How many pairs of socks, and underwear, pants, shirts, “basics” should one have?
I want to buy more clothes because I’m sick of doing laundry constantly. But whenever I go and start making a cart I feel so guilty because it’s usually over $100 and I’m trying to live frugally.
Both my parents died so I need some internet parents to teach me how to be a young adult.
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I try to do laundry once a week. That means you need about 7 shirts, underwear and pairs of socks, and 3-4 pairs of pants because you can wear those multiple times generally. I have more clothes than that, but I find that’s about as many as I wear regularly.
Thrift stores are a great place to get cheap clothing if you don’t want to spend a ton all at once – plus the quality is sometimes even better because you’re buying something that was worth more new than what you’d be willing to spend on a new piece.
I’ve found that having too many clothes means I’ll go longer between washes and then I end up with a much larger amount of laundry to do at once.
So even if it’s technically the same amount laundry that I wash, the infrequent washing makes the pile of it larger, and then I’m digging through my hamper to wash the more important items and then after I’m done with a few loads, there’s still more to do.
I’d say as long as you have 5 outfits for a work week, a couple casual outfits for running errands and hanging out with friends, a few pairs of pajamas or lounge outfits, 7 to 14 pairs of socks and underwear, maybe a couple of evening outfits for going out to dinner, you’re probably good.
Unless you want more. I know I have a little more than that because I love thrifting. I usually buy a couple outfits once every couple of months. I just try to go through my clothes every once in a while and donate what I don’t wear a lot.
I do laundry once a week. I change my sheets and towels then and throw them in with my clothes. Since I’m only washing for one person, I can usually get everything to fit in one load.
This means I need minimum 10-14 pair of underwear and the same of socks, probably 8-10 shirts (combo of both work shirts and casual shirts) and 3-4 pair of pants. I have more than that, but that much would get me through a week and then some if needed.
Doing laundry once a week means it doesn’t feel like a huge task – one load doesn’t take too long, and that way I don’t feel like I’m spending my whole day doing laundry.
I second what another commenter said about buying things second hand. It’s less expensive and you can find some neat things that way!
I agree that you should have around 7 shirts, probably 10 pair of socks and underwear as depending on the day you may need more than one pair. I look at cost per wear- I may think I’m getting a bargain with a $20 pair of pants, it if they fall apart after the 5th wash it’s no bargain. I would invest in the highest quality you can afford so you’re not replacing as often. I’m not sure if you’re a man or a woman, but I think it’s much smarter to buy high quality men’s wear as the fashion doesn’t change much. Women’s fashion changes season to season, but I’ll still buy quality basics. I hope that helps.
It depends on the person. I like to be prepared for any occasion. If I have to go to work, a party, a funeral, a casual wedding, a fancy wedding, an interview, etc., I am prepared. I don’t wear those clothes every week, but if the need arises, I am not scrambling for something to wear or blaming the host for having a dress code I am not prepared for.
I always say 10 underwater and 10 socks minimum for 1 week. Some summers days it gets really hot and sometimes it gets smelly down there – nice to change out. And you never know what you might step in.
So good quality clothes tend to cost more but last longer. I personally want to have about two weeks worth of basics. That’s bras underwear and socks. All of which can be sink washed and line dried really easily. Then I want at least three pairs of pants that can go with daily wear and at least ten tops that can be daily wear. Then you need at least one event appropriate outfit suitable for attending a wedding or court or a business dinner that is seasonally appropriate. It’s great if you can do laundry every week but life happens and people get sick. Having more then you need is not wrong as long as it’s not frivolous.
If you decide to buy more clothing, DON’T buy the cheapest items you can find. It’s more expensive in the long run to keep replacing poorly made items. Look around or ask around online for where to buy pieces that will last. Hanes or a multi-pack are good for socks and underwear, but pants and shirts will last longer if you don’t buy the cheapest available. I used to buy pants from Old Navy and wonder why I needed to replace them so often…
If you’re trying to save money, thrift stores have a some great deals on clothes if you’re willing to take the time to look around. Also, frugal means not spending excess money on things you don’t need. If you need more clothing, spending money on it if it is a good price and has value to you is still frugal. Refusing to buy things you need isn’t frugal, it’s cheap.
I have a minimalist capsule wardrobe.
It’s a total of 40 total items, including two winter coats, a bathing suit, etc.
Socks and underwear are counted as one item each.
Five pairs of shoes.
Because the colors (brown, green, black) all coordinate, I can mix and match everything.
It’s plenty of clothing. I can dress up and down as needed.
You have a lot of good advice here. Hang in there 💕 reach out anytime!
You’re going to do great!
I recommend 8 days worth. That’s one week plus something to wear on laundry day.
Try for a week and a half worth as far as undies and socks.
2 to 3 pairs of trousers (or skirts) and 3 to 5 shirts would be minimum.
Then a spring jacket and winter coat if the local weather fits.
A sporty pair of shoes, a dressier or everyday work pair of shoes, and maybe slippers or beach shoes.
Something to lounge and or sleep in.
I keep about two weeks worth of underwear and socks. Typically change both after a shower (i.e. after workout), and a fresh pair each morning. I work outside and so have extra socks in case a pair gets wet/other need to change them.
Outerwear depends on location. I have winter/fall wear and summer/spring wear, many of which is layered (i.e. I can wear a tee shirt with a hoodie or flannel over top in mild weather, coat for cold weather, etc). I have a few pairs of workout clothes (like gym shorts) that I will rewear for workout purposes since I sweat in them anyway and workout at home but you may want activewear that you can rotate during a normal week as well.
Each of those I keep about a weeks worth (5 days ea. Of shirt/pants) with outerwear obviously can be reworn like jackets and coats.
Jeans I have 5 pairs but I re wear them unless they are soiled/sweaty and never have much issue.
Laundry 1 time a week; should look like maybe 10 pairs of socks, 10 underwear, 5 shirts, 3-5 active shirts, 3-5 active shorts, maybe 3 pairs of jeans/pants, and then obviously I wear something (usually active wear) while doing the laundry. Other than dishes which I do while I go, I do most chores like cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, lawn work, any paperwork like taxes or insurance stuff, scheduling appts, etc on the weekends, typically grocery store on Saturday and all the rest on Sunday which is my chore day and then rest sunday the evening for the next week.
Then during the week the focus is work, relaxation, and most stuff is planned/scheduled and I don’t have to worry about it. Dirty laundry straight into the hamper, clean living space, it feels good. The more you keep up with it the easier the chores are and then it’s not a big deal to do them. If I skip a chore day then I save up 2 weeks of laundry, run out, or save up two weeks of house cleaning which makes it harder the next time I do it.
TL;DR – socks and underwear at least 10ea, and the rest of stuff for 1 outfit a day for the week plus active wear and a spare outfit or two. I have a couple outfits for nicer/special occasions that live in the closet.
Going to thrift stores instead of shopping online will make a HUGE difference financially. Last week I went to four different thrift stores and spent about $50 on over a dozen shirts, five pairs of pants, a pair of overalls, and a hoodie.
You’ll find some decent quality clothes instead of poorly made fast fashion, you’ll save a TON of money, and you’ll keep clothing out of landfills. That and most thrift stores are either family businesses or charities, so you know your money is going to someone who needs it instead of some big company.
Edit to add: I don’t normally buy so much clothing at once, but I recently lost a decent amount of weight and some of my clothes don’t fit anymore. But I definitely stand by thrifting over buying new clothing.
Thrift stores.
Much cheaper, you won’t feel.as bad, and you’ll find hidden gems. You really should wash the clothes before you wear them.though. All clothes. .
Depends. Do you do inside or outside work? Workout? Sweat? Space? Dress up? Sorry. Just get a couple things a month
I try to have a 2 weeks worth of clothes/undies/socks. I still do laundry every weekend but the 2 weeks worth gives me flexibility between 7-10 days.
Heavy labor blue collar guy here, sorry to hear you’ve lost your parents, it’s rough. I keep five pairs of work clothes, five pairs of supportive underwear, two pairs of boots, and five pairs of boot socks in my house. I keep one extra spare of each item in my work truck just in case. I also keep two pairs of basic cheap comfy underwear, sweatpants, t-shirts, and shorts for weekends and evenings, usually from the all cotton multi packs.
Wife does the laundry once a week. I buy replacements as needed, but for work I only buy ultra durable, high quality work clothes and boots (Blaklader clothes and Oliver mining boots) so I usually only have to order new work clothes once every other year, and new boots once every three to five years. I’ve learned the cheaper work clothes are never worth it, they tear, wear out, and just don’t perform.
I wish you the best.
Buy second hand, buy quality underwear and socks. I have too many clothes and have been donating regularly to pare down.
Having a lot of clothes means—for me, more mess. I have to have space to put all these clothes. I currently have 2 laundry baskets full of clean clothes that I have to put away. Im constantly having to go through my clothing and doing a purge in order to make space. I spend a lot on clothing a month. Please don’t get involved in this. If you purchase something new, get rid of something.
For basics like jeans, black pants, and button downs, you can get nicer things and won’t have to buy them every few years. More quality clothes last longer.
You can cheap out on Walmart with socks and underwear and basics like t shirts and sweatpants. Once a month, buy yourself one nice thing like a sweater or shirt.
Accessories help too.
And invest in shoes and a nice coat too.
Depends on how active you are?
It is possible to get away with 3-4 of each of the basics. You would be doing a small load of laundry every other day, though, and they can wear out quickly.
If you want to do laundry once a week, 7-10 of each would be my safe number, in the event you have to change clothes, something tears or gets dirty the same day, etc.
I really recommend thrift stores, or looking for things in the sale/clearance aisles of popular stores. You can figure out your style before you start investing in high quality clothes. I would also look into capsule wardrobes and what they recommend. A big thing is to wear more neutrals or a specific palette of colours, so your clothes can be match each other more easily; it’s cheaper and easier to buy fancy accessories to accent an outfit if this is a big deal.
(I’m a mom of small children, My kids have, like, 15-20 sets of everything because kids just destroy stuff and I’m already doing laundry every day.)
I shop Jockey underwear on sale on their website. I end up spending $3/pair and have a lot saved up as well as maybe 15 pair in rotation. I get socks at outlet places.
You can go to thrift stores or online second hand shops. You can find good quality clothes, almost unused, at low prices.
The best thing is that you can get better quality for less by buying second hand, than you could afford to buy lower quality clothes new
It’s okay to spend money on clothes, especially if you get stuff that will last. I would say you probably get like, 5 years out of an article of clothing (this is a pure guess) then that’s only $20 per year for those clothes. I usually go clothes shopping once or twice a year, usually to replace a couple of pairs of jeans.
I recommend 10 outfits in total. This allows some grace when your weekly laundry day falls on exam day. 15-20 underwear and socks. 5 bras.
The size of your wardrobe should be limited according to your interests, your budget, and your storage space.
I have a large closet and varied interests, so i have a large wardrobe. But if you just have a dresser, you may need to get more furniture before you get more clothes.
You are awesome, because you’re thinking about how best to use your time and how to be effective with your time and resources.
It’s okay to buy just one thing each month/pay packet. You don’t have to buy everything at once. Just build up a stock over time and work to what is important to you. Once you get a basic wardrobe together, you don’t have to buy anything every pay packet. Just add on what you need as and when.
Back in the 1970s, I was told that I needed three of everything – one on my back, one in the wash and one in the drawer, but I think times have moved on. How often do you want to do laundry? Do you have access to a washing machine in your home or do you have to go to a laundromat? If you want to go the traditional route of having a ‘washing day’ and wash once a week then you need around 8-10 changes of underwear as you need to allow a little room for maneouvre if you’re unexpectedly busy on a wash day. You can always get away with less, but 8-10 allows for a little wriggle room but shouldn’t be too hard to store and you can get this together slowly. If you do laundry more often, you can get by with less clothes. Washing once a week isn’t a bad rhythm to get into and it keeps you on top of things like bedding and towels as well as clothes.
For the rest, it depends on what you do. I’m a stay at home mum, so I can get away with half a dozen t-shirts, a couple of pairs of jeans and a couple of sweaters. When I worked in an office, I had stuff for work and then another set for evenings/weekends. If you’re washing once a week then you need 8-10 tops, perhaps one or two of them ‘dressy’, three or four ‘bottoms’ ie jeans, pants, skirts etc, with one of them ‘dressy’ and perhaps two or three sweaters or cardigans plus underwear. That allows you to mix everything up, have a margin for safety if you miss a washing day and gives you some options. If you stick to one or two colours, perhaps black, blue and grey (or whatever colours suit you), then you can change it all around.
Over time you can get together all the outfits for occasions. Of those 8-10 tops and 3-4 bottoms, try and identify something that would work for a night out, something that would pass for a nice event, like a church do or a nice potluck, and something that makes you feel awesome.
You will not get everything right first time as no-one does. You’ll make mistakes and then there will be favourite bits that get ruined in the wash or stained, and not everything will be perfect. Please be kind to yourself and accept that stuff happens and you can only do your best.