How many clothes do you own? Come in for a wardrobe chat :)

[Marghe87]

Various lockdowns and being on maternity leave have really pushed me to do a massive wardrobe declutter and reconsider the way I shop. I used to buy a lot of Zara, HM etc and was never satisfied with my clothes. I have now changed my approach and prefer to buy less but higher quality. If I can’t afford full price, I shop second hand and, I must say, it’s very addictive! I feel like I have transformed my wardrobe in a year or so, with the majority of pieces coming from Vinted. I am now much happies with the stuff I own but still feel I have a long way to go.
How many clothes do you have in your wardrobe (ie: how many pf each category) and how do uou normally shop? Do you keep your clothes for years and do you look after them or do you have a more disposable approach?

Too many, (not really answering your question but maybe approx 5 suitcases full)??
I am now asking myself when shopping ..."where will this item of clothing be in my life in 5 years?"
So... I am working towards a capsule wardrobe and following a recent trip to France, aiming for a more neutral backdrop and accessorising more sucessfully.
I am in my 50's though...my age / body have changed my perspective on clothes too. I have also bought second hand on Vinted and in charity shops...enjoyed the results. I buy in sales/Brand alley/outlets but don't know where that sits on the ethical scale really but being a more conscious shopper has got to be a start.

I have way too many to count but yes, I do try to shop with the view of keeping everything for a long time and part of the reason I have so many clothes is indeed that some have been in my wardrobe for years. I tend to go for natural materials (cotton, linen, wool) and look after my clothes so they last.

One of my problems is buying too many similar things - if I love something, I often buy it in multiple colours, or get something very similar from different brands. I have way too many jackets/shackets and denim shirts, but then I do wear them almost daily.

I'm due another clear out soon as there are quite a few things I never reach for as well.

i hate waste so I wear clothes until they are unfit for purpose, I realise I don't like them, or they look like rags. I feel like I never buy anything yet I have TONNES of clothes. 5 large suitcase full sounds about right. Some are cast off from my teen sons.

I am fascinated by people (sometimes on MN) who say they literally have a jacket, 2 t-shirts, a pair of jeans & nothing else in the wardrobe as outer wear. I can't imagine how I'd ever get in this state.

I put everything in bags a few years ago, and at end of year I had literally reached for almost everything in the bags, except for a few smart "interview or wedding wear" type items.

I only have 1 small wardrobe and 1 chest of drawers so I operate a one-in-one-out policy. If I've not worn something for a year unless it's extra special occasion dress, then it goes too.

I'm thinking about this right now. I'm not good at choosing clothes and find it hard to know what suits, however I just have s feeling I want to have fewer items to store/manage/choose from.
I'm contemplating doing the 333 thing. Anyone else?

I love a wardrobe chat!

I do a loose version of Project 333, so I have circa 30 items hanging in my wardrobe. It is mainly dresses tbh, as I'm more of a dress and skirt person. I don't own any jeans but do have one pair of trousers, one pair of shorts and one pair of leggings...

I then have some other bits in storage. As seasons change, I swap things about (sandals and shorts go into storage in winter for example).

I also have shoes and coats. Maybe 10-12 altogether. And I also don't count jewellery, but I don't have tonnes of that either.

How does Project 333 work with sport clothes, and different seasons or weather?

@lljkk you swap things around every three months or so, so you can take out your sandals or thick jumpers depending.

I only have a few sports bits, but if you're strictly following P333, I don't think sports clothes count anyway (as long as you only use them for sport). Jewellery is supposed to be counted which I find silly (for my circumstances) tbh. Maybe if I had heaps of it, it would make sense, but I don't really and what I do have doesn't take up a lot of space, so I never put it away.

I have far too many. A range of sizes, so many no use to me at any one time... I am losing weight though. I'd like to sort them out, charity shop them, or put them back in my wardrobe as they fit again. I have done an Adore Your Wardrobe edit, which culled quite a lot, and will look again at the 333 project, which I had kinda forgotten about. Thanks for the reminder. I rediscover stuff that I have forgotten about, even in the current wearable stuff, so there's not much point having stuff that you don't really have access too!

I am fascinated by people (sometimes on MN) who say they literally have a jacket, 2 t-shirts, a pair of jeans & nothing else in the wardrobe as outer wear. I can't imagine how I'd ever get in this state. As @lljkk says. I want to be this woman! Or have a ruthless friend that would sort me out

As of this week: I have enough clothes to fill, but not over-fill, one wardrobe and one drawer in the chest that we share. And two boxes of shoes/boots on top of my wardrobe.

I have this week gone through and ruthlessly chucked stuff out. 4 bin liners full and about 10 pairs of shoes. I feel like a weight has been lifted.

After I have my baby, I’m planning to make very selective purchases of only high quality clothes and operate on a one in one out system.

My entire wardrobe exists of 2 dresses, two skirts which are the same, top and two long cardigans.

Don't understand the need for copious amounts of clothes as long as you can put fresh things on every day while the other stuff is in the wash.

I have a coat wardrobe
An evening wear wardrobe
A trousers, tops and cardigan wardrobe
Summer dresses
And winter dresses
Weekend stuff

I don't really want to write it all down and in my head I don't think I have much. I generally wear things out or they start to look tired after about 5 years. I can do about 10 winter and 10 summer outfits for work. Probably half a dozen for weekends.

I have resisted buying shoes today. I have at least half a dozen pairs that can be thrown away at the end of this summer, dating back to about 2017.

I think for me clothes are a bit like a collection there’s a lot of them that I look at and smile remembering how I feel or what I was doing at the time when I bought them all for them so I don’t wanna throw them away I also have had to have massive clear outs before and abandon clothes that I really miss and I’ve never been able to find the same quality or fit within my budget again. I couldn’t even answer how many items of clothes and I have 2 large wardrobes and drawers and drawers and drawers full. I probably don’t wear most of it it’s the old 8020 rule isn’t it but I’m not getting rid of any of it either.

My problem is I keep a lot of clothes in case I loose weight and can wear them. I also have around 10 pairs of black trousers, different styles and sizes, yet only wear one or two pairs every now and then. Shoes the same, I’ve not worn heels since leaving work in 2018. My DH went through his clothes last month and got rid of 3 bin bags full of clothes. I’ve just got rid of 1 bin bag full.of clothes this week. When I started I just kept going, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 evening handbags, trousers and various tops and blouses, which were work wear that I no longer wear nor can I see myself wearing again, also found some flip flops which M&S were giving away one year, they’ve gone also.

I'm just back from dropping 4 bags at the charity shop ( 3 large supermarket bags and 1 black bin bag). It wasn't all clothes but at least 2 bags were. I'm actually feeling pretty happy about getting rid. I'm by nature a great "just in case" type person but have realised that keeping all my options open ( if this happened then that might be useful for such and such; I could use that to make a thingy if I was ever in situation X etc) is quite tiring so I'm trying to be less "strategic" about it all and it does feel freeing.

I'm hoping this isn't too outing but I have to move out of my home in a week's time so that repairs can be done (insurance work) and I'm seeing this as a natural time to try the 333 project. Initially it will be 3 weeks not 3 months but if I'm enjoying it, I can carry it on for longer. All the rest of my stuff will be in storage!

I have 2 wardrobes full and 2 chests of drawers worth

I have a Summer and Winter wardrobe

I tend to hang onto things and wear stuff around the house then smarter stuff for work

I do tend to buy similar things and wear some things a lot more than others

One tall single wardrobe with about 8 dresses. One double wardrobe with cardigans and kimonos and light jackets and trousers. One shelf with about 6 scarves/ shawls.
Coat cupboard has about 8 coats / jackets.
4 drawer chest has T-shirts and jumpers.
2 small shelves with jeans (4) and other jeggings (3)

A lot and I always wear jersey dungarees or a denim skirt 🙄

Too bloody many. I have certain things that really suit me (nice grey or navy jumpers, sleeveless black, white or navy tops, tailored coats and jackets, slim trousers, tailored shorts) and worry about running out of them, which is just ridiculous. I buy at the more expensive end, so if I see a nice example in the netaporter or Matches sale, I’m in there. I reason that I’ll have it for the future when I want a new tailored black sleeveless top and can’t find any I like on the shops.

I also have clothes I’m sentimentally attached to, like a dress or skirt I felt gorgeous and glamorous in, even if it was 15 years ago! Or I tell myself, with some justification, that clothes are not as well-made now so I should hang on to the well-crafted stuff made from nice fabrics.

I look after my clothes though. Shoes kept in their boxes, clothes hung on decent hangers etc.

Anyway I’ve ended up with loads of stuff and have to force myself to weed the wardrobe every couple of years.

I already had a whole load of clothes I liked and which fit fine but realised lately some of it is just a bit young for me and not as stylish as I'd like as I head towards 50 in a few years. I got some advice on here about looking effortlessly chic.

So I've now bought even more clothes and have far more than necessary but basically like them all. (I also find summer clothing much easier to but). It's not so much the storage as the complications I have deciding what to wear every day. I do like the idea of 333 or some other way to curate the best things but then worry I'd get bored if I got rid of everything else. I have a thing where I never wear the exact same outfit more than once. I seem to have a block around repeating a nice combo whereas a friend of mine has very few clothes and just wears and wears them and looks great and I bet does not have my problems getting dressed!

Oh watching with interest!

DH is away next weekend and I was planning a wardrobe sort out/cull. Trigged by the fact I realised that I still have the dress I wore to my godson's christening. He will be 15 in a few weeks and it's at least a size too small 😪

Open to any tips

@TheOGCCL you don't have to get rid of anything with project 333. You just select 33 pieces for the next 3 months and put everything else in storage.

33 items for 3 months, (then change). Hence 33...3 😀

I have far too many clothes, 4 wardrobes, 3 chest of drawers and a coat cupboard, I have things just incase, some are over 7 to 10 years old but still in good condition as some have only been worn a few times. I used to buy lots of cheap things when younger, markets, newlook, H&M, I stil like some H&M but trying to buy less but better, now at 61, I seem to notice the cheaper shops fabrics are rubbish.

I went through something similar post maternity leave and Covid as and as I approached 40 and soent a long time on Pinterest working out what I wanted my wardrobe to look like.

I probably have too many clothes but I’m quite ruthless about selling stuff that doesn’t get worn. I have a winter and summer wardrobe which get swapped over and the other half stored.

I don’t have a capsule wardrobe but my colour palette is fairly limited so stuff tends to go and it’s based around certain styles and combinations which work as a sort of uniform and makes it easy to get dressed whereas it used to be a lot more random and I had lots of clothes that didn’t go with anything.

I shop from a very limited number of brands that I love and which suit me plus a few specific items from other places and have Vinted searches saved. I keep a list of wardrobe gaps and don’t buy things if I don’t already own stuff to wear it with and can’t think of when I’d wear it. I buy 95% pre-loved and don’t buy anything I’m not confident about reselling without a loss. The single best thing I’ve done is find a good tailor/seamstress and get everything adjusted so it’s just right which has transformed how I feel and look in my clothes.

Great thread!

I have one double wardrobe and rotate summer and winter clothes. Some clothes date back six years - whilst I buy from low end stores (H&M, Dorothy Perkins, River Island), I look after my clothes well. Some of my shoes date back six years - again pristine condition as I vary my footwear. I wear pumps on my commute to work and change into shoes. I never re-heel my shoes as a result.

My summer wardrobe:
1 jean jacket
1 biker jacket
1 blazer
3 skirts
12 work/casual dresses
4 work black trousers
7 evening dresses
3 jumpsuits
4 pairs skinny jeans
4 vest tops
5 t-shirts
8 smart/casual tops

Absolutely nothing in comparison to the number of clothes owned by women on the 'what are we wearing today summer 2022' thread. I am astounded by the number of outfits they model.

Way too many clothes here but still have nothing to wear half the time!