How many clothes is too many? How many clothes is enough?

[Pangolin44]

I often find myself considering this question. I've got what I consider to be a 'fair amount' of clothes, I do love clothes, but I'm pretty disciplined about jettisoning things that don't really work for me, so there's a good bit of natural churn that goes on.

I actually feel quite stressed when I have too many clothes as I forget what I've got, and I do like to wear all my clothes, and then I'll read about capsule wardrobes and it all sounds very serene and organised, but then I'll think about the implications of that and I'd find it very limiting. I lull myself to sleep thinking about outfit combinations it's very soothing!

I don't think I ever wear the same outfit more than twice, each individual item yes, but in different ways.

There's no real point to this thread, I'm just interested to hear other people's approach to their wardrobe. I just fancy a bit of wardrobe chat!

I have a lot of clothes, but the makeup of my wardrobe has really changed since covid. I used to have a very distinct work/not work wardrobe, which weren’t especially different (I don’t have a corporate job) but once something had been worn to work it became work-wear. Now I mainly work from home so things are much more fluid.

I have lots of jeans, and lots of knitwear. Right now I am moving towards t-shirts and cardigans, and gradually packing away really heavy knits. Hopefully soon it will be dress/bare legs/trainers weather instead of thermal base layer/wool sweater weather!

When I read that you never wear the same outfit more than twice, each individual item yes, but in different ways, I assumed you were Kate... But your subsequent posts suggest that you spend WAY too much time thinking about clothes...

I have stuff I wear all the time (mostly fairly basic jeans/shirts plus teashirts/sweaters or comfortable dresses), stuff for special occasions of different types (Glyndebourne, sports events, christenings, etc), plus an eclectic collection of unusual pieces unearthed in various charity shops.

Having said that, I still have too much stuff. Time for another clearout...

@Pangolin44

Really *@HollowTalk*, what did it do?

You took a photo of all your clothes and on the app you could put tops with skirts or trousers, match with shoes and so on. The point was that you could do it with your own clothes but also bring in clothes from other sites so that you could see if a new item would go with your other items.

How much time is way too much time @FlowerArranger? There's nothing wrong with thinking about clothes. You suggested from your post you go to Glyndebourne, so you're either interested in the arts or you're interested in society. Your statement says that you're interested in something.

So. You are either interested in looking casual and then going all-out for events. Or you're just interested in looking 'right'.

And of course you have an 'interesting collection unearthed from charity shops'.

Elucidate, please.

@HollowTalk, did the Dragons back it?

That sounds laborious!

@Nutellaonall, I don't think it's a case of one's body suiting current fashions, rather a case of cherry-picking current fashion that you like and making it work for you.

Great thread. I feel the same. Overwhelmed by the amount of clothes I have and don't wear. Would love to embrace a capsule wardrobe but I can't see how with my personality of loving fashion...but then again, I buy it and don't wear it or don't wear it enough as its lost within the rails. It's an awful affliction

@newrubylane, your babies are young, you will get back there. I couldn't have done twins, it's punishing!

[quote Pangolin44]@newrubylane, your babies are young, you will get back there. I couldn't have done twins, it's punishing![/quote]
Ah, thanks. Its certainly getting easier as they get older. I'm sure I will get back to my old self one day. Maybe once they don't require my help physically so much anymore it will be easier to dress to please myself. it's one of the reasons I am hanging onto stuff. Also because we have plans to significantly extend our wardrobe space, so I know I'll be able to hang it all well eventually - just have to hope I don't run out of space before then. I think I probably just need to get better at packing away the things I don't wear so much now - but I miss them when they're not hanging in my wardrobe. Like you I spend 'far too much' time thinking about clothes 😁 - but we love what we love! And like you I am very eclectic and like to create a 'look' - it's a creative outlet for me.

@newrubylane, it absolutely is a creative outlet, I image I'm a good decade older than you, the heart wants what the heart wants!

My 'babies' are mid-teens now and it's difficult to accept that they are now complete individuals with thoughts and feelings.

[quote Pangolin44]@EmmaH2022 it was flared jeans, a Dodo Bar Or polo top, Chloe stack heel boots, a Loewe hammock bag, a Sezanne trench and a pair of Chloe octagon sunglasses. My hair was in a loose low bun.[/quote]
Love the sound of this outfit.

I have Marie Kondo’d years ago and found it easier to find outfits. But I also like to have a lot of options and I enjoy the creative process of putting a look together.

I now have too many clothes, bags, shoes again and don’t have the storage space. - I could pack more away (I already do this for winter /summer) - but then I don’t remember to wear the items I’ve stored.

I used to never have anything to wear despite loads of clothes. I used to panic buy clothes for particular events, which meant the majority of my clothes didn’t suit my everyday lifestyle. Once I started focusing on buying day to day clothes, I found it much easier to pick an outfit.

I read this recently which helps if, like me, your body shape has changed and you feel like most of your clothes no longer fit: So Your Body Changed During the Pandemic. Here’s How to Rebuild Your Wardrobe

@Pangolin44

No *@TooExtraImmatureCheddar*, I don't repeat outfits more than twice, if I find an outfit I love, I'll wear it again, but then another idea pops in my head, so I'll try that. I think I approach clothes from a 'looks based' perspective. Last week I nailed the 70s US West-coast investigate journalist look, I was very pleased with it! Today my theme was 80s avant-garde band manager.

It sounds very fancy dress or costume, but it's not, it's playing with the idea of image I guess. I've always done it. My mother sees it as some kind of character failing as she says 'you dress to look like different people all the time'.

Which is why I'm interested in other people's approach to their wardrobe.

Ti can’t do this because I only suit a few looks, none of which really resonate with me, sadly. But if you suit lots of styles, go for it. Some mothers like to find flaws where none exist.

You sound very creative with it all.

I also do the looks based perspective thing! I tend towards the scruffier so my most common are German teenager hanging out at the back of a train station and 70s Harlem chick. My friend does it too - I think my favourite of hers is when she channels mid-west UPS mailman…

Love this thread!!

I also see clothes as things of beauty, I like to say that I don't have time for a full-on hobby, so getting dressed is my hobby. I'm only in the office twice a week so that's my occasion dressing - I'll spend ages the night before plotting my look for the next day, and when I feel good in an outfit it really lifts my confidence for the day.

At home I will wear the same comfies over again but going out I can quite happily not repeat an outfit; I have three wardrobes full always out, with seasonal clothes tucked away to be rotated once every six months.

I'm getting more mindful about my buying, though; I don't do fast (ish) fashion from the lower end of the high street, and will shop at places like &other stories and Uniqlo for basics, maybe M&S. I also love vintage and a good rummage around in a kilo sale is heaven for wild and wonderful items that have been pre-loved. I'll also buy a couple of designer pieces per season which I treasure and will keep for my daughter

Stella Tennant mentioned in an interview a few years ago she would buy five items of clothing a year. I'm trying to follow that. I've finally got out of the habit of mindlessly buying "stuff". I've just ordered a cotton shirt from Postalco which I've been thinking about for six months, their quality is excellent and will last for years.

I am just chucking out more stuff

I keep buying stuff that's not quite right:

For example:

A dress that is totally "me" BUT: looks awful with black tights, too short with no tights, and just in-fashionable with nude tights (too try hard for everyday).... so I never wear it

Actually, I have various dresses like this.

Chinos: bought a pair from Hush, they were perfect, flattering comfy and looked kinda cool. Got a stain on it, so bought 2 more pairs.... but they changed the fabric and the new pairs look awful on me... never wear them

I have som perfect skinnies but that's so old hat now, I only wear them for dog walking

A jumper that is delicate hand wash only, which sits in my laundry basket for weeks making me cross

A beautiful Toast maxi skirt in silk that makes me look like a fancy peasant woman

I am just crap at clothes

I aim to have about 10 good outfits for each season and a couple of going out outfits.
So at the moment I have lots of joggers, leggings, hoodies, a shacket, sweatshirts, leather leggings, some maxi skirts, a couple of pairs of converse and various trainers. I recently updated my wardrobe for the spring with pretty coloured sweatshirts, the shacket and some pink trainers plus a couple of Michael Kors cross body bags one in pink and the other black.
In the summer I’ll have about 8 nice dresses and a few pairs of lightweight trousers with various tops.
I do buy all new stuff nearly every season, probably 3 massive ships a year. I wear quite a lot of prints and get bored of clothes quickly. I give away a lot of clothes to my neighbour or friend.

Shops not ships (that would be excessive).

Pinkbonbon I used to be like that, now I only buy stuff for my lifestyle and then have a few bits for going out that I can mix and match as I tend to go out for nights out with different people.

There must be a happy medium, I think...

Some people look too clothes-horsey, with no defined style.

And others, in the capsule wardrobe vein, just look uniform. Like Insta-ready.

The best dressed people I’ve encountered were French fashion magazine folk. They didn’t try too hard, but looked well-put-together. Men & women. And they smelled gorgeous, too!

I have loads of clothes. Nice ones. But, it’s styling them that’s the problem, for me...

Erm. I own 2 pairs of jeans - one black, one dark denim. I have 4 t-shirts and 2 jumpers. 2 coats and 2 pairs of shoes.

I don't have an 'approach'

Honestly, is it not exhausting having to look a different way each day?

Although granted, I would look better if I had more money. My head can't even envisage what a different outfit every day would even look like. Jean, t-shirt, done.

I'm awful re buying clothes because as long as I have the money (I do save as well) I'll buy them but it's more a want than a need.

I actually gave away a few of my smarter work clothes and have now slightly regretted this as there were some smart work trousers I could've done with now I'm back in the office occasionally!

I'm always or almost always, told I look good though.

I do think it's a bit of a throwback from when I was a child. DM didn't have much money and hated shopping anyway and she also didn't really like my nana (her mum) to spend much money on me (because nana's best friend shoplifted clothes including children's clothes).

Therefore I was teased a bit for not looking 'trendy' as a kid, I did have some nice clothes but e.g. for my 11th birthday a slightly older friend of the family made DM take me to a nice clothes shop for an outfit for my party as I had nothing suitable to wear. Even when I was a teenager, unless I had my own money from babysitting etc, my DM bought the vast majority of my clothes and gave me little choice in what to wear. A lot of the time it was black or navy and 'French' designs. If I had a daughter I definitely wouldn't try to dress them and would probably spend loads on them!

CoastalWave, I have a friend who’s like you, regarding clothes. She doesn’t think much about it. And she always looks amazing!