How Many Clothes Should We Own, Exactly? (2024)

“Buy less and buy better” has become a common refrain in fashion’s sustainability movement. But how much should we actually be buying? If a new report is anything to go by, it’s likely a lot less than you think. Researchers from Berlin’s Hot Or Cool Institute found that we should only be purchasing five new garments a year in order to stay in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, if nothing else changes. That would mean shoppers in the U.K. alone would need to reduce their consumption by up to 80 percent in some cases.

“It’s now normal to consume fashion [in a way] that’s really excessive and out of scale with what we need,” Luca Coscieme,the Hot Or Cool Institute’s research program manager andone of the report’s lead authors, tellsVogue. “We’re consuming more and more fashion at cheaper prices, and with a shorter [usage] time per item—and it doesn’t add up in terms of climate,” Lewis Akenji, managing director at the institute and the report’s fellow lead author, adds.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s shoppers in richer countries that are consuming more than their fair share of fashion. The report found that Australia, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. have the highest carbon footprint per capita when it comes to fashion consumption. Out of the G20 countries, India, Brazil, China, Turkey, and Indonesia have the lowest carbon footprint per capita. In fact, these countries are not currently meeting their “carbon budget”—the emissions per capita that would still be in line with the 1.5 degrees celsius limit, if fashion consumption were to be divided equally. “Fashion shows how unequal society is—not just unequal in economic terms, but also in terms of contributions to greenhouse gas emissions per capita,” Akenji says.

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. “It’s a very generous allocation that we’ve given in our estimate,” Akenji explains. An average French wardrobe during the 1960s consisted of around 40 pieces, although times have admittedly moved on since then.

How Many Clothes Should We Own, Exactly? (2024)

FAQs

What is a normal amount of clothes to own? ›

Caption Options. 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.

What is the rule of 5 for clothing? ›

According to writer Tiffanie Darke, reducing your clothing purchases to just five new items in 2024 is the ideal way to do it. It may sound impossible, but trust me: you can at least significantly reduce your clothes shopping.

What is the 5 item rule? ›

What Is the Five Outfit Rule? Per Barber, the five outfit rule goes like this: If you're going to buy something, it has to go with five things you already own. If it doesn't, you need to leave it behind. Overconsumption is a global issue that can impact your mental health more than you realize.

What is the rule of 5 Vogue? ›

More consumers are joining pledges such as the “Rule of 5” (where you limit fashion purchases to five items a year), conducting wardrobe inventories, or challenging themselves to buy nothing new in 2024 and shop their closets instead.

How many clothes does a minimalist have? ›

It typically comprises around 37 pieces, including tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear. The key to building a successful capsule wardrobe is to choose items that can be easily layered and that work well together.

How many hoodies should I own? ›

There's no single right number of hoodies for everyone. It depends on your training schedule, climate, and how often you wear athletic apparel. For most LYFTLYFE fans, 5-10 hoodies form a solid rotation without excess. More active hoodie lovers will probably want a few more than that just to keep it interesting.

What is the 333 rule for clothes? ›

The idea behind Project 333 is simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes count towards your number.

What is the 1 3 2 3 rule clothing? ›

The key is to create a visual break in your outfit at either the end of the first third, or the end of the second third. Avoid putting the visual break of your outfit in the middle, because this can make you look frumpy.

What is the 70 30 fashion rule? ›

A: The 70/30 rule in fashion suggests creating an outfit where 70% is classic or neutral, and 30% is bold or statement-making. For petite women, this can mean pairing neutral, tailored pieces with a pop of color, an interesting texture, or a standout accessory.

What is the rule of 5 no buy? ›

The rule of 5 rules

Some say second hand purchases count, some say you can buy a few second hand pieces (between 5 and 10). Tiffanie suggests the following: You can buy no more than 5 items this year (clue's in the title, duh) Socks, undies, tights, etc don't count (but obviously don't go crazy)

What is the 4 things rule? ›

The 4 gift rule is very simple: you get each of your children something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.

What are the 5 to 5 rules? ›

The idea behind the 5-by-5 rule is pretty straightforward. If something won't matter five years down the line, don't bother wasting more than five minutes obsessing over it. On paper, it sounds quite simple.

What is the rule of 5 fashion? ›

So what exactly does The Rule of 5 involve? It's simple: you can only buy five new fashion items a year, with an exception for socks and underwear – however, only what you need. I'm sorry but bags and shoes count too. You can mend and repair your wardrobe, you can also have pieces altered.

What are the big 4 Vogue? ›

The Big Four, sometimes referred to as The Big 4, is the name given in fashion to the four most notable Vogue covers; American Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue France and Vogue Italia.

What does Vogue mean in slang? ›

phrase. If something is in vogue, it is very popular and fashionable. If it comes into vogue, it becomes very popular and fashionable. Pale colors are much more in vogue than autumnal bronzes and coppers.

How much does the average person own in clothing? ›

Most survey respondents seem to have between 77 to 155 pieces in their wardrobe with a few outliers in the 300+ range. Again, I believe the survey data I collected skews a bit lower than what the 'true' average is for most people. Total number of clothing and shoes people own based on survey data collected.

What is a reasonable amount to spend on clothes? ›

How Much Should You Spend on Clothes? Most financial experts say to keep clothing spend to around 5% of your take-home pay for the entire family. So, take whatever your monthly pay is and multiply it by . 05 and that is the MAX you should spend in a given month.

How many pieces of clothing should I buy each year? ›

It set a specific brief: “If no other actions are implemented, such as repairing/mending, washing at lower temperatures, or buying secondhand, purchases of new garments should be limited to an average five items a year for achieving consumption levels in line with the 1.5-degree target.”

How many pairs of shirts should I own? ›

However, realistically I recommend nine shirts for your wardrobe. This will cover shirts to wear at all occasions and events. The nine shirts combine key styles, fabrics, and colour options that will enable you to create several stylish outfits to wear.

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