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?

I’d be so miserable though

I have 15 pairs of gold shoes
never mind an entire wardrobe

I've worn 9 items of clothing today, aiming for a total of 15 is just silly unless you sit around inside all day and never go out to balls etc

Went outside in shorts, shirt, gilet, got wet & dirty, changed into jeans and top, needed a jumper as chilly outside, going out tonight so will be trousers, top and light jacket.

And those listing one pair of shorts - I've worn shorts every day since May - washing them most days would be insane. And then what would you wear when gardening, or decorating, or swimming or going to the gym?

And what about winter? I can go out in thermal leggings, trousers, vest, shirt, jumper and jacket, then get changed to go out in the evening to a meeting or whatever.

How on earth would you keep clean in 15 items of clothing unless you part filled the washing machine every day which kind of flies in the face of reducing consumption.

It's not silly it's how some people enjoy their clothes

@bittertwisted 15 pairs of gold shoes?

I couldn't cope with 15 items. I'd be miserable and on a practical level I can't honestly imagine how people get by with so few clothes. 15 items to cover work, being at home, going out-by which I mean everything from going to the supermarket and as PP said going to a ball and everything in between?

It doesn't sound like enjoying clothes. It sounds like meeting the convention that society generally expects one wears clothes.

I’m with you. You can never have too many pairs of gold shoes.

1 pair jeans - low rise, wide leg, super soft would be the goal

1 pair of tracksuit bottoms, nice enough to wear for work (obviously I don't work somewhere that requires smart clothes!)

1 pair of super wide leg black trousers/cords

Long black maxi skirt

Short black skirt

Everyday dress, probably t shirt style or skater

A pretty dress for going out

Band t shirt

Long sleeve top

A pretty top

A racer back top

Long, snuggly cardigan

Lightweight, zip up hoodie

Shorts (probably cycling shorts with a phone pocket to wear under the dress or band t-shirt)

Either a jumpsuit or dungarees

That's 15. I think for the actual clothes, 15 seems reasonable but restricted. It's when you start thinking about the English weather and needing tights/vests etc to layer and make them a actually wearable all year round that would leave you feeling it's not enough. And then you add a gym kit, swimwear, scruffs for gardening and cleaning the bathroom in 😁. Shoes and coats. It adds up. I have way more clothes than this! But it all fits in one wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Have you ever read about project 333 OP? It was years ago, but she did 30 items of clothing for 3 months.

Coming from someone who earlier confessed to having 15 pairs of black boots (which I hasten to add I can fully justify) I really am intrigued as to the numerous gold shoes question.

But how could you enjoy 15 items of clothing and manage to have enough winter and summer clothes with just 15 pieces for a varied life ? They'd be washed or dry-cleaned so often they'd soon fall to pieces.

Today, I'm wearing a pair of casual brown trousers, a white short sleeve layering top and a beige short sleeve fine knit and a brown blazer, nice autumn weekend outfit for being out and about.. So four items of clothes. Yesterday I wore an oldish pair of casual trousers and t-shirt for a day of chores at home, then changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt for dinner out. So I'm onto eight items of clothing over two days. Tomorrow I will probably wear a pair of cream trousers before they are put away until next April or May and a shirt. That will be 10 items of clothing. I still wouldn't have nearly enough clothes if I just had to pick five more pieces. (Summer clothes - linens/light cotton - shorts - t-shirts - summer trousers and tops are not suitable for winter wear and I don't want to layer summer clothes up and wear them in winter months. Instead I look forward to them making an appearance next summer/winter since holiday.

If you need clothes for exercising/walking, gardening, chores at home, work, meeting friends, going to parties, dinner out, holidays out - then just 15 items is not enough. Just for coats you need a rain coat. A warmer outdoor coat for walking on cold days. A good winter coat for wearing to work/when out and about. A jacket or two. Unless of course you want to wear the same items two or three times a week and mostly stay at home.

Eh?

I mean I don't see how anyone can get any fun of these utilitarian lists. It's a list of clothes to cover nakedness and be suitable for the weather.

I agree. @bittertwisted has got the best reason on this thread for not having a capsule wardrobe! Now I want to see photographs ... though I suspect I might have at least six pairs myself 😶

Positively Biblical in fact. Just strip it right down to 15 x figleaves ...

I actually did find it quite fun, and it was definitely food for thought to consider what I absolutely can't do without. IRL I have probably ten times that number of clothing items (though I am sorry to have to admit that I only have one pair of gold shoes).

I don't buy a lot of clothes but i have quite a lot because I have accumulated them over the years, if something fits me and I like it I keep it whether its in fashion or not. When it comes to perfume, skincare or haircare though, i only ever have one at a time.
If I had to only have 15 items it would be
Blue jeans (everyday)
Black jeans (going out)
Soft jersey type trousers (slobbing at home)
4 nice shirts (1 white) (going out)
2 long sleeve tops
2 nice t shirts
2 fleeces
Cable knit cardigan
Smart jacket

If we have to count shoes, add a pair of trainers and a pair of ankle boots, and knock off one of the shirts and a fleece.

In contrast, I haven't worn a pair of shorts all year ...!!!

Neither have I, and I haven’t worn a gilet in my life! My outfit today was jeans and a short sleeved top.

This has been a really interesting thread to see what other people consider essentials.

I overuse exclamation marks to the point where I annoy myself - in case anyone thinks I'm being serious when I'm attempting to be drily sarcastic!!!

Other people on these threads probably think I'm a really sunny, chirpy individual - when I'm actually a bit of a tetchy grump! I also dislike emoticons, but feel the necessity to use them at times (for the same reason as above) 😐

By lack of fun I meant the limited items of clothing, not compiling the list.

As another PP said unless of course you want to wear the same items two or three times a week and mostly stay at home. I honestly don't see how it is possible to get by with such a limited selection.