I recently received this text from my good friend after helping her through a closet edit. She was totally lost in a sea of clothes  she accumulated over the years that no longer fit or flattered her. She wanted to simplify her wardrobe and needed a fresh start. Through a series of text messages, I gave her advice about what to keep and what to get rid of: only keep quality items that fit and flatter you and you absolutely love. Her response was, “OK but that means I won’t have any clothes left.” We landed on a strategy of keeping a few items but what she really wanted was a fresh start at this phase in her life. I mentioned the importance of building a core wardrobe foundation and she wanted the “list”. I directed her to my blog that outlines this core foundation concept and the list of 24 items needed so she could slowly build her foundation.

A month later she texted me this message and it got me thinking. Why DO we keep accumulating so many clothes? 

Below are five very common mistakes we make when shopping that create excess in our wardrobes and how to avoid them:

#1 Buying for specific events.

I’ve been in a LOT of women’s closets and when I ask a client to walk me through their clothes, they often show me a series of dressy items and describe what it was “for”. “I bought this for an engagement party”, “I bought this for a fundraising event”, “I bought this for a birthday party”. When a portion of your wardrobe is made up of items purchased for a particular purpose, we tend to tie that item to that event, making it  a “one and done” piece. The problem with this type of purchasing is that when we’re under pressure to find something for a particular event or purpose, we often settle for something that is just ‘good enough’. The easiest way to avoid this is to remember that you don’t always have to wear something new to an event. If you have a few classic, dressier items, you can make them appear new by styling them with different accessories. Think about taking a more proactive approach to building your wardrobe to avoid heading into a reactive mode.. Spend the time to find a classic black dress that you absolutely love, is versatile, and fits you well. If you’re someone who attends a lot of functions or know the year ahead is filled with multiple events, you should start looking now for timeless options that you can mix and match for events: one fall/winter and one spring/summer. Of course, there will still be the situations where you need to look for and purchase something new for an event – but giving this more proactive approach a try should reduce “one and done” dresses and outfits.

A classic black dress and a pattern dress are two staples to have in your wardrobe that will work well for many events. These are some of my current favorites.

 #2 Box subscriptions.

As tempting as a solution like Stitch Fix may be, it’s just not healthy for your wardrobe. Box subscriptions don’t consider your existing wardrobe and are simply sending you more and more “stuff” without a plan. Often the clothing isn’t great quality and although they claim algorithms are used to make recommendations that suit your personal style, it’s very hit or miss. Nearly every woman I’ve ever styled is a “stitch fix drop out” (meaning they tried it and canceled their subscription), and other clothing box subscriptions aren’t much better. 

 #3 Settling for “OK”.

Have you ever tried something on and known immediately that it was a “yes”. There was no “let me think about it”, or “I’m not sure…” It’s that moment where you don’t want to take it off and would prefer to be wearing what you’re trying on then changing back into your clothes. We should feel like this or very close to it every time we decide to make a purchase. Strive for perfection, be extremely picky and patient. If you’re settling  for just “OK”, you’re building an uninspiring wardrobe and will never feel excited to get dressed. There are great apparel items that fit and flatter you out there.

 #4 It was on sale. 

I’m guilty of this one and continue to check myself before making a purchase when something is on sale. A great deal is simply a bonus if you love it but it’s not the reason to purchase! This is so important to remember and a huge reason why so many people have excess in their wardrobes and still feel like they have nothing to wear. #3 above applies just as much when something is on sale as it does when something is priced higher.

 #5 Over buying the same type of item.

Nearly every woman I’ve styled has one clothing type that they keep buying – and I’m the same! My item is summer dresses. Yours might be white button-down shirts, or maybe black sweaters, or jeans. While it’s totally fine to do this, just check in once in a while and make sure your “collection” hasn’t grown out of control. Maybe you’re really only wearing a few of the 17 denim shirts you own and you can pair down to only a  few.

It is indeed a riddle: how is it that getting dressed is easier and you actually feel like you dress better when you have fewer clothes? It’s because you’ve curated it down to the best of the best. You’re no longer storing items that are one hit wonders or are just “ok” and you’re not swimming in a sea excess when you try to find an outfit. Less truly is more when it comes to your wardrobe.