The most important factor in the magic number AND capsule wardrobe is that everything you own, when washed, needs to fit in the space you have. If you have drawers fit to bursting, you can’t put anything away. Once you’ve pared down to what you need, make sure everything has a place where it fits. Each individual system will look different, but knowing what you have, what you need, and what fits (in your closet and your life), is a major step in getting the piles of laundry under control.