I Counted My Clothes—Here’s What I Learned
A few weeks ago, I read a blog post by Venetia La Manna, where she counted every item in her wardrobe. It was part of a larger conversation about consumption, fashion, and the sheer volume of things we own without realising it. Coincidentally, I was in the middle of downsizing my own wardrobe—except for a much more practical reason: I'm moving across the world.
Why I Did It
Counting my clothes wasn’t some deep introspective journey into my shopping habits or personal style. It was purely practical. I didn’t want to lug unnecessary items across continents, especially when most of my clothes were meant for a hot climate, and I was moving somewhere significantly colder.
I’ve never been particularly mindful of how many clothes I own. I buy them when I need them (e.g., more black t-shirts for work) but rarely shop otherwise. However, as I started pulling things out of my closet, I realised that while I wasn’t emotionally attached to most of my clothes, I was attached to the memories they held. The kebaya I wore for my engagement, the baju kurung tailored just for me, the dress I wore during my second trip to France—none of them made the cut for my new life, but parting with them still stung.
Moving made me rethink my relationship with my wardrobe. It forced me to ask myself:
- Will this be useful there?
- How many times will I have the opportunity to wear this item in the future?
- What do I envision my lifestyle to be, and do these clothes fit into that?
How I Did It
I counted everything down to my underwear and shoes, leaving out winter wear since I didn’t own much of it. The final tally? 123 items. Honestly, I expected the number to be higher.
I marked some items for elimination (i.e. to be donated) but I still kept them in the count, to be fair to the exercise. What surprised me most was discovering items I had completely forgotten about—like my taekwondo uniform (which I haven’t worn in years!) and an apron from an event at work.
What I Learned
This exercise didn’t make me rethink my clothing consumption—because frankly, I rarely buy new clothes. Some of the pieces I own are over five years old, and I’m okay with that. But it did make me reflect on my consumption habits in other areas of my life.
After downsizing, I felt sentimental at first, but ultimately relieved. I like to think I’m getting better at deciding what to keep and what to let go of. And if I could offer any advice to someone doing the same thing, it would be to be kind to yourself. It’s easy to look at the overwhelming pile of clothes and think, Oh god, how did I end up with all this? But remember—who you were when you bought those things might be different from who you are now. And that’s okay.
Next to tackle: books, little trinkets, bits and bobs, coffee and tea accessories, bags and so much more…