Ever since I gave up my 9 to 5 job and chose a freelancer career, I’ve been trying to create a functional, classy wardrobe that only includes clothes I love, and I feel good wearing on any occasion. As I work from home and rarely go out partying, I don’t need fancy outfits that follow the latest trends. I prefer to buy casual, quality pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create a comfortable, timeless style that talks about who I am.
If someone tries to look into my closet to identify the pieces I wear the most and those I love the most, they would definitely realize I am a classy lady who loves wearing dress shirts. Shirts are the back bones of my wardrobe, and I am so proud of my little shirt collection.
One of the most common questions that pops up whenever I talk with my friends about clothes is: “Don’t you think you have way too many dress shirts in your wardrobe?”. But how do you know how many shirts you need to have a complete, stylish wardrobe? Truth is there’s no real standard answer to this question.
How many shirts do people own on average?
According to a recent survey from ClosetMaid, the average American woman has 103 items in her closet. Most women own 20-30 t-shirts, tank tops, blouses, and dress shirts (The average woman owns 5-7 dress shirts).
In my opinion, the number of dress shirts you own depends on your lifestyle, your fashion preferences, your comfort level and whether or not you must follow a certain dress code at your job. If you wear 7 shirts a week and you wash your clothes twice a week, then 7 shirts should be more than plenty. Most women in the US own 5-7 casual outfits and many of them include a dress shirt.
But if shirts are your favorite clothing item, and if you don’t see yourself wearing something else than a shirt, even when you work from home (like me, haha), then, you will probably add a few more dress shirts to your wardrobe.
How many shirts you should have depends on how often do laundry and whether you wear shirts (for example if you wear shirts at work, you will likely wear shirts 5-6 times per week). Here is a table to summarize my recommendations:
Laundry Once a Week
Laundy Once Every 2 Weeks
If you don’t wear shirts at work or stay at home
1 elegant dress shirt2-3 casual dress shirts
2 elegant dress shirts3-4 casual dress shirts
If you wear shirts at work
1 elegant dress shirts5-7 casual dress shirts
2 elegant dress shirts10-15 casual dress shirts
Personally, I have about 15 shirts: I might buy some more (especially if I notice something new in one of my favorite stores). I’ll also retire some periodically, but overall, that’s the number. You may think that’s a lot, but I don’t consider it to be too much for a number of reasons: shirts are versatile and can be worn with basically anything (pants, shorts, skirts, even dresses), they rarely go out of style, so you can wear them for years, and you always look put together if you wear shirts (even when you pair them with jeans).
I also think that, the more shirts you have, the fewer you wear the individual ones, the longer they will last. For instance, the older shirt I have is 15 years old and I bought it when I was on vacation in Italy. It is an expensive shirt that I only wear on special occasions as I plan on keeping for many years ahead. I have many other shirts that are more than ten years old and I still have them in my rotation.
How to choose your shirts
Let’s face it: the fashion industry passes along trends, and sometimes older clothes become outdated very quickly. Dress shirts for women come in a huge variety of styles, fabrics, and colors, so that making your choice can be just as confusing as picking out your favorite pair of jeans.
However, I personally try to ignore the latest trends and choose quality over quantity. When I go shopping, although I tend to get inspiration from the fashion magazines, I only invest in pieces of clothing that will last longer and make me feel special. For instance, the features I look for when buying dress shirts are:
The correct length – it should be long enough to be able to wear it tucked or untucked.
A fitted fit (best shirts flatters my contours)
Fully buttoned vertical opening.
Natural fabrics (cotton or silk).
Long sleeves with cuffs at the wrist.
A crisp and firm collar that will make a great first impression.
Always look for gaps in your front buttons. If you see some space between the buttons, that shirt is not for you. Also, if you need to suck in your stomach the entire time you have it on, it means the shirt is too tight, so you’d better look for a looser-fitting style.
Colors and fabrics
My friends love wearing white shirts. They are extremely versatile, so you can literally take them anywhere, whether you are attending a networking event or going to a dinner party. Getting a high-quality white dress shirt (or two) is definitely a good investment for your wardrobe.
I personally enjoy colorful clothes, so I usually try to incorporate colors into all my outfits. Once I find a nice dress shirt, I usually buy it in many different colors and patterns, and I combine them with neutral-colored pants, skirts, and jeans. My go-to patterns include stripes and checks, but I feel like floral patterns really help me stand out.
When it comes to fabrics, during the day I like to wear a breathable, strong, and comfortable shirts made of cotton, while at night I would go for a silk shirt that is softer, and more elegant. Linen shirts are more casual than the average cotton shirts, and I like to wear them with a blazer and raw denim jeans, for a relaxed day to day outfit.
If you want to look casual but also sophisticated, having the right pieces of clothing in your wardrobe is a must. And if you want to be effortlessly chic without breaking the bank, 5-10 quality, classic dress shirts are all you need.
You should own 5-6 casual tops, t-shirts, tees, as well as 2-4 workout tops or tanks. One t-shirt or top for each day of the week is a good rule of thumb to build a conscious wardrobe focused on simplicity and versatility. For most people, one t-shirt for each day of the week is plenty enough to meet everyday needs.
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.
A minimalist should own 5-6 casual tops, shirts, tees, as well as 2-4 workout tops or tanks. One top for each day of the week is a good rule of thumb to build a conscious wardrobe focused on simplicity. You don't need that many shirts to look and feel your best.
Generally, it is suggested that men own around 8-12 dress shirts if you wear them every day for work, or just 3 if you only wear them for special occasions. That includes button-down shirts that can be worn with or without a jacket, more stylish shirts with some tailoring or style, and a few different colors.
From a practical perspective, you really don't need a whole lot of t-shirts because, as I discussed more in my article about how often to wash various types of laundry, you should wash t-shirts and tank tops after each wear, and other tops and dress shirts every one to two wears.
Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? It says that 80% of the time you wear 20% of your clothes. It's true! This means that it's probably safe to let go of the other 80% of the things that you're not wearing anyway!
But how many pairs of jeans should you own? You should aim for 4 to 5 pairs of denim jeans, excluding shorts. It is a good number to meet your everyday needs, even though a woman own 7 pairs on average, and men 6. The number of jeans you should own is much lower than you think.
A teenage girl should own 5-6 casual tops, shirts, tees, as well as 3-5 casual dresses or skirts. One top for each day of the week is a good rule of thumb.
Depending on your laundry schedule, you might need more than 5 pairs of pants. But for most people, 4 to 5 pairs of casual pants, including denim jeans, are more than enough to meet everyday needs. Keep in mind that you don't need to wash your casual pants too often. You should wash them only when you need to.
How Many Shirts Should I Have? A regular person should have at least 7 shirts in their closet to have a clean one for each day of the week. However, our life circ*mstances vary and some women don't need as many to sustain them through the week.
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.
A good rule of thumb for work outfits is to have at least 8 different combinations. This covers you for the week and also gives you a few spare if you have some shirts at the dry cleaners! Also you want a good variety for different seasons.
Kids grow fast and we need to replace clothes quickly–so from a financial and sustainability perspective, it's important to buy less to waste less. A kid capsule ideally includes between 12-14 items of everyday wear. That means each season they need roughly 6 tops, 5 bottoms, and a dress for girls.
To start, you should have enough pieces to create at least 2 weeks of different outfits, which could be 10 outfits if you work 5 days a week or 6 if you work 3 days a week. If you're okay with re-wearing the same outfit week to week, then you probably need even less pieces.
Nothing lasts forever, including your clothes, but how long should you expect a garment to last? According to the International Fair Claims Guide for Consumers Textiles Products, assuming normal wear, you can expect most of your clothes to last somewhere between two and three years.
A strong wardrobe is comprised of at least 4 different sweaters. Two of these should be business casual and work appropriate so you can wear them to the office or meetings. Think crew neck sweaters, v-necks that can be layered under button downs, and cardigans.
Set an expiration date for the items in your closet. If you live in a four-season climate and you haven't worn a piece of clothing in a year, it's probably time to donate it. And if you live in a one- or two-season climate, then you likely should let go of something you haven't worn in the past six months.
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.
"Denim is a thick fabric (unlike your average T-shirt) so you can get away with more wears between washes. We recommend washing after 10 or so wears—or whenever jeans smell stale or unpleasant.
So how many hoodies should you own? It all comes down to your style and how much casual wear you need in your wardrobe. For most people, five is an ideal number -- plenty of options without going overboard.
You will need 1 wardrobe box for every 2 feet of clothes. So, get out your tape measure, head to your closet, and measure how many feet of clothes you have, then divide by two.
Is it capsule-wardrobe austerity, a closet just for your ties extravagance or somewhere in between? No one really knows how many pieces of clothing the average American man owns. Some surveys suggest it's 77; others say it's 155. What we do know for certain is that the average person buys 59 garments per year.
Seven is a good number (excluding track pants, pajamas and shorts). Three pairs of jeans — dark blue, light blue and black or grey. Two pairs of chinos — one beige, one another shade. Two pairs of formal trousers.
The answer is that you should own 2-3 polo shirts in different colors and 1-2 rugby polo shirts. Again, the five-finger rule will help you cherish your polo variety. These help to balance out your other tops and they are a go-to for when you want dual-citizenship in comfort and sharp looks.
SEVEN PAIRS OF SHOES, THE IDEAL NUMBER? The 7-shoes-for-7-days recommendation is now old fashioned, but it is based on irrefutable good sense, which is always in style. Shoes should rest between each wear to prolong their life.
You only really need 3 to 5 casual dresses or skirts. It is a good number to aim for and meet your everyday needs. Add 2 formal dresses to complete your wardrobe. The number of dresses you should own is much lower than you think.
And there's no one-size-fits-all answer because people's situations vary a lot. With that said, here are the swift decluttering guidelines, practices, and considerations for keeping these clothes. Don't keep things that haven't fit for 3+ years. Don't keep things that are stained or need mending.
From a practical perspective, you really don't need a whole lot of t-shirts because, as I discussed more in my article about how often to wash various types of laundry, you should wash t-shirts and tank tops after each wear, and other tops and dress shirts every one to two wears.
Is it capsule-wardrobe austerity, a closet just for your ties extravagance or somewhere in between? No one really knows how many pieces of clothing the average American man owns. Some surveys suggest it's 77; others say it's 155. What we do know for certain is that the average person buys 59 garments per year.
But how many pairs of jeans should you own? You should aim for 4 to 5 pairs of denim jeans, excluding shorts. It is a good number to meet your everyday needs, even though a woman own 7 pairs on average, and men 6. The number of jeans you should own is much lower than you think.
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.
Set an expiration date for the items in your closet. If you live in a four-season climate and you haven't worn a piece of clothing in a year, it's probably time to donate it. And if you live in a one- or two-season climate, then you likely should let go of something you haven't worn in the past six months.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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