I came across this article on Get Rich Slowly (which is an awesome blog that you should totally check out), and it got me thinking about a client I worked with a couple weeks ago. This client had a guest room closet full of business suits. A couple days before visiting this client, I had gone through my own closet, getting rid of clothes that no longer fit, and ended up donating every suit I owned. I thought to myself, “I own no suits! I need to get a new suit!”
But really, I don’t. I don’t have a single suit in my closet. This woman has an entire closet dedicated to them. Thing is, we’re both right. What I learned about this particular client is that she has to wear a suit to work almost every day. I, on the other hand, work from home. When I do go in to the office, it’s under a casual dress code. No one wears a suit. Not my boss, not her boss, not her boss. I have needed an actual suit for work a grand total of three times in the three years I have been with my company. None of those times was a surprise – I knew at least 2 weeks in advance that I would need to dress up. I don’t need to have a suit on hand. It’s a waste of space and money. If I find that I need one again, then I can go and pick one up at that point.
Anyway, the Get Rich Slowly article is pretty solid as far as its wardrobe advice, but it linked to two pages that I take issue with – one for women and one for men. Each one details the “staples” that should be in everyone’s wardrobe. Both lists are too long, and at least half of each would be irrelevant for huge groups of people. I don’t own most of the things on the women’s list, and my wardrobe functions just fine. I could buy one of everything mentioned, but I wouldn’t get use out of most of it. I’d be buying clothes for a life I don’t have.
They say that most people wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. I would argue that at least some of this is because of some idea of what we all have of what “should” be in our closets. Thing is, there’s very little that belongs in everyone’s closet. If we’re all operating off the same list, most of us are dressing for a life we don’t have. Why keep a supply of business suits if you work in a casual environment? Why have work boots if you hire someone to do household maintenance and repair? Why have snow boots if it never snows where you live? The trick to having an efficient wardrobe is to make sure it only contains what you actually use for the life you actually have.
That being said, I do believe there is a handful of items that belong in everyone’s closet. The list is short. Very short.
Everyone should have:
A pair of sneakers you can wear out and about.
A pair of sandals if you live in a warm climate and a pair of snow boots if you live in a snowy one.
A pair of jeans that fit well and don’t look like you did an entire season of yardwork in them.
An outfit you would wear on your dressiest day at work. This is what you’d pull out if you had to give a presentation, or the CEO was coming by. Something like that.
An outfit you could wear to a funeral. Seriously. People often pass away without giving much notice, and if you want to make an appearance at their memorial service, you need to be able to dress respectfully.
An outfit you can spend a sick day in. No one wants to get dressed up when they have the flu. At your most miserable, you’ll want a pair of sweats. Or at least, you’ll want to stay in your pajamas. Something comfortable. Insanely comfortable.
Outerwear appropriate to the climate you live in. Ideally, you should have one casual coat/jacket and one nicer one for each season. If you live somewhere that gets very cold, you should have a hat and gloves that match your outerwear and keep you warm and dry.
Women should have:
Bras that fit well
A pair of dress shoes that match your dressiest work outfit and/or your funeral outfit. They don’t have to be heels, they don’t have to be spectacular. You just have to have them.
Men should have:
A suit that fits well, including the belt, shoes, shirt, and tie. You can get a ton of mileage out of a good suit – weddings, funerals, business meetings, interviews, etc. If you don’t use the suit much, you’re fine with a single classic shirt and tie combination. You don’t need multiples if you only break the suit out once a year or so.
That’s pretty much it. The rest – work boots, exercise gear, t-shirts, skirts, strappy heels…these are all going to depend on your lifestyle. Before you buy, think about the utility of the item you want to purchase. Where will you wear it? How often? Really? Really really? These questions are just as important as the fit, style, and price. It’s important to love what you wear, but all the love in the world won’t get an outfit off the hanger if you have no reason to wear it.
[...] wear it. If it fits but you don’t love it, get rid of it. Regardless of what you paid for it. There is very little that “must” be in your wardrobe. The rest is just filler. Fill your wardrobe with the clothes you need for the life you have, and [...]