Recently, I've been reading books about minimalism, living simply, and decluttering.
It got me thinking, "How many outfits are necessary?" and also, "How many outfits do I have?"
I started wrestling with this question at a state park, where I did not have access to my wardrobe, but I did have access to a journal, where I could list my ideals for each clothing category.
I asked myself, "How many blue jeans do I need?" (Now I have a need for nice jeans for my job and work jeans for when I volunteer at a farm, so this category had a higher number.)
How many t-shirts do I need?
How many pajama pants do I need?
How many sweaters do I need?
How many skirts & tops or dresses do I need?
How many costumes do I need?
Once I got back, I took time to start looking at my wardrobe and counting what I had.
Most of the time, I had more than I deemed necessary, but sometimes, I had less.
Doing this activity helped me to see which areas of my wardrobe did not need any new additions when I go thrifting and which areas I legitimately need to find items to round out my wardrobe.
Our materialistic society tries to constantly push new sales of cheaply made clothes, but the "fast fashion" clothes are not ethically produced (people aren't paid fair or living wages for their work) and aren't environmentally friendly (washing synthetic fibers causes microplastics to be released into the water). We are a nation of "retail therapy" participants; we shop without a need, but to get a thrill, escape facing our emotional baggage, and go after something novel. Yet, an overstuffed closet won't bring us peace. A new top or skirt won't bring lasting joy.
We are trained to ask, in our consumeristic culture, "How many can I afford?" and "How many can I stash someplace in my house or storage unit?", but maybe the question we should be asking is "How many are actually necessary?"
