# Average number of times articles of clothing are worn **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416 "2019-12-26T20:27:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/21 "2019-12-28T14:20:21Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > Sounds interesting. From the title of this I was actually expecting something about how many times something is worn before being washed and was surprised to see it was about discarding clothing. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/22 "2019-12-28T14:53:32Z")
What? I’ve got clothes that are 10-15 years old in perfect shape. There are shirts worn only in winter months, and shirts worn only in summer months. So, it’s possible that I only wear the shirt like 10 or 15 times a year. I’m not a lumberjack or anything. Clothes should last a long time if treated properly. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/23 "2019-12-28T15:48:58Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > This link shows 37 “clothing items” purchased by women only in 2016. I need to remember how to log in to see their source. > [Average number of clothing items purchased by women U.S. 1996-2021 | Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/828040/average-number-of-clothing-items-purchased-by-women-us/) Also, what’s the distribution? Is it a normal distribution, i.e. bell curve, with a well defined peak at 37 and trailing off at the tails? Or is it more bimodal? I.e. are there two distinct regions, one for rich women who buy hundreds of ‘clothing items’ per year and one for everybody else who might buy fewer than 10? Simplifying such a distribution to a single number can be very misleading. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/24 "2019-12-28T16:20:06Z")
I’ve known some people who love clothes shopping who have closets stuffed with clothes that they barely wear and do a cull every few years to make room for more. I pretty much only wear T-shirts and 501s and wear them many dozens of times. I toss them just before they start to get ratty. They aren’t worth donating so they wouldn’t make it to a thrift store. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/25 "2019-12-28T18:34:56Z")
And when those shopaholics do a cull, they probably don’t throw the clothes in the trash. They probably donate them for some sort of resale (thrift store, church sale, etc.). Whereupon they’ll get bought and worn more. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416/26 "2019-12-28T18:43:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And when those shopaholics do a cull, they probably don’t throw the clothes in the trash. They probably donate them for some sort of resale (thrift store, church sale, etc.). Whereupon they’ll get bought and worn more. Yes. Either gift to friends, sell or donate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-number-of-times-articles-of-clothing-are-worn/845416.md?page=1)