How many items of clothing is “normal”?

[youredeadtomesteven]

Hi all,
I’m drowning in clothing most of the time yet once washing is done and clothes are somewhat put away, I seem to just wear what I’ve just washed yet have seemingly mountains of clothes that I love but never seem to allow myself to wear.

I started thinking about getting it all onto the bed one weekend (from wardrobe, clothes rail, drawers and suitcases) and was discussing my idea with my DM who said I’d likely get overwhelmed with this and seemed shocked when I estimated that I likely had at least 50 items of each category (eg 50 bottoms, 50 T-shirts, 50 jumpers/cardigans, 50 dresses)

I have work clothes/outfits but find myself wearing the same stuff a lot, then on weekends wearing the same old stuff and I don’t feel good about myself/my appearance in part as a result of this.

How many items of clothing is normal (if there is a norm!) and how many of each category?

I have nostalgic clothing and all variations of styles and types.

Is 30 of each category too many or not enough?

With shoes, I have less than 20 pairs as I just don’t find shoes all that interesting nor inspiring whereas my DM has at least 100 pairs of footwear.

any ideas/advice/help/guidance welcomed!

The approach of getting everything out on the bed for a big sort is the Kondo method. I did it once and it is effective, as it sort of reverses your mindset. I.e. you have to consciously decide to keep something and put it back into the wardrobe, rather than the decision being whether to get rid. If you've got heaps of clothes though, do it by category rather than all at once, eg jeans, jumpers, skirts, work trousers etc. Otherwise you'll be buried under a mountain of clothes and won't have room to sort anything. Ask me how I know...

See, I'm thinking I need shapewear, tights, and a slip with dresses and skirts. Maybe I'm overthinking it!

I have about 5 dresses, tops, leggings, hoodies. Maybe 6 bras, quite a few knickers and socks. 2 pairs pyjamas, 1 pair of shoes.

I split mine into seasons. Linen trousers, shorts, cotton dresses & cardigans, short sleeve tops are clearly summer wear and are stored away between October and May.
My winter clothes are heavier trousers, thicker skirts & dresses, jeans, sweaters, thermal long sleeve tshirts and boots.
That halves the options immediately.
I have favourites each year but they vary from year to year. Each season, I lay them all out on the bed, decide what needs replacing or updating as a new combination, what needs a new scarf or other accessory.
I've just looked at my summer stuff and need a couple of dresses, some sandals and some cotton tops for the office.

Could someone talk me through the Whering app and how it works? Do you have to style it all yourself?

Don't do the washing for a week or two - it makes you wear your wardrobe. When you put something on and immediately take it off ask yourself why. What is it about that garment that isn't working. Try wearing it with a simple t shirt or stylish blouse.

If you're still not wearing it - off to Vinted it goes.

You also need to take some time to try on your clothes and style them . . . it's the styling that's key.

I do the same.
At the change of season for summer / winter everything gets taken out and onto the bed. I have two wardrobes (one of the best perks of being divorced) and after I have sorted, I swap then around so I'm always using my main wardrobe.

So I suspect I have a lot of items compared to some, but it doesn't get that overwhelming as it's all seasonal.

I do tend to gather items as I am a reseller for my sideline business, so I have to be strict and not keep a lot, which is very tempting sometimes. But if I do, I work on a rotation system. If I add something into the wardrobe, something else has to go.

OP why not take a few hours and make up some outfits from what you aren't wearing. Its very easy to keep wearing the same items on repeat, as you don't have to think about it. It's the perfect time to do it now with the season change.

For most people the 80-20 rule applies to clothing. So they wear 20% of their clothes most of the time.

i’ve got what I think of as quite a lot but it’s split up into seasons and I archive each season when I’m not wearing it - so summer stuff is currently archived because it’s not the weather for it.

again, a lot of people have clothes or shoes for activities - gym clothes, swimsuits, black tie/posh events etc.

personally I’m a fan of dresses especially in summer but there is no way I’m wearing a slip or anything like that underneath - swimsuit on, dress on and off you go. (I do swim most days in the summer)

I think currently, on my Whering app, I've got about 200 items that are year round/ winter, and then probably another 100 that are summer and are archived as in the loft until the weather changes. So probably about the 300 mark.

BUT I do frequently review and move stuff along. I wouldn't have 50 trousers not being worn- if I keep it, I try to wear it.

In your situation, instead of Marie Kondo style, I would make a point each week of taking 5-10 different things you haven't worn out of your wardrobe, that are weather appropriate. Set yourself a challenge of wearing them in the next week. If you find yourself avoiding the items- oh I'm not sure, it's not quite comfy, this waists a bit high, it looks a bit old, I don't know what to wear it with- then it goes. Or at least move it to a separate rail where you give it another chance in a month, then it goes if it's the same.

Sometimes when we have too much, the choice is overwhelming, so we just default to our basics as it's easier. If you can get out a few items and wear them with your usual outfits, it might be a bit less stressful.

@FloofBunny wow that is over thinking massively!

I only wore shapewear under my wedding dress. I only wore tights with a dress in the office on the winter. And despite the thread on here last year about slips, I haven't worn an underskirt since my first holy communion in 1985!

Nothing is more freeing than a lovely dress and bare legs. I do work out though and have toned legs, visible quads and my bum is excellent!

OP you have way too many clothes. I wouldn't say I'm capsule but not far off. If it can't fit in my medium sized wardrobe and one large drawer, it can't come in. I do keep hot day clothes in a cabin bag. But I use tshirts and thin blouses all year round with a cashmere jumper on top.

I also generally wear the same clothes for work and weekend, other than gardening stuff. So wide leg trousers, trainers, blouse and cashmere jumper for home or work.

I like the idea from pps. About putting it all on the bed and sorting each category.

I only have two pairs of jeans, once they go out of style they go charity or vinted. No skinny jeans in my house!

My late mother was a dressmaker and she really knew about clothes. There's no doubt that dresses and skirts do look better with shapewear and a slip. Skirt material falls so much better with a slip. And I don't know how you avoid static and skirt-cling in the winter without a slip if you are wearing tights!

Safety pins in the hem!

Don't go down this insecurity path.

Having favourites that get reworn is completely normal and nice.

The pressure for new things is just a cynical marketing trick to make you spend more. Don't fall for it!

That stops the cling? Mind blown!

God the thought of inputting clothes into an app sounds unbearable to me!
I prefer dressing off pure vibes alone.
I have loads of clothes, polar opposite to the people who claim to have a handful of items in each main category. I would never throw out an item because I hadn’t worn it in however many months.
I’ve got lovely jeans and dresses that I haven’t worn in a year but due to the occasion, and the same with blouses!
To me a handful of tops doesn’t cover all occasions imo. I’ll have a handful of casual blouses for work that are good for layering, a bunch that aren’t good for layering and are nice casual spring items, ones that work better with high waist trousers, ones that look between with hair up/ down, formal ones, very summery ones, more revealing tops for a date night or girls cocktail night, nice tops for a meal out during the day with the kids that are more demure, casual long sleeve tops, layering tops, nicer long sleeve tops etc etc

The same for jeans, structured straight leg, nicer straight leg, cheaper straight leg for the park/garden, black boyfriend, black wide leg for flats, black wide leg for heels, light wash wide, darker wash wide, white wide, white floral wide, pink crop and that’s before you come to leather or summer and formal trousers!

Dressing from only the same small handful of items sounds like the height of dull to me.

Through kids (so buying kids clothes and none for myself because just that’s what happens sometimes) and now being in 40s and getting rid of anything that didn’t fit or that made me feel like a lump I now have three pairs of trousers, one pair of jeans, two skirts, one dress, two coats, five short sleeved tee shirts, two long sleeved tee shirts, three jumpers (two of these are Christmas ones lol!) five cardigans, oh and four pairs of pyjamas. I don’t love any of my clothes (bar the cardigans and pjs!) , they only do the job and this year I’m going to concentrate on trying to build this up so I’m happy putting on clothes. Weirdly I didn’t have tons more than this in my 20s but all of my clothes fit nicely and I really liked them! I think if you love your clothes and wear them don’t worry!

It did for me when I had a clingy dress I wanted to wear to a wedding. I think I put a safety pin pinned to the hem sideways on each side and voila, no riding up happened. It diffuses the static via the metal pin.

I actually saw the idea on mumsnet! Also hairspray on the legs works too.

It depends how much room you have, I have many more clothes since DS moved out and I now use his old wardrobe and drawers, no point in leaving them empty.

I have lots of clothes too. Too many, I am sure but I would struggle with a capsule wardrobe as I have lots of different modes - office, WFH, social, holiday, hot weather/cold weather etc

Something I have been trying to clear things out a bit is when I consider wearing something but I'm not sure about it for whatever reason, I force myself to wear it on a WFH day and that usually helps me work out what I am unsure about and sometimes (usually) I decide that I actually don't like it and I just need to get rid but sometimes I realise I do love it.

I am also trying very hard to not buy anything new unless I can clearly see what I would wear it with. My issue has been buying lovely things that I love but have nothing to wear it with

@goz I don't use the app personally to make outfits, but I do use it to track outfits when I remember. I like it because:

It breaks down cost per wear, which I like as it reminds me that spending more money on a coat or bag is probably a good thing, but expensive flat shoes and tops aren't worth it to me as I don't wear the same ones regularly.
It makes me dig out things I don't wear often, and actually think about why, or try to wear it
It reminds me that I already have more coats and jackets than I want to admit, so don't buy any more 😁
I used it to have a glance through when thinking what I might want to pack
I look through outfits I've worn before, and see something I enjoyed wearing to pull out again
Forgotten items

And last but not least, it reminds me of Chers Clueless wardrobe.

I've lost some weight and needed to fully restock my wardrobe, it's been really handy to see what shapes I actually wear Vs what I'm drawn to in the shops

I am like you!

But I think the way that other people manage with a lot less is that they have more of a "uniform" - e.g. they don't have both wide leg and slim leg trousers/jeans, just one or the other and then they don't need tops that go with both, all their tops work, ditto shoes etc

I use an app called Stylebook and love it. It did initially take an age photographing my clothes and loading them on but it was very satisfying once completed. I did it over a few weekends and it was a great excuse to completely empty my wardrobes and vacuum them out, buy all matching hangers, and get rid of anything I wasn’t sure about.

Now, if I buy a new item I can upload straight from the retail website so just takes a few minutes.
I’ve got 40+ bottoms, that’s just jeans and trousers, I never wear skirts, 15 dresses. Tops….don’t ask!

Clothes shops are not fantastic where I live so 2 or 3 times a year I’ll head to another city and it’s really useful before I buy anything on a whim to double-check on my app if I already own anything similar.

That's alot of clothes. I probably have 50 tops and 50 dresses but hardly anything like that in the rest of the categories. I would go through section by section, and create a keep, charity, sell pile. Then move to the next section when you're ready. It will be totally overwhelming to get it all out.

I think a few extra questions need to be asked. Are all clothes that OP have the correct current size or are there smaller, currently unworn sizes,too. Many women have clothes in multiple sizes. The other question is do you dress for yourself, to feel comfy or to express yourself via your clothes, or do you dress to fit in with what others wear.

I don’t think I have as much stuff as you and I am usually happy in whatever I wear which is basically 2 outfits in repeat varied by whichever shirt I wear

I do have a lot of stuff that needs to be chucked out - too knackered for charity shop but I doubt I have 50 items never mind 50 tops and 50 jumpers

it alamost sounds like you wear what you like and feel comfortable in and the feel guilty that you don’t wear the other stuff so a clear out might be a good idea