I counted my clothes and was really surprised! (Honest Wardrobe Declutter) 

Everyone’s perception of what’s a lot and what’s not is going to be different, ❤ so please don’t feel any guilt if you have more than me. The main reason I was shocked by my number is because I’ve intentionally tried to be more minimal over the past few years, and have done so much closet curation, so I assumed it would be less than that 🥰 I’m glad you guys are enjoying the vid though, and also are big fans of Caroline. Haha. Xoxo

I am retired and live in florida where it never gets cold so i dont need any winter wear. I have six white tees, six jeans, a pair of flip flops, a pair of barefoot sneakers, one purse and an unlined jacket for the few mornings in January when it gets chilly. I rarely go out anymore so I don't need dressy clothes. I guess its a bit extreme but I just don't need more. When I worked I had a bedroom converted into a dressing room full of professional clothes, handbags and shoes but they are gone now. I love things simple. The kitty is adorable. I have two who love to get into everything and are my constant companions. I'm enjoying your videos. Thanks.

I love that you’ve decided to get rid of items that you are not wearing…especially those items that you only use for styling. It is a more honest and realistic approach and that is something I can truly appreciate.

I love how you curate your closest and I love your videos but for me who is 74 years old I have collected all Italian leather handbags since 1969 and I use them all and same for my clothing. I love and enjoy every piece and my personal style has stayed the same for all these years. Classic, Glam and always a belt I am fortunate enough to have a walk in “boutique” I call it in my home and I shop it everyday….happy Saturday

I really feel that clothes are important to me and me only. I don’t care what anyone average person owns how many pieces. I owned a lot less when I couldn’t afford to have a lot, now I can and I own more BUT I’m trying to be conscious about what I bring in to my closet. It works for me and I’m grateful that I have beautiful yet affordable pieces.

I have a pussycat assistant too and he's an enormous help when I try on clothes in my dressing room - formerly known as unused front bedroom, now furnished with a cosy sofa next to the wardrobes - heaven! I find that there is a time when I suddenly can't stand having a certain item of clothing because it's no longer me or current, and I need to get rid of it straight away - no maybe pile for me. I donate to charity shops or leave items on my front gate for people to pick up for free, I am on a budget but can't be bothered with teh hassle of selling clothes, I like to think they will make someone happy, everyone likes a freebie. I don't think counting things is useful to be honest, just keep the things you like, it doesn't matter how many there are as long as you still like and wear them. I'm glad I didn't declutter my old jeans and other timeless pieces, (denim dresses, pussybow blouses that look great with jeans, miniskirts) because they still fit me and the jeans have moulded around my body so they look good despite the lowish rise. I'm 58, slim, was debating whether it was time to get rid of shorter skirts/dresses but actually just yesterday I saw two cool older ladies wearing miniskirts with matte tights and they looked graceful and cool and svelte so I'm keeping mine. Lovely Emily, I would not worry what people think about your content, just post what you feel is right, being true to yourself and ethical when it comes to overconsumption are more important. You can always update an outfit with a scarf or other accessory, no need to keep buying, I can't stand channels that do hauls.

This video was informative and useful. Regarding your question, I have 89 items that covers all seasons and includes shoes, coats, and fancy clothing. Regarding what you show on videos, it seems that clarity is more important than variety. Thank you so much for this refreshing perspective of a fashion content creator.

I am not proud about the amount of clothes I have collected over the last 3 decades, but not counting shoes, underwear and socks, I have over 500 pieces. Yes, you read right. Some are one of a kind since they were custom made for me.

Oh this is fun. I just had to pause the video, rush to the bedroom and count.😊 69 items including outerwear, basics, hiking gear and layering pieces, plus 10 pairs of footwear, and 13 assorted bags, including a hiking backpack. Stored in a suitcase are lightweight summer items (not counted), which I will audit (and probably donate some) in spring. This seems a comfortable tally for me, a one-in one-out regime reduces accumulation (which feels like a burden). I guess the issue I grapple with is the number of outerwear pieces, out of all proportion to what I have to wear under them, having been a lifelong lover of coats, blazers and jackets! And today I went to the farmers market to buy sourdough, and came home with a vintage New Zealand made emerald green coat. It's a stunner! Sigh! We all have our weaknesses right! Miss Tinkerbelle (domestic longhair) is sitting on my knee as I type this, no doubt drawn to the call to action by Fanta, not at all helpful!

I too love Caroline and have been binging her content lately for interior design and general shinanigans. 💗 Thank you for this video! Very much enjoy it.

Fanta is adorable and gorgeous - thanks for sharing him with us in your videos.

For my own future reference - 219 including office and casual clothes, bags, shoes, outerwear, sleepwear, loungewear & active wear, excluding accessories: belts, scarves, watches, jewellery, hats & sunnies (though admittedly I don’t have that many accessories- they all will fit one average sized packing cube). I also have at least a dozen that I have recorded in my “parking lot” for selling, donation or to revisit in the next season (winter in my case). I love this very honest declutter video!! No pretence of knowing certain rules and no judgment. I think that it’s not about a number of what’s acceptably minimal or excessively maximalist. The important thing is we keep only what we genuinely love and what makes us happy. I have about six items that I keep either for sentimental reasons or to appreciate the art that went into making them. One last thing - we can take the slow but steady journey. Our styles evolve. We don’t want to be impulsive about decluttering either or else we risk regretting it or the vicious cycle of bringing the same things back without truly understanding the ‘why’. Good luck all on our respective decluttering journey!! 😊

I love Caroline Winkler's content. So kind of you to mention her Emily. I always enjoy your content as well and your soothing voice 💕 😊

A really honest video! Living in Quebec (very cold in winter, hot in summer), I tend to declutter twice a year. As I prepare an item of clothing for storage, I think about how many times I reached for it. If a piece was never worn or only worn once or twice, it may be time to declutter it. I also try to identify the reason why some clothes remain unworn - too small, too big, wrong color, wrong neckline etc. I try to learn from purchases that didn't work for me. Not sure I'm brave enough to count all the items in my wardrobe.... Perhaps after I've retired....

OMGosh...I love your conversation with your cat. I do the same with mine.

That chunky chain is going to be a hot item this fall, along with silk scarves. U need to keep it another season.

Emily, I love your content! Honestly so different and useful compared to many other fashion RU-vidr's on here. I feel like every outfit I see you in is part of my dream wardrobe wishlist. I just checked and I'm at 93 items! Trying to get down to 50 but that's ambitious in Canada :| P.S. Caroline is awesome love her content too

I find myself really searching for your videos each week and being inspired to get real with my wardrobe. Thank you Emily.

Instead of hangers backwards or ribbons tied to the hangers (tried each method for a year and neither worked for me - probably because inventory was too high), I now take from one end and put newest washed on the other end. So always rotating. At the end of the three months, I evaluate what I didn't choose that season and decide to take some sort of action - 1 of 3 options.

I have been doing an epic declutter as my style and my lifestyle have changed. I did the first declutter; and then a second taking out all of the "maybes" and trying them all on. It feels like my whole life has been overtaken by decluttering, trying things on, taking pictures, posting listings on Vinted, shipping off items etc. But it also feels addictive to see some breathing room between my hangers and seeing only the creme-de-la-creme of my wardrobe emerging. It's so cathartic and has also made me think SO carefully about new purchases. You can realistically only wear so many things regularly. No matter how beautiful something is, if it's not going to function well with everyday life, it's not going to be worn. I have felt sick at just how many items I have sold that still have the tags attached.

First😂🎉🎉lets do it!🤗 dont google it, it doesnt matter what others think its a lot. If you feel that its too much and it doesnt make you happy, get rid of things you dont see yourself wearing anymore and be honest. Loved the kitty😂

I have 270 not including accessories and swimsuits. I have collected vintage hats and earrings since I was 25 and I am 60 now so I have a lot but I do wear it because I love it. And I have decluttered 😂😂😂 I look forward to your videos every week or when you can post. Can’t wait for shoes 👠

Barefoot shoes have helped my foot pain soooo much. I was gutted to get rid of most of my shoe collection, but my health is more important. And there are new styles of barefoot shoes nowadays that are chic and sporty that replace the aesthetic of my old shoes.

I also keep track of how many clothes I have, and I’m at 170. But I do have a small pile of clothes that I decluttered and hope to sell. I think the number is just a guide for me but my count seems to ebb and flow depending on my spending practices at that moment - how I’m feeling when I purchased, things I need to return or sell because they were impulse buys or not the right item for me. And that’s okay, I’m getting better at not making those mistakes. It’s a learning process to curate your closet and making sure I’m using my clothes and decluttering things I don’t wear.

This was so much fun, and of course I had to pause and rush to my closet to count my items. I was also a bit shocked to have the total - higher than I thought it would be (112). I probably own “too many” dressier items which rarely get worn, but I love them so much and DO continue to wear them when I get the chance. I’ve also been inspired by other RU-vidrs to try to wear some of the dressier pieces in a more casual way. I’ve just moved countries and have shifted jobs, so we’ll see. Keep up the great work! I like to see realistic, not “catchy”.

I love your honesty Emily! You have set a good example for all of us in terms of what we REALLY reach for and use in our closet. And how true how a second and third “pass” of our clothing or household items often results in decisions to part with things. I love it! You have motivated me to do a count of my clothing and shoe items going forward. Thanks for your content. You are sweet and engaging! Hot summer here in Winnipeg, Canada🇨🇦

This was such a great video that it motivated me to declutter my wardobe!! In my head I thought there was nothing in my wardrobe that needed to go, but then when I looked through it I made a pile to go! And I also found some clothes I hadn't worn in ages 🤦🏽‍♀️

Great video! The reverse hanger method works. I am still at about 200 items but I am slowly working it down… thanks for the inspiration ❤

Thank you for the inspiration! I have my wardrobe digitalised and not even all the shirts are on there. I started off with 235 items. After being ruthless and repeating the mantra "Am I really wearing this?" I got it down to 198 items 🥳 now following suit and actually removing all the removed items from my actual wardrobe. However, I feel I'm struggling to follow through with shoes and bags, as I feel both give me the opportunity to style my outfits in different ways. Maybe I'll get to them another time 😊

I have 132 items, including my shoes, bags, belts and hats. I track my wardrobe with notion to see at the end of the year which item I wore the least and declutter it. 😊

Love the way you address scratchiness, sleeve length and other comfort issues. So important and often hard to notice with a quick try-on, or even sometimes before washing, sadly.

I would ditch the lovely sweater because it doesn’t sound like a 100 percent happy item. Good on you for doing this. I need to do this too. Thanks for the inspiration.

Enjoyed your reflections. You have prompted me to go through the "occassional" items I have accumulated over years like evening clutches, scarves etc that sit on a shelf and don't get looked at!

My favorite part was „I kind of feel like cat woman - meow!“ 😂❤❤❤

Your handbags are fab I keep summer clothes separate to winter only replace what I need winter six leggings two pairs of trousers one dress two skirts six blouses long sleeve teashirts ten five cardigans three blazers four pair boots two pair shoes sneakers two pair

Love how you declutter. I’m hopeless at this. Thankyou

Extremely useful video, as per usual. Really enjoyed you series of 5 recently too. Pleased to hear you're enjoying Rainbow Plant Food and it was lovely to see more of Fanta today

Hi Emily! I don't know how many items I actually own, but I am sure more than 183 (I am on holiday right now so I can't count them). But I have a very well orgnized wardrobe and I really love all my peaces in there that came into it over the years. So in this case I think there is no need to make a big declutter just for the mission to reduce the number. I make decluttering all over the year, so always when I feel that an item is not me any more I donate or sell it. All my purchases I think over a very long time before buying them and so I feel very well with my actual wardrobe. I only somtimes feel sorry that I cannot wear my loved peaces as much as I wanted to because I have a lot of them ...

you’re my favorite RU-vid right now! always a treat when I open the app to find a new video out💜

I couldn't imagine counting my total wardrobe..I have a lot of work clothes and I do actually wear almost all of them. I have to put clothes away at the change of seasons because of the humidity and silver fish. In early summer I finished cleaning and tending to my winter wardrobe and I found an expensive cashmere sweater had been eaten right in the center front!!! I could have cried! I hadn't really worn it much but last season I tried it and liked it and was looking forward to getting heaps of use out of it this winter. Darn!! I digress, but I don't really think the amount is the problem (unless the clutter is overwhelming) it's more about whether you like and wear everything. Your scenario is different because you do styling videos, so maybe some pieces are still necessary even if they are not your personal style. Ultimately numbers are just numbers. I hope you had a fantastic trip XX

Learning how to style what you have is key.

Did somebody mention a kitchen declutter? I'll tackle this on cold winter nights. Also, old art & craft material declutter and books-I'll-never-waste-time-reading declutter

Thanks for this I decluttered my wardrobe, I got rid of three long sleeve tops and seven coat hangers and bought I new long sleeve top and not counting my one set of old clothes I wear for cleaning I have 85 items including underwear and shoes thanks again

Thank you so much for your honesty!It means a lot!👏👏👏It's not easy to compare rendom google numbers bcs you don't know what are they counting or not counting (shoes?accesories?coats?begs?...).

I don't know if anyone already asked about the sweater you are wearing, can you share the brand, please. it's adorable

Raise your hand if you own more than 183 clothing items?! ✋🙄 Am I the only one? 🤣

Keep the leontine Sezanne jumper I bought mine because of your recommendation. My sleeves are fine! Perhaps the person before you didn’t wash it carefully. It’s the best striped jumper I’ve seen and great weight for the Australian climate.

So glad you enjoy Caroline Winkler, too!

Love your honesty Emily and can relate to your wool itch issue 😅 and the need for natural fibres, your videos are so relatable❤

The sleeves on my Sezane jumper are short too. I was a little disappointed, but I kept it.

As a Mum of.4.- I use my right jean 👖 pocket as a rubbish bin!.I.put litte bits in my pocket like you mentioned! I then empty my pockets a few times a day when nesr the bin.

I wear old stretchy dresses/tops as nighties or stay at home clothes before throwing them away or donating them, as long as I still like them and they make me feel good. I won't wear pieces that I no longer like, it's not a nice feeling to catch yourself in a mirror and hate the clothes on your body. So even if something is new/newish/expensive, if I no longer like it on me, it's better to pass it on to someone else. Clothes should always make you feel good, even if they're just leisure/nighties/stay-at-home clothes

This was such a good video! I decluttered my closet last weekend but I think I have to go back to pull out more pieces I’m having a hard time letting go of. Also love your series! Still working through that now😊

Thanks for the great and honest and motivational video. On the topic of shoes that hurt your feet: I can recommend shoes from Groundies. They have relly cool Barefoot Sneakers. For a more chunky look i Love their "starlite" sneaker, though it is not as flexible as their other shoes it's still much better than conventional sneaker.

I really appreciate your honesty and transparancy here! I've been wondering about the closet size of some of my favourite 'conscious consumption' youtubers, as I do see a surprising amount of variety and new items, which sometimes feels a little odd. I'm going to be honest and say that 183 sounds like quite a lot to me when you have a focus on consuming less (I have around 120 items if using your criteria, excluding underwear etc, which is still quite a sizeable closet), but I can understand that you feel like you need more for your youtube videos. Also, while I think that sizing down will give you more peace of mind, I don't think there is any advantage in beating yourself up over owning a lot of clothes: you can have a very ethical and sustainable big wardrobe, if you buy consiously and take good care of what have have. Reversely, you can have a very small wardrobe, and still have a negative impact by buying and discarding them very quickly. The irony is that buying clothes is like an addiction: when you don't buy antything, you don't really feel the need to, but once you start buying new things, you constantly feel the urge of buying more.

I own the Sezane jumper. Have it, love it. Fits perfectly.

300 here ridiculous😂 I constantly declutter too. Mostly thrifted and great pieces what to do???????

I was surprised that I only have 108 items and 50 of those items are tops 🤣 Bit outta balance maybe…. Your video inspired some reflection and a wardrobe tidy - thank you for that! 🫶🏼

Count your blessings, and stop shopping 😉💋

I have 120 pieces, including workout wear. It feels like too much because I know that I don't wear some pieces very often. I have tried to get down to 80-100, but it always seems to pop back up I need to get ruthless about things I used to "wear all the time", ie. buttonless cardigans, skirts, sandals with heels. I feel like more than 200 pieces would mean some items dont get worn in a given year. But if you do lots of different activities, maybe you change clothes more each day than I do.

Love Caroline. Glad you found her😅❤

I have about 100 items of clothing (excluding exercise gear, etc). I had 68 for a long time but have added some key items over the last 3-4 months.

I've always had a very small wardrobe, now I have 6 pairs of jeans and it feels absolutely massive 😅

Hi Emily, love your content! You've inspired me to tackle my closet and come up with a long-term plan May I ask where your earrings are from? Thank you for all you do!

Love your work Emily, could you do a video about how to tell if a piece or brand is ethical? Queenslander here 👍😀

I stopped counting after 250 items, but didn't count shorts, work T-shirts, socks, underwear, workout clothes, swimwear, costume pieces... and I meow at my cat! Today I'm wearing a sarong I got in Malaysia 24 years ago and haven't worn in over 20 years. There's a heat advisory, so I decided to embrace the heatwave.

Fanta’s daily outfits are 😘

Why did the triple-in-time-with-the-inspiring-music cat zoom-in make me giggle too much?😂😂

Great video, even greater cat! Give Fanta a forehead kiss for me ❤

I own the Sezane jumper and my sleeves are also a bit too short. It’s one of the reasons I don’t wear it that often. It looks so cute though.

Oh finally someone said that same as I experience with my Leontine- I thought that my husband washed it on a too high temperature 😂 and shrinks (bought from sezane brand new) and the same love wear it even though (I am 174 cm ~5’9 if it makes sense)

I own about a 120 but I have very few coats or bags (less than I need) so it is lower for that reason. Btw that does include some jewellery but not my many scarves.

love you Em and love your videos!!❤❤

Im curious about how many clothes I have. I picked up some weight so I bought a few things to wear while Im losing weight. My sari skirts are plus size so they will still work. I bought a black and a white top to pair things with. A lot of my graphic tees will still work. I plan on wearing the sari skirts all year with long sleeve tops or sweaters & leggings with boots. I have a wishlist of a few pairs of boots and a moto jacket, a couple soft pretty sweaters. Footwear and accessories are my weakness, especially earrings!

As a 62 yr old I have WAY more. But then my mom and classic friends always say classic pieces are keepers, good style and good fabrics and colors. They all come back, always. So Jeans, pants and short? Yeah. Good classic dresses and skirts? No. Good pieces are sometimes never coming back…. And I do use them over the years.

OMG I would not be able to do this.i have three wardrobes one upstairs one downstairs and one in another house in another country.I think 50 tops is probably not a lot.

Lol SIMS!! Best game ever for millenials

I'm good at decluttering but bad at controlling the flow of items coming in.

Love you and Caroline❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I often miaow at our cat 😂

Total coats winter and summer guessing 100items and wearing them up had some 5yrs in blazers coats

I will count my items. Probably barely 50 including sleepwear and swimwear. I have 2 bags and 5 pairs of shoe including flip-flops - which we have another name for in Australia 🇦🇺

I think the number of clothes just can’t be compared if a person lives in a mild 2 season climate versus a 2 season with extreme temperature changes versus a 4 season with mild changes versus 4 season with extreme changes….all of those scenarios have completely different genuine ‘needs’ and therefore even different minimum amount requirements. I wish this was emphasized more, in general, in all wardrobe content. This doesn’t even take into consideration lifestyle/ activities differences. I just get frustrated because I watch these RU-vid videos of the 10 item wardrobe and they live in California or somewhere where they don’t really even have a winter. I live in a climate with 4 extremely different seasons. The only slight overlap is that I can use a few layering items ( light jackets and cardigans) and on,y a couple bottoms in both Fall and Spring. But that is only about 10 items at most. I try to keep each seasons wardrobe between 30-50 items. But I do keep these ‘extras’ because one year Fall , for example, will be really warm and long ( summer like ) and then very suddenly it’s practically winter weather. So almost no real cool ‘ Fall’ weather. Then the next Fall the heat of summer will end very suddenly and drastically and it will be a very long , cool Fall. And then there is every variation in between. So just when I think I have some good Fall items for the heat in the Fall, (but yet not true ‘summer’ clothes) then all of the sudden those items I thought would be so perfect for Fall , the next year I don’t wear them at all in the Fall because it got too cold too fast. So I literally need completely different Fall clothes from one year to the next. So it’s like I need almost two different Fall ‘wardrobes’ depending on each years weather. Then multiply that scenario for the other 3 seasons as well. So I think I’m doing pretty good providing, keeping it at 35-50 items per season. But it sure is a lot of work and I just don’t like how many items I truly need to have. I’ve never seen a video addressing a real life version of this…maybe I’m missing something. I do see some who have the 4 seasons and super small wardrobes but I just don’t get how one winter coats works for the extreme range of different temperatures, conditions and activities we experience. It just wouldn’t work practically speaking. And I do like a bit more ‘style’ than most of these people I see. Maybe it’s just me and I’m just not willing to give up my style to be that minimal. My comfort is more important to me than being minimal for the sake of being minimal I guess. Sorry long vent, rant comment.

Once I counted my items and I had over 300, so I don’t think 183 is not necessarily a lot, but if I was living my minimalist dream (if I didn’t have these stupid attachments to clothes and stuff in general) then I’d probably have around 100, but I obviously can’t know for sure before I’ve actually tried to live that way, but I think the amount you own is pretty good so don’t worry about it. Curious to see how much (or little) you end up with after the declutter as I haven’t finished the video yet. P.S. 300+ items is quite embarrassing for me, wish I was better at letting go but I love everything that I own.

Hello, I am French and I own a lot of Sezane clothing. All the sweaters and shirts are too short sleeves! I ended up selling them and I don't buy them anymore. I think Sezane is a brand that is better suited to thin and short people!

Have you heard of 333? (There might be a word to go with the numbers, but I forgot.) I don't actually count my items, but do rotate every season. At the end of each season, I evaluate what stays and what goes. There's so much more room in my closet too!

Haven't counted yet - definitely more than 183. I dont think the number matters or even how long since you wore the item. We need to focus on whether we like (the colour fit material style of) an item and decide based on that. Some things are for occasional wear and that's fine.

The Leontine is short in the arms! Drives me a bit nuts and I have also waffled on decluttering. Ultimately I have kept and pushed up the sleeves or worn over the shoulders. I like the way it sits at the waist - somewhat unique compared to other sweaters. Wish it was softer.

A lot based on a 10 item wardrobe! But for 4 seasons and 33 items per season that's about right!!

Just discovered your channel and have been binging! For your nicer garments you are planning on selling, what is your go-to method? Local or like Posh or Thread Up? Thanks!

I need to see your list for what you counted in… before I disclose 😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I counted this spring and included swimwear, and my total was 189. I did not include athletic wear, underwear, shoes, jewelry, purses, or PJs.

Your clothes are beautiful and tasteful, by the way!

I’m curious how many items you have if you included athletic wear and swimwear 😆

What do you think about denim midi skirts. Do you own one or will you get one?

Try not to buy to many trousers in case I don't wear them enough still love skinnys loose fit for summer as I live in spain

Lovely video! I think kitty is concerned you’re packing to go away somewhere 😿

I have arthritis in my toes too. I wear Hoka for walking. Where did you purchase the Barefoot ones?

I do not count bags. I love them all and will not declutter them. They are an art to me. But for the reference clothes + shoes = 50

I count everything even my underwear and socks