How many clothes do you own?

[Pigtailsandall]

I understand that this is potentially a flammable topic and I wouldn't expect everyone to feel comfortable answering. But I'm genuinely interested (nosy) what people's wardrobes look like, and what kind of a budget do you allow yourself? I'm enjoying a lot of the "what are you wearing today" threads but I don't have much to contribute as I wear quite a small rotation of clothes really...

Personally, I have 7 shelves in a small walk-in wardrobe and their total height is about 9 feet - this includes about 6 pairs of jeans, 6 pairs of joggers/casual trousers, 10 jumpers, 7 dresses, 3 skirts and a too-large a number of t-shirts, tops and sweatshirts, plus sportswear, PJs and some scarves. I also have a hanging rack which is about 4 feet long and that's rammed full. Underwear is in a small dresser by my bed. Coats and jackets are downstairs (I have 8) as are shoes apart from non-seasonal and occasion shoes which are in the loft. I have about 20 pairs of shoes. The loft also houses a 35-litre box of non-seasonal clothes.
I feel like I have a lot but I have friends who have much, much more. I used to but 2-3 items a month maybe but I'm trying to bring that down to 1 max a month as I don't need that much but I do like shopping. I used to spend £100-200 a month but I'm also trying to being that down. It's a one in, one out -policy from now on though. I donate stuff I no longer want.

S&B is a terrible influence though!

No I don't find it oppressive, I love clothes. I do need to ebay of some later on in the year when things settle down more (hopefully) and there are some that I'll send to charity. But I'll probably still have 70-80. I used to have a very stressful job and myself and a friend from work would go shopping maybe once a month as a way to get away from it all. I've left that job now though and like I said I'm planning on not buying any this year.

Some of my dresses are up to 15 years old. 3DCs later I'm still a similar size. I bought 7 dresses last year, just to give you an idea.

I sometimes think I'd like to do an experiment to see how little I could get away with... would certainly save on laundry! It would also be easier in warmer weather. I get muddy and need so many layers at the moment.

Some of my dresses are up to 15 years old.

Yes, I see. (No judgement intended, btw! Clothes are just as legitimate a way of spending money as anything ...)

The last 15 years have been relatively sparse, shopping wise for me. (Though every single thing beautiful.) But if I'd kept everything I've bought in the past 25 years - that might look impressive. As it is, I disposed of all my City wear fairly soon after I left, and I'm horribly good at abandoning or giving away my favourite things.

I like to think that if I had daughters they would now be swanning about in all the 90s Jil Sander pieces I no longer have ...

The dress I’m wearing today is from 2006. My oldest top is from 1992. My DS’s favourite hoodie is one of mine from 1995.

Find the variety of answers so interesting.. I did a tally as we were moving house at the end of last year and it worked out at about 15 pairs of boots and shoes, 8 coats/ jackets, 20 dresses, 15 pairs of jeans/ trousers/ dungarees, 10 skirts, 35 jumpers/ cardigans and about 70 tops including long sleeved, t shirts, blouses etc. That doesn't include sportswear, outdoor gear or pyjamas/ loungewear which each have a box in an ikea kallax unit - when the box gets too full I do a cull. Also doesn't include occasion wear although I haven't actually been to a wedding or event in a long time even before Covid. Oh and a big blue ikea bag full of maternity wear in the attic!

Writing it all down I definitely have more than I need, especially tops and jumpers,, but I really enjoy my clothes and putting outfits together. I keep a lot in the attic and rotate things in and out of my wardrobe as the seasons change which gives me a chance to review what I have worn and means I'm not faced with too much choice in the morning. If I don't wear something for a year it goes to charity.

I did a lot of shopping last year so this year I'm not planning on buying much and I am following a 'one in - one out' rule for myself to keep things in check!

I know it's too much, but whereas some people get a new phone every 18 months I keep mine til they stop working, I had my last phone nearly 5 years. If you look at it from an environmental point of view. Once the kids are back at school I'll have a sort out.

I have too many to list.
I would love to be a little bit more like DDIJ, not all the way that far but certainly more leaning that way than mine.
Too many shoes, handbags, coats, jeans.

I have too many, but at least half is sportswear as I ride, cycle, run, swim, climb, ski etc. and most of that stuff needs washing each time, so I need a few of each.

I got rid of a lot of clothes before moving house last year, but I'd still like to get rid of more. I realized that I had work clothes and clothes I liked, but that I could actually make my preferred style of dressing work for the office and therefore reduce some clothing that way. Before, I would wear an outfit for the office and then if I went to a restaurant in the evening, I'd get changed beforehand into something I actually liked, but now I wouldn't (you know, if I could ).

I have three or four more formal dresses that I've had for years and I keep clothes a long time (I have a plain black top that I bought 16 years ago ...), so I think that contributes to a build up.

Today I'm wearing a dress which is nearly 10 years old and a top which is 20-22! I have my own style and don't strictly follow fashion so I don't stop wearing things when a season is out. We got a new washing machine a year or 2 ago and a cycle takes around 3 hours and it's definitely not good for fabrics to be in water for that long and my clothes are wearing out quicker now. The booklet that came with it said about how much better than the environment longer cycles are, because they use less water but the next page said that it was bad for the fibres in fabric which seems to go against the more environmentally friendly argument.

Two wardrobes' worth, a few drawers of PJs, socks, tights, etc. and a suitcase of summer clothes.
I try to get rid of things I haven't worn in a while, but it's sometimes difficult to know whether something will be of use sometime.
I don't spend as much as you though OP.

@Purpleblondelady

Today I'm wearing a dress which is nearly 10 years old and a top which is 20-22! I have my own style and don't strictly follow fashion so I don't stop wearing things when a season is out. We got a new washing machine a year or 2 ago and a cycle takes around 3 hours and it's definitely not good for fabrics to be in water for that long and my clothes are wearing out quicker now. The booklet that came with it said about how much better than the environment longer cycles are, because they use less water but the next page said that it was bad for the fibres in fabric which seems to go against the more environmentally friendly argument.

I also have some old clothes, but sometimes as much as I may not want to follow fashion, some things just start looking ridiculous if fashion changes too much or it just doesn't look right to be middle aged wearing what I wore when I was young. Some other clothes just become bobbly or messy and have to be put aside. I try not to wash my clothes too much - pretty easy as I'm lazy and wear underlayers underneath nice dresses and the like so they don't get sweaty.

"Before, I would wear an outfit for the office and then if I went to a restaurant in the evening, I'd get changed beforehand into something I actually liked, but now I wouldn't (you know, if I could hmm )."

I wouldn't change for a restaurant, but I do like to keep some clothes casual and not for the office just to have a break in my mind e.g. I wear jeans on the weekend, but not to work even though I could get away with it.
All different in lockdown of course - I've bought tracksuit bottoms for the first time in years.

Far more than anyone else has posted!
20 dresses approx
6 skirts
5 paris of jeans
2 pairs of trousers
2 coats, 2 parkas denim jacket, 2 worky jackets
about 30 pairs of shoes
No horse at the moment but 5 x riding breeches, 5 x tops, boots. Jacket.
3 sets of gym clothes
5 cardigans
7-8jumpers
6 sweatshifts
a drawer full of tops
2 x dungarees
And I've just ordered new stuff from Hush , Boden and White stuff today.
It just doesn't seem that much to me, I'm 64 and wear it all.

I forgot all the underwear too !

@sanityisamyth

4 pairs of leggings, 2 pairs of trainers, 1 pair boots, 5 stroppy tops, 2 normal bras, 1 sports bra and 3 hoodies.

No normal tops? You go straight from strappy top to hoody?

@ExConstance

Far more than anyone else has posted! 20 dresses approx 6 skirts 5 paris of jeans 2 pairs of trousers 2 coats, 2 parkas denim jacket, 2 worky jackets about 30 pairs of shoes No horse at the moment but 5 x riding breeches, 5 x tops, boots. Jacket. 3 sets of gym clothes 5 cardigans 7-8jumpers 6 sweatshifts a drawer full of tops 2 x dungarees And I've just ordered new stuff from Hush , Boden and White stuff today. It just doesn't seem that much to me, I'm 64 and wear it all.

I don't think it's that excessive. I'm amazed you know it all. Did you go and count or are you just guessing?

I thought I had loads, but maybe given some of these answers, maybe not? I have three rails across 2 double wardrobes, and four drawers. plus three shelves for bags and another 4 for shoes, plus shoes on the floor at the bottom of the wardrobe.

I'm 34, but have some pieces that I've had for years. I've alway bought a lot of vintage and second hand, and tend to wear stuff until it wears out. even then it goes in the rag bag and gets used until you can't even clean with it.

Pre-Covid, I had a job that required a lot of different clothes - business casual in the office, business formal for external meetings, formal wear for galas and evening events - now it's all just done from the sofa in leggings :(. Covid also prompted me to buy a lot of loungewear for my new WFH life.

Gwenhwyfar - some I know exactly , some I guess at and I get very excited if I find something nice I've totally forgotten about - there is a jumpsuit in the spare bedroom wardrobe I've just remembered. i didn't think it was that much until I read other posts. I do wear all of it though, even if some of it is not all that often.

The top I'm wearing that's 20+ years old is just a plain 3/4 sleeve top I'm wearing under a dress, it would be a bit small to wear on it's own but with a dress and cardigan over it's fine. It must be the oldest one of my oldest items of clothes, I didn't wear it for ages which is probably why it's still wearable. I have looked for a replacement but have never found what I'm after.

@Gwenhwyfar yep! Seems to work :)

@RampantIvy I'm the same - holding onto all my nice office clothes just in case; especially the skirts. The blouses and tops go with jeans and other casual trousers but I wouldn't throw on a pencil skirt just to hang out at home

I'm still trying to part with a few items I no longer wear. I have no particular attachment to them but for some reason I'm still finding it hard

Not a clue, too much. I know I have ten coats. I probably have about 15 jackets. Dresses.....enough to wear a different dress every day for at least a month. Bras....at least 10 and I love boots and shoes but I don't know how many I have.

I also have quite a lot of costumes for a hobby where we dress up in historical costumes.

I haven't bought anything during lockdown. Doesn't seem much point. I'm wearing jeans or two favourite dresses most days. It'll be lovely to have an excuse to dress up again.

The ones that fit I don’t like. The rest are too small.😐

Well l can count the winter stuff as that's out..

3 jeans
1 leggings
3 lounge joggers
1 smart trousers
2 going out joggers
2 casual trousers
3 shirts
5 blouses
1 skirt
1 dressy skirt for going out
1 dressy dress for going out
2 jumpsuits
4 cardigans
1 jacket
2 other jackets
6 coats (maybe??)
5 light weight jumpers
5 heavier jumpers
Dresses..5 casual or work
4 bras
Countless knickers, 20 ??

I have clothes for everything though. And l make clothes too but most of that is in the loft. 😬

Far more summer stuff. I definitely don't need summer stuff.
Piles of stuff for Ebay..

Well I have a chest of drawers and a double wardrobe. I have a box and a bag of summer stuff in the loft. I want to get it to the amount where nothing has to go in the loft but just enough to be stored in a couple of boxes in the top of my wardrobe.

Sometimes I think I'd like a dressing room or walk in wardrobe. However, really I just want enough clothes in a reasonable amount of space.

I do like clothes a lot. I mostly value clothes that fit me well and are good quality.

I'd say I have fewer clothes than the majority here, but nothing like minimalist