunky knit cardigan.

That's all.

The minute I buy a new one, the old one is used for around the house, and I get rid of the one I've been wearing round the house. This normally happens every 2-3, sometimes 4 years.

KosherBacon · 02/02/2014 08:56

Bunnymother- I shave off bobbles with a razor and wash on a wool wash with Woolite.

issimma · 02/02/2014 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JosephineBornapart · 02/02/2014 10:03

I have never counted, but my knitwear collection ( ha!) has 2 categories- scruffy in the house and decent going out.

I have maybe around 6 cardis all mainly summer is neutral shades- grey, camel, blue-grey, pale aqua. I have 2 or 3 others that are at the bottom of the drawer and get the occasional wearing.

I have around 3 jumpers for wearing at home.

That leaves around 6 jumpers/knitted tops that I'd call smart.

dexter73 · 02/02/2014 10:23

TheJumped - I have a double wardrobe that is 1m wide. My 36 jumpers/cardis live on a shelf at the top of the wardrobe. My jumpers range from about 10 years old to new. I do feel the cold and like the look of layers, as well as finding it best at keeping me warm.

chickydoo · 02/02/2014 12:37

I have 3 wardrobes.
My jumpers/cardis/sweatshirts live in one.
The oldest is about 30 years old and I have many. around the 20 years mark. With having lots of choice (80) things tend not to get scruffy.
I hang moth hangers between jumpers, comb the bobbly bits off with a cashmere comb. I hand wash all my knitwear.
I have only got 3 new items in the last year. A cashmere dress, a cashmere navy cardi & a pink cashmere cardi in the sale.
I have given two jumpers away this week, and put one in a charity bag. So I am down to 77.

JosephineBornapart · 02/02/2014 12:42

If you have 36 jumpers piled up on one shelf 1m wide how do you stop them becoming creased? Even if you stack in 3 piles that's 12 jumpers in each pile. I find that even stacking 3 on top of each other in a drawer or on a shelf makes them unwearable without ironing.