Fewer working days and fewer shirts

Short answer: If you go from five to three working days, the number of work pieces should drop and the number of everyday pieces should rise to match.

The maths changes

With five working days you need five shirts, if you wash once a week and wear one shirt per day without an undershirt. With three, three is enough, and the other two do no good sitting in the wardrobe. They just get older without ever being worn again.

What should go up in number

Everyday clothes now get worn four days a week instead of two, because the extra days off need to be filled with something other than work clothes. That means more tops and one extra bottom in that category, so you never run short midweek. See bamboo clothing for men.

Underwear and socks stay the same

They get worn every day regardless of what goes on top, on both working days and days off with no difference. The number should therefore stay the same as before, no matter how the rest of the wardrobe changes over time. See bamboo underwear for men and bamboo socks for men.

Plan which days are work

If your three working days are fixed, it is easier to plan clothes around them without thinking about it every single week. If the days shift from week to week, the wardrobe needs a bit more flexibility and a couple of extra sets in reserve.

Make room for the new

When work clothes take up less space in the wardrobe, there is room for more everyday pieces without it getting crowded with things you do not use. Use the chance to clear out what you have not actually worn in the past year anyway.

The transition can take time

It often takes a couple of months to feel how the new rhythm actually splits between work and free time in practice. So wait a while before buying a lot, until you know your real needs better.

The economics of fewer shirts

Fewer shirts worn more often means you can invest in slightly better quality without spending more overall across a year. The money saved on quantity can go towards durability instead of quantity.

Days off need a system too

Even though the days off are open, it still makes a difference to have a couple of fixed combinations ready for them. That saves time in the morning, even when the day has nothing at all to do with work.