How many socks does one person REALLY need?

I’m a minimalist in training. Here’s my count on socks, underwear and other clothing items. I’ve found, since becoming a clothing minimalist, that we really do need less than we think, and that owning fewer clothes makes clothing decisions less stressful and faster.

I also find I dress better. Everything in my wardrobe fits me, suits me and feels comfortable. I like that 🙂

10 pairs of socks, all grey, all identical. That way, I don’t have to search for a matching sock: they all match each other. It simplifies things.

I don’t darn them: when one gets a hole, I simply throw it out, knowing the singleton will still match all the others. When the count gets below, five, I throw out the rest and buy a new set of ten pairs.

10 pairs of underwear, all black. They are all comfortable, are all “panty-line free” styles that work under all my clothing without showing a line. Ten seems to be the magical number that works well to cope with washing days.

3 bras, all “t-shirt bra” styles that work under all clothing. One is a convertible that can be turned into a strapless style. I found lace bras showed pattern under t-shirts and shirts, and were more difficult to wash, so now I wear t-shirt bras all the time.

10 handerchiefs. ‘Nuff said.

Daily clothing. I follow The Project 333 (which means I only own and use 33 items of clothing, including accessories and jackets but not including underwear, socks, and gym clothes, nightwear or loungewear) and use a clothing capsule system for my day to day.

Gym clothing capsule. For the gym, I have two sets of gym clothes and have that is quite enough for my five days a week gym habit. My gym clothing consists of: two pair of gym trousers, two pair of gym shorts, two sports bras, two gym t-shirts, two hoodies, one pair of gym shoes, one gym bag, one re-usable water bottle.

Nightwear. I have three nighties, and two robes. That’s quite enough.

I like knowing exactly what items of clothing I own, and knowing exactly what is in my wardrobe. I love having a wardrobe with space to see everything at a glance, and drawers that are not packed full. Being a minimalist with clothing really simplifies things. I also find I do much less washing, and I know where to find an item when I need it.