Can you only buy 5 items of clothing this year?

Jay Angler wrote:The title says it all... Can you only buy 5 items of clothing this year?

I've read that for the clothing industry to achieve sustainability, people have to only by 5 items/year, not counting socks and underwear, but counting shoes and gifts.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2024/05/20/Take-Challenge-Five-Pieces-New-Clothing-Year/
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/rule-of-5-challenge-viewpoint

The Tyee article, doesn't specifically state whether used clothing or upcycled clothing count or not. What it does point out, is that if you challenge yourself, it may get you to stop and think about whether you will still love the item you're looking at next month or next year. Not to mention, it increases the need to buy quality items that will last for several years.

Alas, I will admit I've already blown this year's quota. I got a good deal on 100% cotton turtleneck t-shirts which I wear all winter. Several of my favourites had been mended several times and were ready for the rag-bag. I'm finding it harder and harder to find jersey that doesn't have spandex or similar added to the thread. This should be a 10 year supply at least!

To make up for that, I learned how to add a gusset to the back of a pair of cotton trousers so it fits better. It's not perfect though, so I'm trying to get up the nerve to do a matched pair of gussets in the front of a pair of jeans which are also too tight. I worry the front gussets will be more obvious, and I've been able to delay by doing some time critical mending and making Hubby a cloth cell-phone carrier (all out of upcycled materials). However, those delays are wearing thin... bad pun!

Something to think about. Clothing used to be considered a valuable part of a person's "net worth". Now it's considered almost disposable. Is it time to reverse course?

I like the idea of challenging oneself with a limit to the amount of clothes bought. Some years I buy nothing or almost nothing, other years I get more than 5 things. If it were evened out over several years, I think it would be around 5 items a year.

When I am shopping for clothes, I focus on buying things that are practical, comfortable, and will last a long time.

For cotton clothes, as clothes wear out I’ve been replacing them with 100% cotton, rather than the old ~95% cotton/~5% synthetic stretchy stuff type mixtures that many of my dresses and overalls were made from, in the hope that the clothes will last longer. So far it’s too early to say if they last longer, but I do think they feel better to wear.

I am finding that if I have 3 summer dresses, 3 winter outfits, and 2 sets of outdoor work clothes then I feel like I have enough clothes. Things get mended when they need mending and replaced when they need replacing and I think it would average out to be around 5 items a year bought.

Wool and linen for me. [edit: hemp and silk items too, for durability]. Made or bought in beautiful ways with quality fabric. Shoes and boots are leather or sheepskin and last forever. I don’t wear underwear. My stuff lasts a long time and I patch and remake much. That’s it for me.
My problem is I don’t get rid of things, or compost them, even if I don’t buy a lot. So clothing adds up. That’s something I should work on more👍

I did not buy any clothes or shoes this year for myself.  I finished a couple garments I have been working on and started a few new ones.   I like to make my own stuff.  
I also dipped into my clothing storage.    I have plenty of things tucked away so there is no need to go shopping.    Maybe this is cheating because I am an adult and I don't grow out of things anymore.