I am currently living with 5 dresses, 5 shirts, 5 pants, 1 jacket and one set of hiking clothes.
I was excited to do the rule of 5, but then our application to volunteer in Timor-Leste for 8 months came through. I usually live in coolish, windy Wellington (NZ) and nearly everything I owned was too warm for the tropics. There is another thing here in Timor, too - it is not socially acceptable to wear black, and because the water is quite grey, white clothes quickly are unwearable. So all my summer weight clothes were either black or white!
I had to buy the whole wardrobe of 15 items, nearly all in blue and it has worked brilliantly for me. I have to do laundry frequently because it is so hot and sweaty here I can never re-wear anything. The acidity of all the sweat has had a bit of an impact on the clothes too - the dye has been affected.
I have been able to over-dye some pieces with indigo, which made them look wonderful again. It’s a great technique because indigo actually strengthens the fabric slightly as well as freshening up the colour. Also a mosquito repellent!
I am currently working on making some larger indigo vats so I can over dye all my clothes. I am hoping that way they will hold out for another few months of tropical life
How interesting about indigo.. I never knew that. You have my sympathies on clothes for that climate, its easy to go through them so much quicker. I would say buy the best quality cotton and linen you can afford...
I failed by mid-year with my rule of five, and seem to have got worse than ever this autumn (my seasonal weak point). However, time for a reset and maybe a two-year plan for the long term, without trying to cut down so abruptly making it more realistic. I probably have well over 150 items (I wince at the the thought of counting them all) and I’m aware I need nothing else really, so need to look at patterns of behavior. Keep the inspiration coming please!
Jane its like a diet - when you fall off the wagon you can get back on! The important thing is to really value the things you have already bought and get the most out of the. Dont forget that wardrobe audit too - get in there and have a look at everything and see how it can be upcycled and restyled. Set yourself a challenge not to buy anything for a month then see how that goes...
I own far too many items of clothing (well over 250), despite selling quite a few items this year, but I continue to make a conscious effort to reduce what I own. Thanks to the 'Rule of Five', I have only purchased two pre-loved dresses this year and I intend to carry this on in 2025 and beyond.
Thats amazing Lisa - congratulations! The lovely thing about buying less is you really treasure those purchases you do make. Hope you have enjoyed your pre-loved dresses...
I made a spreadsheet of all my clothes one day, from memory, which makes me feel I don't have too many, even if they did come to over 150 - but that did include leggings and undershirts. I've been on a no-buy since the end of July, because although I feel as though I don't have too many clothes, I feel as though I have enough. I will probably rehome some pieces, and at some point I'll be embracing the Rule of 5, but I want to see how long I can hold out, first!
I will add that I wear all my clothes, and the ones I don't wear often, I wear infrequently over a period of years. I do think hard about where a garment will go when I don't need it anymore, and try to always buy natural materials from ethical sources - but I won't be buying any more tailored trousers, or party clothes because I have enough to last me for the occasions when I wear them. Not buying knitwear is more of a struggle!
Once I did my wardrobe audit and started selling, I realized that magnitude of the problem of disposal, time required, etc. It's exhausting! It made me think twice about buying garments several times. If I buy something, I'll have to dispose of it later= more work.
Exactly! I don't sell anything on, so I have to think, will it do for my daughter if it doesn't work for me? Is it worth taking to the tailor to change the fit? Can I make it work without completely changing my way of dressing? It makes me think about everything really carefully, and I still make mistakes - I panic bought a huge wool dress in Matches' closing down sale, and I'm not sure how or when I'm ever going to wear it, but if I hadn't got it, it would have tormented me!
You need a good tailor. Maybe it could work as a top and skirt? But added expense...if not try layering. Shopping the sales is a risky business I get my head turned by the price reductions. Too easy to make a mistake
I've come to terms with the idea that the dress is a very expensive housedress (it's too long to wear outside, too enormous to belt), but I can live with this because I did secretly know it wasn't going to be practical, but I wanted it anyway. However, it was the catalyst to make me come to a screeching halt!
I bought a new Wool shift dress from Wool&Co which will be my every-single-day staple for the next year or so.
Two pairs of black leggings, again, wear every day. These are instead of thick tights so I’m not sure if I need to count them as “clothes”.
One Vinted BNWT linen dress which I bought for a holiday and didn’t wear. This may be recycled into a skirt, or a top next summer because I like the fabric and the colour.
That’s it so far.
I’m considering whether to donate some trousers which I am pretty sure I’ll never fit into again, but… you know, ever hopeful.
Need to buy new walking boots this winter, I think. That’s a need not a want, for safety reasons.
Just don’t ask about my yarn stash for sock knitting. 4 skeins this year.
And I brought home a lot of someone else’s quilt fabric stash last month. Not sure how to count that.
And thread. Lots and lots of destashed, new to me but not brand new, cotton thread has entered my sewing box. 40 reels, perhaps?
I dont think making your own clothes counts, so dont worry about your yarn stash! I also think leggings count as tights. Its hard to buy good quality ones that last, so congrats on finding them
I'm at 4 purchases this year, thanks to you. One thing that really helped was getting my Instagram hacked, so I have shut it down, ergo hackers can sometimes be useful. It might have helped that I'm a farmer in Belize though. Confession, I'm not sure how many clothes I own, since most of them are in another country right now. Maybe there's a good bad story in the Two Wardrobe Conundrum.
Last year I realized I had bought a lot of textile for sewing my own clothes. So now I am counting textile as new items because I have enough. This year I focused on visible mending and upcycling. Results: some nice widened (sport) t-shirts, a great upcycled sweatshirt and soms visible mended trousers. And.. a stash of preloved items (mostly outgrown by my children or via the clothing loop) to mend or upcycle…
I live on a farm and do not drive, so my wardrobe reflects that.
This is everything:
6 pair of pants
2 dresses
2 wool Leggings
1 Bike shorts
7 Short sleeve shirts
7 Shell shirts
7 Long sleeve shirt
3 Warm weather 2nd layers
8 Cool weather 2nd layers
7 Weather: sage windbreaker, hi-viz raincoat, parka, scarf, mittens, gray fleece zip up, navy fleece vest
7 Shoes
I also have a small drawer with farm chore clothes. Things like 3 old tshirts, 2 cut off jeans, 2 homemade wool sweaters, and 2 old long sleeve tshirts.
Another small drawer holds: 7 wool underwear, 7 wool socks crew, 7 wool socks low cut, 4 bras
Tiffanie I’m so pleased with myself, only just bought my second new item of the year. Even though I wrote a list at the beginning of the year of the items I felt I needed or wanted to add to my wardrobe, I’ve also found that I didn’t end up buying some, because I just didn’t feel the need to add them after all. I went back through my wardrobe and appreciated what I had more. I think I could top your 140 if I was actually to count up, part of the reason I’m not clearing out because it prevents me buying more in the future and forces me to be inventive.
130, including pjs, aprons, slips, etc. because they take resources and energy to manufacture also. I used to have much more. It's getting harder now as I am evaluating things that fit, look good, and I love.
I did give myself some grace recently and bought a loose black jersey dress new because I found out I was having abdominal surgery and would be going back to work after a week. I paired it with a wool moto jacket I bought 15 years ago and a pair of tall boots. The outfit has style and I feel a little brighter as I recover.
Lesson learned- see if you can go without buying anything during the year to make some space in your purchase budget for the unexpected!
Great post, Tiffanie. I checked off the 100-150 option. But to be honest, I'm not sure. I have pieces in garment bags that I don't currently wear but cannot bear to give away. I haven't consigned anything for years. Often by the time I'm ready to get rid of something consignment stores won't take it because it's older than two years.
As far as the "Five Things" challenge, I'm not doing too badly. I've purchased six new pieces. I bought two new tee shirts on top of that to replace ones that were stained or too worn to wear. It pains me to have to count those, but...I guess I should. I'm acting like a reluctant toddler there.
I also bought four second-hand pieces. These ones make me smile. My thrifted shirt is exactly what I looked for for a year and couldn't find... my husband found it in the men's section for me. My second-hand jeans became my favourite jeans of the summer. And my vintage Levi's vest from the nineties was a true find.
Anyway. Trying to meet my goals has changed the way I view post on Instagram and YouTube. I find myself shouting... "What... another bunch of new-in pieces!" I've been shopping with friends several times and not even been tempted. Even when I am exhorted to "Try it on, try it on."
I've been thinking of my challenge like trying to quit smoking, which I did back in the eighties. The longer I go without shopping the less I miss it.
I have only just discovered you, Tiffanie, and the rule of five. I think it’s a great plan, for all sorts of reasons! I thought I was pretty sustainable when it comes to clothing. I almost always buy pre-loved (except pyjamas, underwear, and shoes) and like to upgrade my clothes myself. I ticked the 50-100 box, although I am only just over 50: 9 trousers, 2 skirts, 15 tops, 11 pieces of knitwear, 4 jackets, 2 jumpsuits, 8pairs of shoes. However, looking back over the last couple of years I feel I have been sucked in by over-consumption on Vinted. I purge my wardrobe regularly, and buy new much more often than I should, telling myself it’s okay because it is cheap and second hand. I feel like I am constantly using clothes to be someone I am not, and so I constantly need to reassess what I am wearing. I want 2025 to be the year I finally sink into who I am, and find pieces I love. I want to allow myself to spend more on high quality clothes, but fewer items and only those I truly love (not those I think I should love). It goes without saying, I am also buying your book!
I am wondering, however, where should buying yarn to knit a sweater, or fabric to sew a skirt come within the Rule of Five? I just spent a lot on gorgeous new yarn to knit into a fair isle sweater. It’s new yarn, bought from a small business that spins and dyes yarn with sustainability in mind: so is this one of five new items, or one of four recycled?
I did a whole wardrobe overhaul and basically started again (you should see my Vinted totals) so that I only kept what I was wearing and filled gaps. So now (excluding gym, PJs, underwear, jewellery & bags) my wardrobe is apparently 44 pieces! I was sure it was much larger than that but I’ve been tracking everything on Whering and… 44. 18 tops/jumpers, 12 bottoms, 1 jumpsuit, 3 jackets. 10 pairs of shoes.
I’m really surprised by that, and feeling better about the few things I had on my wishlist which I’ll probably buy next month.
I’m feeling like next year I’ll manage 5 since I’ve sorted my base this year 😊
I am currently living with 5 dresses, 5 shirts, 5 pants, 1 jacket and one set of hiking clothes.
I was excited to do the rule of 5, but then our application to volunteer in Timor-Leste for 8 months came through. I usually live in coolish, windy Wellington (NZ) and nearly everything I owned was too warm for the tropics. There is another thing here in Timor, too - it is not socially acceptable to wear black, and because the water is quite grey, white clothes quickly are unwearable. So all my summer weight clothes were either black or white!
I had to buy the whole wardrobe of 15 items, nearly all in blue and it has worked brilliantly for me. I have to do laundry frequently because it is so hot and sweaty here I can never re-wear anything. The acidity of all the sweat has had a bit of an impact on the clothes too - the dye has been affected.
I have been able to over-dye some pieces with indigo, which made them look wonderful again. It’s a great technique because indigo actually strengthens the fabric slightly as well as freshening up the colour. Also a mosquito repellent!
I am currently working on making some larger indigo vats so I can over dye all my clothes. I am hoping that way they will hold out for another few months of tropical life
How interesting about indigo.. I never knew that. You have my sympathies on clothes for that climate, its easy to go through them so much quicker. I would say buy the best quality cotton and linen you can afford...
I failed by mid-year with my rule of five, and seem to have got worse than ever this autumn (my seasonal weak point). However, time for a reset and maybe a two-year plan for the long term, without trying to cut down so abruptly making it more realistic. I probably have well over 150 items (I wince at the the thought of counting them all) and I’m aware I need nothing else really, so need to look at patterns of behavior. Keep the inspiration coming please!
Jane its like a diet - when you fall off the wagon you can get back on! The important thing is to really value the things you have already bought and get the most out of the. Dont forget that wardrobe audit too - get in there and have a look at everything and see how it can be upcycled and restyled. Set yourself a challenge not to buy anything for a month then see how that goes...
I own far too many items of clothing (well over 250), despite selling quite a few items this year, but I continue to make a conscious effort to reduce what I own. Thanks to the 'Rule of Five', I have only purchased two pre-loved dresses this year and I intend to carry this on in 2025 and beyond.
Thats amazing Lisa - congratulations! The lovely thing about buying less is you really treasure those purchases you do make. Hope you have enjoyed your pre-loved dresses...
I made a spreadsheet of all my clothes one day, from memory, which makes me feel I don't have too many, even if they did come to over 150 - but that did include leggings and undershirts. I've been on a no-buy since the end of July, because although I feel as though I don't have too many clothes, I feel as though I have enough. I will probably rehome some pieces, and at some point I'll be embracing the Rule of 5, but I want to see how long I can hold out, first!
I will add that I wear all my clothes, and the ones I don't wear often, I wear infrequently over a period of years. I do think hard about where a garment will go when I don't need it anymore, and try to always buy natural materials from ethical sources - but I won't be buying any more tailored trousers, or party clothes because I have enough to last me for the occasions when I wear them. Not buying knitwear is more of a struggle!
Same! Such a sucker for knitwear and also I have moths which are a MENACE
Luckily I'm spared that - I don't think I could cope!
Once I did my wardrobe audit and started selling, I realized that magnitude of the problem of disposal, time required, etc. It's exhausting! It made me think twice about buying garments several times. If I buy something, I'll have to dispose of it later= more work.
Exactly! I don't sell anything on, so I have to think, will it do for my daughter if it doesn't work for me? Is it worth taking to the tailor to change the fit? Can I make it work without completely changing my way of dressing? It makes me think about everything really carefully, and I still make mistakes - I panic bought a huge wool dress in Matches' closing down sale, and I'm not sure how or when I'm ever going to wear it, but if I hadn't got it, it would have tormented me!
You need a good tailor. Maybe it could work as a top and skirt? But added expense...if not try layering. Shopping the sales is a risky business I get my head turned by the price reductions. Too easy to make a mistake
I've come to terms with the idea that the dress is a very expensive housedress (it's too long to wear outside, too enormous to belt), but I can live with this because I did secretly know it wasn't going to be practical, but I wanted it anyway. However, it was the catalyst to make me come to a screeching halt!
I bought a new Wool shift dress from Wool&Co which will be my every-single-day staple for the next year or so.
Two pairs of black leggings, again, wear every day. These are instead of thick tights so I’m not sure if I need to count them as “clothes”.
One Vinted BNWT linen dress which I bought for a holiday and didn’t wear. This may be recycled into a skirt, or a top next summer because I like the fabric and the colour.
That’s it so far.
I’m considering whether to donate some trousers which I am pretty sure I’ll never fit into again, but… you know, ever hopeful.
Need to buy new walking boots this winter, I think. That’s a need not a want, for safety reasons.
Just don’t ask about my yarn stash for sock knitting. 4 skeins this year.
And I brought home a lot of someone else’s quilt fabric stash last month. Not sure how to count that.
And thread. Lots and lots of destashed, new to me but not brand new, cotton thread has entered my sewing box. 40 reels, perhaps?
I dont think making your own clothes counts, so dont worry about your yarn stash! I also think leggings count as tights. Its hard to buy good quality ones that last, so congrats on finding them
I'm at 4 purchases this year, thanks to you. One thing that really helped was getting my Instagram hacked, so I have shut it down, ergo hackers can sometimes be useful. It might have helped that I'm a farmer in Belize though. Confession, I'm not sure how many clothes I own, since most of them are in another country right now. Maybe there's a good bad story in the Two Wardrobe Conundrum.
Definitely challenging when you are dealing with different climates
I'm doing 10 new items a year and hope to get down to five next year - very inspired by the pledge that you created!
Good luck!
Last year I realized I had bought a lot of textile for sewing my own clothes. So now I am counting textile as new items because I have enough. This year I focused on visible mending and upcycling. Results: some nice widened (sport) t-shirts, a great upcycled sweatshirt and soms visible mended trousers. And.. a stash of preloved items (mostly outgrown by my children or via the clothing loop) to mend or upcycle…
I wish I could sew!
I live on a farm and do not drive, so my wardrobe reflects that.
This is everything:
6 pair of pants
2 dresses
2 wool Leggings
1 Bike shorts
7 Short sleeve shirts
7 Shell shirts
7 Long sleeve shirt
3 Warm weather 2nd layers
8 Cool weather 2nd layers
7 Weather: sage windbreaker, hi-viz raincoat, parka, scarf, mittens, gray fleece zip up, navy fleece vest
7 Shoes
I also have a small drawer with farm chore clothes. Things like 3 old tshirts, 2 cut off jeans, 2 homemade wool sweaters, and 2 old long sleeve tshirts.
Another small drawer holds: 7 wool underwear, 7 wool socks crew, 7 wool socks low cut, 4 bras
Tiffanie I’m so pleased with myself, only just bought my second new item of the year. Even though I wrote a list at the beginning of the year of the items I felt I needed or wanted to add to my wardrobe, I’ve also found that I didn’t end up buying some, because I just didn’t feel the need to add them after all. I went back through my wardrobe and appreciated what I had more. I think I could top your 140 if I was actually to count up, part of the reason I’m not clearing out because it prevents me buying more in the future and forces me to be inventive.
So agree. There's so much in your wardrobe already. I'm in year 2 and still discovering potential. So happy the challenge is working for you!
130, including pjs, aprons, slips, etc. because they take resources and energy to manufacture also. I used to have much more. It's getting harder now as I am evaluating things that fit, look good, and I love.
I did give myself some grace recently and bought a loose black jersey dress new because I found out I was having abdominal surgery and would be going back to work after a week. I paired it with a wool moto jacket I bought 15 years ago and a pair of tall boots. The outfit has style and I feel a little brighter as I recover.
Lesson learned- see if you can go without buying anything during the year to make some space in your purchase budget for the unexpected!
Great rationing skills. Save fashion for when you really need and deserve it
Great post, Tiffanie. I checked off the 100-150 option. But to be honest, I'm not sure. I have pieces in garment bags that I don't currently wear but cannot bear to give away. I haven't consigned anything for years. Often by the time I'm ready to get rid of something consignment stores won't take it because it's older than two years.
As far as the "Five Things" challenge, I'm not doing too badly. I've purchased six new pieces. I bought two new tee shirts on top of that to replace ones that were stained or too worn to wear. It pains me to have to count those, but...I guess I should. I'm acting like a reluctant toddler there.
I also bought four second-hand pieces. These ones make me smile. My thrifted shirt is exactly what I looked for for a year and couldn't find... my husband found it in the men's section for me. My second-hand jeans became my favourite jeans of the summer. And my vintage Levi's vest from the nineties was a true find.
Anyway. Trying to meet my goals has changed the way I view post on Instagram and YouTube. I find myself shouting... "What... another bunch of new-in pieces!" I've been shopping with friends several times and not even been tempted. Even when I am exhorted to "Try it on, try it on."
I've been thinking of my challenge like trying to quit smoking, which I did back in the eighties. The longer I go without shopping the less I miss it.
Thanks for all the inspiration!
This is so good to hear! Congratulations
I have only just discovered you, Tiffanie, and the rule of five. I think it’s a great plan, for all sorts of reasons! I thought I was pretty sustainable when it comes to clothing. I almost always buy pre-loved (except pyjamas, underwear, and shoes) and like to upgrade my clothes myself. I ticked the 50-100 box, although I am only just over 50: 9 trousers, 2 skirts, 15 tops, 11 pieces of knitwear, 4 jackets, 2 jumpsuits, 8pairs of shoes. However, looking back over the last couple of years I feel I have been sucked in by over-consumption on Vinted. I purge my wardrobe regularly, and buy new much more often than I should, telling myself it’s okay because it is cheap and second hand. I feel like I am constantly using clothes to be someone I am not, and so I constantly need to reassess what I am wearing. I want 2025 to be the year I finally sink into who I am, and find pieces I love. I want to allow myself to spend more on high quality clothes, but fewer items and only those I truly love (not those I think I should love). It goes without saying, I am also buying your book!
I am wondering, however, where should buying yarn to knit a sweater, or fabric to sew a skirt come within the Rule of Five? I just spent a lot on gorgeous new yarn to knit into a fair isle sweater. It’s new yarn, bought from a small business that spins and dyes yarn with sustainability in mind: so is this one of five new items, or one of four recycled?
I did a whole wardrobe overhaul and basically started again (you should see my Vinted totals) so that I only kept what I was wearing and filled gaps. So now (excluding gym, PJs, underwear, jewellery & bags) my wardrobe is apparently 44 pieces! I was sure it was much larger than that but I’ve been tracking everything on Whering and… 44. 18 tops/jumpers, 12 bottoms, 1 jumpsuit, 3 jackets. 10 pairs of shoes.
I’m really surprised by that, and feeling better about the few things I had on my wishlist which I’ll probably buy next month.
I’m feeling like next year I’ll manage 5 since I’ve sorted my base this year 😊
This year I gained 15 lbs so I failed my Rule of Five. However, now that I’ve upgraded what was needed, I’m getting back on track.
Not enough clothes, frankly. Sorry