The Closet Breakdown - YouLookFab Forum

I just noticed something rather strange - I think I have my closet proportioned as follows with hangers - unintentionally!

I bought a few packages of velvet hangers, and it just so happened to be proportioned like this:

50 black hangers = year-round work dresses
25 blue hangers w/ hooks = blouses (hooks for skirts)
25 green hangers w/ hooks = casual and date dresses
25 beige hangers w/ hooks = summer work dresses
25 clear clips = skirts
25 thicker plastic hangers = blazers, outerwear, etc.

That adds up to be 175 pieces! Yikes! I think I will try to keep these ratios because it has so far served me well, and I can one in and one out - I may add an additional 25 black hangers just to keep it 200 and easy to calculate! I have a bunch of t-shirts and jeans in a plastic tub.

And I'm thinking of starting a collection of how Anthropologie wears a lot of the pieces that I have - as inspiration on how to wear what I already have!

What are your proportions like in your closets?

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10 years ago

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Veteran

I thought you had half this to be honest . . . but if you wear it, more power to you!
I meticulously counted before coming to FL in Sept . . . and I tried to adjust as things changed but I may be off by 3 or 4 in some categories.

About 110 clothing items, minus lounge, layer, and work out, plus 25 to 30 shoes.

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lyn*

To be honest, Mo, i think I only wear about half of this ... I definitely don't wear 50 dresses in the winter ... that'd be like 5 x 10 = 10 weeks of dresses alone! Yipes!!!

It's kind of nuts!

Lisa

Interesting analysis. And like Mo I thought you had less than this. We really do grab our favorite items again and again.

My current working closet breakdown is here. But if I were to add up everything I have (working closet and the boutique) my current wardrobe breakdown is:

blazers 11
pullovers 12
cardigans 19
blouse/shirts 14
layering knits 29
layering ls t's 17
jeans/trousers 20
shorts 2
dresses/suits 6
short sleeve tops 15
short sleeve t-shirts 18
tank tops 14

At one point I had ~150 items but it's been creeping up and I am closer to 190 now, which is upsetting because I have worked hard to get the numbers down these past few years. I do not have footwear or gear item included in the above totals. When I look at these numbers I'm reminded why DH challenged me to begin with.

One thing I've learned so far, I do not wear a lot of clothes and that is wasted money. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the excess items I own and still love, but just am not wearing. When one is not purging items that are ill fitting, worn out, or out of style, it's really hard (at least for me.)

Lyn D.

I have similar numbers to Mo.
I rarely wear dresses so have around 10 including 1 skirt.
Pants are around the 20, as are jackets, and that must leave around 50 short and long-sleeved tops.
I don't have colour-coded hangers, but all are padded and mainly blue.

Runcarla

35 hangers in my closet, clothes sorted by colour rather than type of garment. (I started doing this in early 2013.) Black, grey, navy and jean dominate, with white, cobalt, red, yellow, purple, blush. About an equal amount in drawers with a lot of striped/mariner T's and neutral ( black, grey, blue) sweaters or other types of tops.

I was thinking about it this am. About 50% of my stuff is pre YLF, and the other half since April 2013 after a 3 month SYC while I tried to figure out where I wanted to go with my style.

If I count everything--shoes, coats, bags, scarves (but not sports gear) about 100 items is perfect for me.

Jaime

Oh my goodness you all. Well let's see I have lots of jeans, trousers, tops, dresses, jackets, coats and skirts, but I think I have more shoes than anything.

rae

Huh, never thought about counting the hangers! That makes it easier. I have about 125 items in the closet (hanging plus folded jeans). Whew, I thought I was way over that, I must have done well with my goal to refine this year.

Of course this does not include jammies or workout gear at all, but there are still things slated for a purge once I have more time. I am happy you gave me the idea to count, because I was still seeing myself as having this massive wardrobe and still thinking of the closet in the same terms as when I was buying at the flea market every week.

Whee! I am trying to tailor things down, I think it's kind of nuts right now.

@ Lisa - I do wonder what I should do with the things that I still like but wear less often!

@ Lyn - I wanted blue hangers, but they were all out of blue

@ Carla - I don't think any of my stuff is pre-YLF anymore - I was about 15 lbs lighter and rather "casual student chic" - hahahaha; it was dreadful.

@ Shevia - I put my shoes through a lot of abuse, I think - so it's difficult for me to accumulate a big collection - Maybe one day, I will find a reason to build more of them.

@ Rae - I enjoy the hanger counting method because I can better control what things are left!

Gigi

Fascinating! I used to wear nothing but dresses and skirts, so I like your numbers. :^) I have branched out into pants the last few months, but I still enjoy a good skirt now and then! They're so comfy and feminine.

As for the things that you still like but wear less often, is there another place you could put them, to get them out of your closet? I think sometimes closets that are full of stuff we're not wearing is a stressor in general (just seeing all the stuff and having to process it). Maybe you could pick out your faves that you always wear, plus a handful of what you don't wear often, and keep that in your closet. That will force you to wear some of the neglected stuff, if the rest is packed away. Then in a month's time, you will know better about whether you really liked wearing the less-used items or if you want to give them away. And at that time you can replace some of the outfits with other ones from storage, to keep a rotation going so that everything gets some wear.

This all sounds so scientific--which means it probably won't work IRL, ha ha.

Gigi - I do something similar; I have a "dressing rack" and I pile on a bunch of clothing - maybe 25 dresses that I rotate the most there, and the rest of my clothes are in the main closet. The main closet gives me a lot of stress these days.

There are definite things that I haven't worn for almost a year - and I feel I should give it away, but I just feel reluctant to do so.

Meli

Active Member

I'm also mid closet purging. I'll be back with a count in a moment

deb

I have 152 hangers in my closet. That includes all coats, gear, and the holding zone, I really thought I had more than that.

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