*How many clothes do we really need?

Friday, May 03, 2019
Image from Pinterest
We are all guilty of, before a night out, going to our chest of drawers or wardrobe, spending twenty-five minutes trailing everything onto the floor, only to end up picking up the same thing we always wear, while simultaneously getting frustrated at the fact we have no clothes.

The general consensus among the population is, that it is easier for men to shop than women, but this isn’t always the case. Take going to a wedding for example — matching a shirt, tie, suit and shoes, along with co-ordinating with the plus one, is by no means an easy feat. A study in early 2018 discovered that men actually spend considerably more on clothes that their female counterparts. The average woman, according to the statistics, spends $105 a month on clothes, whereas the man spends $150. That’s a whopping 43% difference but are all the clothes your buying actually a necessity — perhaps a clear out may be in order.

Let’s take a look at these style guides designed for men and women, to have you looking top notch without having to fork out a fortune.

Pants 
In your wardrobe, there should be at least six to eight garments taken up by pants or skirts section. This might depend on your preference though, if you prefer shorts or dresses in all climates then you’ll probably own less pants.


  • Three pairs of jeans — One denim expert recommended owning three pairs of jeans in her wardrobe and it makes sense! The first pair is “this year’s jeans” these are used for casual meetings, posh dinners and night time events. Then you have “last year’s jeans” these are what you would put on to run errands or head out for lunch. Finally, “the year before last year’s jeans” which are essential for housework or painting. 
  • One pair of office-appropriate pants — For men this may be a smart pair of chinos and for women a pinstripe tailored trouser. Either way, it should be pants that are suitable for work and interviews. 
  • Two pairs of pants for warmer weathers — The garments that sit in this category include skirts and shorts. Feel free to wear them at all times of the year, but they’re always a go-to when the sun is out. 

Again, these options can be switched up to change the category that they sit in — this is what makes a great staple wardrobe!

Outerwear 
A decent piece of outerwear is essential when it comes to completing the look of any outfit. We recommend only having three to four outerwear pieces in your wardrobe, as long as they’re good quality they should last a while!


  • Two casual jackets — For the cooler months or daytime events, a casual jacket is an important one to have in the wardrobe. This could be a leather jacket for some protection from the rain or a denim jacket for the warmer days. 
  • One blazer — A blazer is great to slip on for a job interview with a slim fit shirt, or skirt and blouse for example. Also great for a dressy night out when paired with more of an informal outfit. 
  • One waterproof/warmer jacket — It’s always a good idea to have a waterproof or warmer jacket in your wardrobe for practicality. Choose a staple colour like black, navy or grey so that you can pair it with many outfits. 

There is nothing to say that throwing in a few added extras is to be frowned upon. In the winter you might want to invest in more jumpers, for example. But, overall we think that you only need around 18-25 garments! Choose them well and you can mix and match to create lots of new looks.

Shoes 
If you aren’t making your way down the catwalk in London, Milan or Paris every weekend, chances are you don’t need a bustling shoe rack. Three isn’t a crowd in this instance, it’s just right.


  • One pair of trainers — For casual occasions or nights out when you don’t fancy dressing too smartly, a pair of trainers come in handy. Choose white or black so that they can be paired with lots of different looks. 
  • One pair of smart shoes — These are great for work, interviews or more formal occasions. Leather is a good choice here as you can keep them shiny and clean and they’re less likely to tarnish in the weather as suede might. 
  • One pair of boots — Again good to mix and match between formal and casual events, a good pair of boots can’t go wrong. For women, a black heeled ankle boot can be paired with many outfits including dresses and skirts and for men, you can’t go wrong with a Chelsea boots.

Tops 
You really don’t have to push the boat out in this department. Therefore, we are suggesting you invest in six to ten items, without including what you would use to train in. Of course, it depends on your employment, if you’re always at formal meetings and events your top collection will probably look different to someone who has a manual job.


  • Three casual tops — Men’s shirts offer an air of sophistication but they aren’t for every occasion. These are tops that you’d wear for heading out to lunch or local pub with your friends, or for visiting family on a weekend. 
  • Two tops for smart business wear— These are tops that you need to have in case of an unexpected business meeting or for an interview. It’s always a good idea to have at least two of these tops in in case you have multiple meetings with the same person or a follow-up interview. 
  • Two going out tops — Going out tops are a must-have for men and women to have in their wardrobe. For women this might be a glitzy blouse or cropped top and for a man it may be a good shirt, but not one that’s suitable for the office. 

Of course, you can mix and match tops with other garments to dress the outfit up or down. For example, pairing your formal top with ripped jeans would create more of an informal look and a casual top with smart chinos could become a suitable office outfit.

What do you think of these ideas? Do you have too many clothes? 

*collaborative post

23 comments

  1. This is a super important topic atm with the fast fashion impact having such awful environmental consequences. I am shopping a lot less, but I think that's also baby related but it's definitely something I am aware of now to have less things! x

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  2. I used to have too many clothes but I have gotten much better in recent years xx

    Beautylymin | L'Occitane Perfume Giveaway

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  3. I have like 7 pairs of jeans and a mountain of black tops. That's about it!

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  4. I don't own nowhere near this many clothes!

    http://www.jennyinneverland.com

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  5. I'm pretty good with shopping now and only get what I need! Fast Fashion terrifies me xx

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  6. Ooh interesting - I tend to have quite a lot of tops because 90% of the time I wear black jeans so it's how I switch it up haha

    Jasmine xx

    Jasmine Talks Beauty

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  7. I have too many clothes, but recently I have been a lot more mindful of my purchases.

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  8. I'm being more mindful this year and have had a good clear out although there are still a few things lurking about that I need to get rid of. I def need to go through my bags and shoes though!
    Em x

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  9. I definitely have a lot more than this. I tend to stick to the same colour palette a lot so mix things up with items that are different fabrics/ textures. The thought of having this little is quite terrifying 😂 x

    Sophie

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  10. Love this post! I've really been tryng to cut down after I realised how ba fast fashion is for the environment.

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  11. I deffo have too many but try not to buy many any more x

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  12. I'd definitely say I've gotten a lot better especially in the past couple of years. I try to really make considered purchases nowadays. However I'm definitely still guilty of shopping too much.
    Chantelle x
    The Girl In The Tartan Scarf

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  13. I've just had a massive clear out of my clothes because it's been bugging me for ages!


    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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  14. I'm a nightmare for tops and trainers. I have FAR too many. I should be better about not buying more... but I always forget lol

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  15. I really need to have a good clear out of my clothes ready for Summer. I have far too many tops xx

    Tiffany x www.foodandotherloves.co.uk

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  16. Ha ha, a question I have posed to myself over the years. The answer: many.

    http://a-woman-of-a-certain-age.com/

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  17. Yup! I have way too many clothes haha but I cant help it! I love shopping! I do need to downsize more often though, I tend to hold on to stuff longer than I should.

    www.manicuresandcocktails.net

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  18. I have a clear out every three months,i use a systme, where all the hangers are facing the same way,when ive worn the clothes,i turn the hanger round,after 3 months if there's any hangers still facing forwards,i know ive not worn them in 3 months,so off to the charity sop they go x

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  19. Oh I know for a fact I have too many of everything haha x

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  20. Oòoo dear ! Thought I was getting better with my wardrobe staples - guess I best think again !

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  21. omg I have way more pairs of jeans than 3

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  22. Totally agree. When you think of what you wear vs what you own it’ll be a huge difference

    https://littlemissmelanie.com/

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