The researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total. As an example, they've suggested six outfits for work, three outfits for homewear, three outfits for sports, two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and trousers or skirts.
There's no magic number of clothing items that you should have in your closet, but a good rule of thumb is only to keep clothes that you love and actually wear. If you haven't worn something in the past season or for more than a year, chances are you're not going to wear it again, and it's time to get rid of it.
How many clothes does the average woman own? In a recent survey from ClosetMaid, the average American woman has 103 items in her closet.
When it comes to getting dressed, many experts consult the Golden Ratio to help balance proportions between different garments. It may be tough to eyeball a 1:1.618 ratio in the mirror, but balancing upper and lower pieces according to a 2:3 or 3:5 ratio creates a naturally aesthetic outfit.
Do the clothing countdown: If you need a mantra to help streamline your wardrobe, use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule for a weeklong trip: Limit yourself to no more than five sets of socks and underwear, four tops, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. The list should be adjusted to suit your needs.
How many clothes should be in a capsule wardrobe? A capsule wardrobe can have as many or as few clothes that work for you, but commonly they have anywhere from 30-50 pieces. The capsule checklist I've put together has room for 44 items, including shoes and accessories, but you can always have more or fewer than that.
People own an average of 148 pieces
Most survey respondents seem to have between 77 to 155 pieces in their wardrobe with a few outliers in the 300+ range.
They say that the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, holds true with wardrobes: Most of us wear 20 percent of our clothing, 80 percent of the time. Why waste valuable space on the other 80 percent of your wardrobe that you rarely wear?
The goal is to have at least four accessories or points of interest to every outfit. This has been a game changer for me because I tend to be a plain jane, and often I feel like my outfits lack a little something.
Tiffanie has broken the year into five seasons, during which those who have pledged to the Rule of 5 can buy one item, not including underwear, lingerie or socks. The idea here is to have a fashion credit to “spend” in that period. If you go through one season without buying anything, you can buy two in the next.
Australians each buy an average of almost 15kg of new garments a year - 56 items per person. It's estimated more than 90 per cent of those new clothes are thrown out within 12 months.
Depending on your laundry schedule, you might need more than 5 pairs of jeans. But for most people, 4 to 5 pairs of casual pants, including denim jeans, are all that is needed to look stylish and well dressed. Keep in mind that you don't need to wash your denim jeans too often.
National data shows the average household spends $44 to $66 a week on clothing and footwear. These weekly figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Statista amount to about $2200 to $3500 a year.
As a rule of thumb, though, check garments for wear about every two to three months. Then buy new when things start to show signs of wear.
Though the number of clothes in your closet is a personal choice, the topic has become controversial. With the increasing popularity of minimalism and capsule wardrobes, many influencers suggest that a woman should not have more than 50 pieces of clothing (including shoes and accessories) in her closet.
One formula I've found helpful to add color while still looking chic and put-together is the 3-color rule. Aim for 3 colors in an outfit, and yes, your neutrals count. Above, I've used 3 colors: tan/camel for the pants and shoes, red sweater, and light peach blazer. (My personal preference is 2 neutrals + 1 color.
The underlying premise of the three colour rule is to not combine more than three colours in your outfit at any one time. The exception being black and white, which are technically not 'colours' but tones, and can be intermixed as a fourth colour in your outfit.
“Fast fashion itself was actually designed to be worn less than seven times,” Brydges said. “It has this short lifespan built into it. “It encourages the obsolescence of those garments because it's constantly creating consumer demand for those new items.
Most financial experts recommend spending no more than 5% of your monthly take-home pay on clothing. Depending on your salary and spending habits, that percentage may seem like too little or too much.
Basically, your closet should be 70% classic and functional pieces and the remaining 30% are your trendy and fun pieces. The 70/30 rule is hailed as capsule wardrobe law and applying it to the average wardrobe can go miles in creating pure outfit perfection.
Fashion is also a visual medium, and while we don't divide our outfits in 9 equal sections, applying the Rule of Thirds requires diving our outfit in three equal parts to visually create a ratio of 2:1. This ratio is basically the Golden Mean, simplified.
Overall, a fashion collection must have at least 12 pieces; but this is not a rule. It all depends on some factors, such as budget, target market, execution time, sales strategy, and so. Another example is the capsule collections – the smaller ones, that commonly come with 8 pieces.
To reduce your CO2 emissions and waste, you should aim to wear each item of clothing at least 30 times as suggested by the #30WearsChallenge. However, most low-quality fast fashion garments might not even last that long. That's why it's even more important to switch to ethical fashion and a more sustainable mindset.
Depending on your laundry schedule, you might need more than 5 pajama sets. But for most people, 3 to 4 pajama tops and bottoms are more than enough to meet everyday needs. Keep in mind that you don't need to wash your pajamas too often. You should wash them only when you need to.