Stripping Back

So the clothes have gone,

Three very large black bags filled with assorted garments, four pairs of shoes and two suits have made their way out of our house and on to fulfil their destiny in the big bad world.  It was emotional.

Here's what (I think) I've learnt.

Easy come, easy go.
With some of the pile of bile stacked in my drawers and wardrobes it was an exuberantly cathartic experience to throw them one after another onto the discard pile. My only thought was, 'Why had I not done this sooner'.

Pragmatism is liberating.
I knew that if I had not worn something for a year then I didn't need it and it could go. None of this blethering on about 'maybe you'll need that again some day' or 'Perhaps it will fit me in the future'. No siree, if in doubt, chuck it out. Beautiful.

I am a sentimental fool.
It's true, I am. There were some items of clothing I happened upon which I hadn't seen in ages and all the old memories came flooding back. The adventures I'd had in that t-shirt, the things I'd seen while wearing that jumper, how snug those jeans were.  There were the novelty shirts that evoked memories of the laughter of small children and the shoes that could never be matched for comfort and sturdiness.  These items, though not many, were the ones hardest to bin and some, I confess, I kept.

I could've gone further.
All my clothes now fit into one wardrobe and it is spacious and airy. But I feel a little underwhelmed by the experience. The genuine excitement of getting rid of the excess has been tempered by still feeling I have took much. Perhaps I'll do another sweep, trim it down a bit more.

Which begs the question, how much is enough, when it comes to clothes. Well, in order to maintain some sort of social niceties I reckon the average man needs only these clothes:

A suit
Two formal shirts
Two formal ties
Three casual shirts
Four t-shirts (one reserved for exercise)
Three jumpers
Three pairs of trousers
One pair of casual shorts
One pair of sports shorts
One pair of good shoes
One pair of smart/casual shoes
One pair of trainers
Enough underwear for 4 days.

I have more than this, but I reckon this is enough.

What do you think? Contribute via the comments section or on twitter using #enough2014