How Many Clothing Items I Own + Why That Doesn't Matter

In the last decade or so in the world of minimalism, several people have gained publicity for making bold statements like, “I own 50 belongings!” or “I have a capsule wardrobe with 33 items!” And in an especially impressive case, one man even drew national attention for owning 15 items in total.

While these extreme examples certainly make a statement to those curious about the lifestyle, they can often create a competitive culture that misses the point of minimalism entirely. These clickbait-y taglines are designed to capture the attention of the public who cannot fathom a life with so few belongings. After all, my title may be the reason you clicked on this very blog post.

To be clear, I’m not arguing that counting your belongings is wrong, or that those publishing their results are in the wrong, either! I’m just saying: stopping there misses the true meaning of minimalism. It focuses on the elimination of items and doesn’t always address the real work that happens afterwards (or the reason we might minimize in the first place). It can create an intimidating marker others feel compelled to reach themselves, and if they don’t get their closets below 50 items, they feel they’ve “failed” at minimalism.

Minimalism looks different for every single person or family. In fact, you don’t even have to call it “minimalism” at all; living with intention hasn’t always had a label and a set of corresponding hashtags. To you, minimalism may look like thoughtfully considering what you bring into your home, having one less box in your storage area, donating a few unused toys, or paring down your junk drawer. Or it may look like a sparse, orderly closet, in which you keep your number of hangers under 50. It may look like a plain light grey living room with a few basic pieces of furniture — or one adorned with vibrant prints and plenty of comfortable couches. It may look like a closet filled with loud, colorful prints or it may look like a sea of neutrals straight out of Kinfolk.

There are no set parameters by which all “minimalists” must live — and that’s one of my favorite things about it. That it’s interpretive, fluid and forgiving. What matters most is that we don’t place too much value on any of the inanimate objects I’ve mentioned — so we can move past them and onto greater things that bring us true and lasting joy.

Is owning 10 pieces of clothing going to magically make a person less attached to consumption or automatically lead to contentment? Absolutely not. On the other hand, owning 1,000 pieces of clothing doesn’t inherently mean we are completely consumed with our belongings either. What matters is the heart posture, not the number. When the potential purchase of a couch consumes our thoughts instead of the people right in front of us, that’s where we get into trouble (I’m talking to myself here!).

Minimalism should never produce feelings of comparison, greed or envy — but unfortunately, it can turn into that if we’re not careful. We can so quickly flee from the “keep up with the Joneses” mindset that we haven’t realized we’ve just moved into a new neighborhood of Joneses we feel we must keep up with. A movement that was supposed to free people from the trap of consumerism and bring them closer together can end up turning into an elite, judgmental and legalistic culture — one that does very little to bring us together. But it doesn’t have to be this way! And I’m trying to do my part to make this clear.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I don’t have a certain number of clothing items I own, frankly because I haven’t counted. And I don’t plan to! Besides. At this point, counting them would negate everything I just said. I simply hope I never place unmerited value on anything in my closet or my home — whether I own 30 or 3,000 items.

However, if you feel compelled to count your belongings during your journey to simplifying, then go right ahead! Above all, do whatever inspires you to lessen.