Seven Shirts

Seven.  That is the recommended amount of shirts a woman should have in her closet. Yes, that’s correct. Seven shirts. My co-worker shared this information with me and I was flabbergasted!

Now, me being a gal that lives in a state with four seasons, there is no way I’d only have seven shirts in my closet.  Maybe seven multiplied by four seasons equaling 28 shirts. That sounds more reasonable.

Prefer to listen to Seven Shirts? Click the arrow below.

After chatting with my co-worker about the shirt shocker, I went home and, out of curiosity, I counted how many shirts I had hanging in my closet. To clarify, my definition of a shirt includes shirts, blouses and tops. Well, I’m almost embarrassed to admit, but I had 97! 

Holy smokes!  I could open up a retail shop!  

Why So Many Shirts?

Why did I have so many???

Here are the excuses I came up with:  I work full-time and “need” dressy shirts. I also “need” casual shirts for the weekends, and shirts to layer underneath sweaters.

Short sleeved shirts for the summer are a must and long sleeved shirts for cooler weather are necessary to keep warm. 

I have roomier shirts for when I’ve indulged too much and need more breathing room. And, I absolutely “need” a variety of colors. 

Many of my shirts are years old, however, I do buy a few new shirts each year to freshen up my wardrobe.  But 97 in my closet?? I had waaaay too many! 

At least, according to that research. 

I checked online to see if I could find that reference my co-worker had found and, yes, it was true.  Seven was the magic number. 

But then I read the title of the article and realized it was about minimalist or simple living. I certainly could use some helpful hints in that department because I am not simple and, based on owning 97 shirts, I am not a minimalist.

Fashion

I’ve always loved fashion. 

When I was a little girl I enjoyed playing “dress up” and wearing my mother’s high heels.  One year, I even told Santa that I wanted 99 boots and purses for Christmas. Fashion over toys or dolls!  Thankfully, I didn’t get my wish.

In high school, I joined my fashion class on a field trip to New York City where we got to experience everything fashion. We were backstage with models helping them prepare to walk the runway; we toured FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology); we stopped by a designer’s showroom; and visited 7th Avenue in the Garment District. 

We shopped, we ate, we had a blast.

Please allow me to digress for a second.  I still laugh today thinking about me, all dressed up, eating dinner at a fancy NYC French restaurant with my classmates.  I was trying to act mature as I sat there at the table waiting to be served.  I was not so proper, however, as I had my elbows on the table. And, unbeknownst to me, one of my elbows was stuck in the butter dish! 

The #1 rule there is, don’t have your elbows on the table, especially at a fancy French restaurant!  Emily Post, queen of etiquette, would NOT be impressed! 

In college, I studied Retail Management and worked in the retail industry for many years. I gained an eye for color combinations and loved to accessorize any outfit.

A Good Bargain

Nowadays, I enjoy shopping and, I admit, it’s hard for me to pass up a good bargain.  Sometimes I shop at consignment stores where, just recently, I found a beautiful tan leather jacket for the low price of $24!! What a steal!!  

Because of my love of clothes and all my excuses, I wasn’t falling for the recommended seven shirts in the closet idea.

So, I delved further on this topic and found another website that suggests the average woman has 103 items hanging in her closet.  Ding, ding, ding. Now, that’s more like it.

Purge My Shirt Collection

But still, I felt I should purge my shirt collection and ask, as Marie Kondo, the guru of organizing says to ask yourself, does the item bring me joy?  Therefore, I looked at each and every shirt several times and asked myself “does it bring me joy?” “Do I look fabulous in it?” “What feelings do I have when I look at it?”

Interestingly, the ones I decided to give away frustrated me. 

One made me look like a house, another the material was too stiff, and yet another always slipped off my shoulders and annoyed me whenever I wore it. They were all in good condition, so I felt guilty parting with them, but I stuck to my guns! I was able to pare down to 77 shirts. 

What is your opinion?

Do you prefer the minimalist viewpoint of owning seven shirts?

Or does the average suggestion of 103 items in your closet seem more realistic? (that seems to be mine).

Or is your perspective “more is better”?

Three Tips

Whichever floats your boat, after I organized and downsized my closet, I have three tips to pass along to you just in case your closet needs a little attention:

1. Matching hangers – I became obsessed with finding all the white hangers in my home. Even sneaking into my kids’ closets and swapping their white hangers for my purple, blue, brown or green hangers. And let me say it really made a difference to have the same color hangers. It looks neat, it looks orderly, it looks fresh. 
2. Color code by item, color and style – I then organized my shirts by long sleeve, short sleeve, shells and then by color.  I did the same for my slacks – hanging my pants together, then my capris. Next I tackled my blazers, and so on.  My closet was really coming along. 
3. Purge! – That’s what it really comes down to. Remove items in your closet that you haven’t worn in awhile or don’t bring you joy. Some folks turn their hangers backwards and only turn them the right way once they’ve worn the item. Do this for several months to a year and whatever hangers haven’t been turned at the end of that time means you aren’t wearing that item.  Get rid of it! 
4. And, as an extra tip, if you have any loose items, such as belts, wristlets or purses, place them in baskets or bins for a more attractive look in the closet. 

The Benefits

And guess what? After becoming more organized, here are the benefits I noticed: 

First – Less stress.  No more rummaging for items needed because things are now where they should be. Looking for a quick flannel shirt to throw on as you head out the door?  Go to the flannel section of your closet. Easy peasy.

Second – Better sleep.  Without the chaos scattered about the bedroom and in the closet, you’ll find you can ease into a calm, restful state before closing your eyes and entering into dreamland.

Third – Save time. Since things are easier to locate, there’s no more wasting time searching for your favorite blue blouse.  And to be more efficient, I suggest setting out your work clothes the night before.  Then, in the morning, you don’t have to make that decision of what to wear when you’re half asleep. So, with everything prepared, you can either sleep in a bit longer or have a nice, leisurely morning with a hot cup of tea. Nice!

Aspiration to Own Just Seven Shirts

Maybe someday I will aspire to have just seven shirts in my closet. In the meantime, I will continue with my average lifestyle and keep those 103 items that bring me joy, hanging in my closet. 

Wait a second! I only have 102.  Perhaps I’ll buy a new pair of pants!

Cheers!

Kathleen

I would love to hear from you. Scroll below and leave a comment, thoughts, suggestions, organizing tips below! And click here to subscribe. I’ll keep you posted when new articles are published.