I have way too many jeans and T-shirts. How many do I actually need? (2 week’s worth.)
This is part of my Swift Decluttering For Clothes.
One reader asked:
I have way too many jeans and T-shirts. How many do I actually need?
This is a reasonable question, and it depends on how often you do laundry. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll assume you do laundry every week, but you can tailor my advice based on your laundry schedule.
You need enough jeans and T-shirts to get you through your standard week. Maybe that’s seven T-shirts and seven pairs of jeans. Or maybe that’s only four of each. Whatever the case may be, this is the minimum number that you need to keep.
I recommend taking the number you need to keep and double it. So if you go through seven T-shirts in a week, then you should keep 14. This gives you a few extras in case the washing machine breaks down and gives you some variety. It also allows you to keep a few shirts with sentimental value.
Now, situations vary, so let’s walk through a few considerations:
- How much money do you have? If money is tight, keep more clothes.
- How much space do you have? If space is tight, keep fewer items.
- Is it hard to find clothes for your body shape/size? If so, keep more.
More Decluttering Questions:
I need a plan
- Which clothes I should get rid of? Where do I start? (Here's a plan.)
- I have way too many jeans and T-shirts. How many do I actually need? (2 week’s worth.)
- None of my clothing sparks joy—so what do I get rid of? (Focus on what to keep.)
- How do I create a capsule wardrobe? (Here are 5 perspectives.)
- What's in Stewie's Wardobe? (Here's a list.)
Dealing with guilt
- How do you deal with the guilt of getting rid of perfectly good clothes? (Here are 2 suggestions.)
- Is it OK to declutter nice clothes that still fit me? (Yes, absolutely!)
Which clothes to keep
- Should you keep clothes that don’t fit? (It depends.)
- Is it OK to keep maternity wear? (Of course!)
- Should you keep clothes that still have tags on them? (Maybe.)
Selling clothes
- Is it worth selling clothes online? (No way.)
- Should you sell clothes at consignment stores? (Maybe.)
- Are garage sales worth it? (Probably not.)
- How do I know which clothes are worth selling? (The $15/hr rule.)