If you had to rebuild your wardrobe with 15 items

[Neighbourmystery]

My friend is a total minimalist . As long as I've known her she's only owned about 15 items of clothing at a time (she actually used to blog about it) she also has one shampoo bar at a time, one moisturiser etc etc she's never really worn make up so that is not a thing
One year on returning form holiday- she had her backpack stolen with every single item of her clothing in even her underwear. She had to go out and buy everything from scratch. I've often thought about this and am fascinated by the idea of having to just start again. For fun - if you had to start again with your wardrobe with a max of 15 items what would you buy?
You don't have to include a coat (my friend has one woolen and one raincoat parka type)

Mine would be :
Matching tracksuit (sweat shirt and wide leg joggers)
Barrel leg chino type trousers in 2 colours
Soft white t shirts x 3
Thin soft cardigan
Simple dress
Oversized plaid or denim shirt
Graphic t shirt
Cigarette trousers
Vintage or floppy oversized silk shirt
Soft velvet/denim or leather jacket

Anyone else want to play?

The toiletries and make up is easy peasy. Something to wash my face, a night moisturiser, tinted day moisturiser and occasionally lipstick and mascara.

But 15 items of clothes. No way. Not even going to try.

Okay, I've got over my earlier shock ...!

• 1 x pair of indigo wide-legged jeans
• 1 x fine black cashmere/merino jumper
• 1 x black silk midi skirt
• 12 x dresses, midi to maxi, plain & patterned, in cotton &/or silk, in shades of green, black, rust, dark red, mustard, navy & inky blue ... & some more green!

(Partly because everyone else seems to have so many pairs of trousers & hardly any dresses!)

All fairness I could just tell you what I have now in my wardrobe as I’m very much like your friend. I have

2 pair of jeans
2 pairs of shorts
4 vest tops
3 long cardigans
2 jumpers

when I worked I had so many clothes but over the years my wardrobe has somewhat disappeared

I am a minimalist

For a short break recently I packed

wide leg jeans
wide leg linen trousers - navy with pattern
navy linen balloon trousers (to travel)
white cotton top
light blue cotton top
navy T shirt
navy & ecru striped T shirt
navy & white striped dress
round neck button up cardigan
linen open cardigan
lightweight padded jacket (I can use as a pillow)
sandals
trainers

And I thought to myself that I would have been fine with that wardrobe for a few weeks as long as I had washing facilities. So I’ll add on some shorts, a vest top and swimming costume and that’s my spring - summer basic wardrobe.

Autumn / winter similar I guess would be along similar lines but I’d swap the linen trousers for another pair of jeans and some joggers, my cotton tops, dress and thin cardigan for a couple of long sleeved Ts, a woolen sweater, a hoodie, cosy shirt and a sweater dress and some thick tights. Swap sandals for boots.

I think you need some more tops there @EleanorMc67!

Fun question! I would love to be able to live like this but I get bored so easily!

1. black jeans - straight leg
2. blue jeans - straight leg
3. short sleeve shirt - dark
4. short sleeve shirt - light
5. chunky knit cardi - light
6. fine knit cardi - dark
7. fine knit cardi - dark
8. party dress
9. elegant dress
10. wool jumper
11. wool jumper
12. coatigan
13. work dress
14. work dress
15. work dress

I’ve got far too many clothes and would really struggle but I’ll have a go:

black cotton midi dress
black cotton midi skirt
black white print midi skirt
leopard print midi skirt
2 black Cos boxy Tshirts
black merino turtleneck
leopard print blouse
black vest
black broderie shirt
black tube dress
slouchy black trousers
jeans
denim midi skirt
printed midi dress

I could cope with those in spring and autumn, I think.

2 jeans one black one blue denim
4 dresses - two maxi summer and two maxi winter like a denim or something similar.
1 cardigan
1 white t shirt
1 grey t shirt
2 sweatshirts
1 shorts
1 black leggings
1 sweat pants
1 denim jacket

I have two wardrobes full of bloody clothes but I always wear the same things! I would find this really cathartic actually just having these things to wear. I might have a big old Vinted clear out! But then again ...

Surely instead of over consumption you would constantly be washing?
Then the clothes would look worn out very quickly?

1x slightly oversized cashmere jumper
1x white cotton tank
1x skinny jeans
1x black leggings + matching workout top
1x formal loose comfy suit
2x knee length work dresses
1x super comfortable belted maxi dress
1x beautiful formal red carpet fit dress
1x trench or cape
1x warm winter/ski jacket, hooded, all weather proof
1x black mini skirt
1x black bodysuit
1x little strappy summer dress
1x comfy overalls

To be honest it was hard to actually reach 15!

I wouldn’t look to replace generic clothing items as much as I would look for a very specific item from a specific brand/ colour to replace precisely like for like.

I wouldn’t buy all 15 at once, maybe start at 7 essentials and add items that I actually love.

Current wardrobe is maybe 25 core items but I struggle to wear them all regularly, probably rotate 10 on a regular basis.

@Neighbourmystery do people use more than one shampoo or moisturiser at the time? How/ what for? Surely you know which product you like and just have one at the time?

I’ve always been told, both as a kid and regularly by professionals as an adult, that a product will only have an effect if you use it 6-8 weeks+, and changing products/ routines frequently will cause skin irritation and breakouts. I assumed most people other than keen products testers only used a narrow range of products and only replaced them when empty.

I’d only wash my clothes when actually dirty, ie stained/ an odour. So jeans might be washed a few times a year, cashmere jumper dry cleaned a few times a year etc.

Usually do one small wash a week, 2 if whites also need washing in addition to darks/ colours. I could wash less but there’s certain clothes I want always fresh and available to wear.

Many clothes I have are 20+ years old, ie from my teen years, or 2000s designer vintage - tend to only buy exceptionally high quality clothing.

Very rarely throw clothes away due to aging/wear, I tend to resell if I don’t want something anymore as they’re in good condition.

Jeans a few times per year!
They would be walking around on their own!

What about tops?
Theres 7 days in a week so if you have 3 tops you must be constantly washing them

I know! My post wasn't wholly serious ... I was at first going to choose 15 dresses!!!

Black trousers
Black jacket
2 x dresses
Cardigan
2 x sweater
2 x harem pants
2 x T shirt
Long sleeved T shirt
Skirt
3/4 length linen trousers
Smart top

I’m always fascinated by people who do this. I would have 15 items but I’d have 15 items in every colour. I adore colour so I would have everyone’s above list but in yellow/orange/red/green/brown/pink/white/blue.

I couldn’t have 3 pairs of trousers/jeans as it doesn’t cover every colour 😬

15 Vivienne Westwood dresses would actually suit me really well and take me to most places my life requires me to go (mostly Sainsbury’s tbh).

Good luck to you all in your new non-consuming lives but please don’t start a panicked thread next time you have a wedding / funeral / interview / new job / school reunion / hot date or meeting with your new partner’s parents and haven’t got anything to wear!

1 pair denim jeans
1 pair corduroy trousers
1 pair linen trousers
2 work dresses
2 casual dresses
5 T-shirts
Cardigan
2 jumpers

Not too far off my current wardrobe actually.

I don’t tend to wear jeans or tops much. Jeans maybe once a week? So essentially washing after every 10 wears or so, condition dependent. I could chuck them in the weekly wash but it rarely seems necessary.

Tops I wash after 2-3 wears, especially as I tend to get makeup stains on white t-shirt collar while taking it off! So tops are the main ‘trigger’ for the weekly wash alongside underwear/ sportswear/ sleepwear.

Mostly wear dresses or suits, and they don’t really get dirty easily, it’s not like I’m running around in puddles in them 🤣 Putting something on to sit in an office chair or go for a day out doesn’t exactly create mess.

Guess it makes a difference that I don’t have a dog/ don’t live in the countryside, maybe? Usually in temperature controlled clean indoor environments…

How often do you wash your clothes?

15 Westwoods would see me through all of the above! Now I just need to win the lottery.

2 pairs of blue jeans
1 pair of black jeans
1 white tshirt
2 everyday top
1 going out top
1 vest top
1 oversized cardigan
1 cream cableknit jumper
1 summer dress
2 work dresses
1 pair thick tights
1 blazer

Oooh, good idea.

1x straight jeans
1x chocolate or tan high waist, tapered wool trousers
1× cream cotton shirt (WNU)
1× cream silk shirt
1x chocolate or tan sharp blazer
1x chocolate or tan midi skirt
1x burnt orange midi wrap dress
2x cream t-shirt (crew neck)
1x cream cashmere poloneck
1x MaxMara camel coat (long, no belt, interesting collar)
1x chocolate, burgundy or dark rust trouser suit
1x cashmere dark rust cardigan, v-neck, slightly slouchy
1x copper silk / silky drawstring trousers
1x cotton short-sleeved midi summer dress (muted orange or rust)

I’m relieved that someone else has said dresses, I’d need at least 8 as I practically live in them.

Boots,sandals and trainers next.

Pair of jeans and 3 tops.

Oh how I wish I could do that - my wardrobes are bursting at the seams unfortunately 😮

That’s fair