How Much Clothing Do You Need?
The article promised to tell me how many clothes the average person should own, something I’m usually not interested to know because I wear the same thing every day. (Well, not the same-same thing. I bought dozens of copies of the same black shirt and jeans or cargo pants, and I wear the same thing for all external appearances daily.) But the twins are thinking about what they need to get as they head off to college, knowing that they’re not going to go shopping while they’re away from home.
It turns out that you need the following:
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 home wear, three outfits for sports, two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and trousers or skirts.
Regarding the twins (YMMV if you’re sporty), they need eleven outfits for school or weekends, one for exercise, two for festive occasions (one casual, one formal), plus outdoor gear, which feels doable to wrap my brain around. And it makes me relook at all the clothes I’m keeping but not wearing. I think I need to let them go.
6 comments
One for exercise seems low. How often does one do laundry in relation to how often they work out? Otherwise, I also need to rethink the clothes I own but don’t wear.
I’m with Beth. Only one for exercise? And three for home? What about seasons? (Like you, I have a uniform – for winter, anyway. Black long-sleeved tops – though I have quite a few – with jeans, and two or three things that go over them.) I’m assuming this doesn’t include socks, underwear per outfit, or the total would be higher. However, I’m going to look at these suggestions in the light of cleaning out my summer clothes for winter, and also for packing for a month long trip, which I’ve started to think about. Very interesting!
As a kid, where we had school uniforms, I certainly would have been within 74 garments in total. Though even then, I remember packing for my exchange year, feeling amazed that I could put everything I might need for a whole year in one suitcase!
I do have a clothes problem, and will need to do a deep cull when things quiet down this summer.
NO COMMENT!! (lol)
Ummmmmmmmmmm… I’m with Loribeth… No comment! 🙃
Geez – I probably have 74 t-shirts. Because I never get rid of them…