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Weird but it works...

qpswan

Years ago, I read that women wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. This means that there are a great deal of unworn items hanging in our closets. This also means that there is no point in buying more clothes to not wear...

I love to shop and I love clothes but I am practical so I came up with a system to make sure that I wore everything I bought (in your face, DH). Using Excel, I first listed all of my clothes in categories. Then each month I make a calendar with boxes and fill in each day with an outfit. I start with a pattern like skirt, dress, suit and trousers and then fill in the tops. I also add shoes and accessories to each outfit which is a huge time saver in the morning.My wardrobe is divided into spring/summer and fall/winter so I don't worrying about the weather. I have rules such as each item can be worn again but only if everything has been worn at least once.

I print the chart and have it in my closet. Each morning, I check the chart and get dressed. It saves a great deal of time and I wear everything. I generally look put together because I wear accessories. If I put on something and don't like it, I usually put it in the giveaway bag.

This system also prevents me from hoarding clothes. There is nothing in my wardrobe that doesn't fit me and no items that I regret buying because I donate these to local charities (so I can by more stuff!). I have some sentimental pieces that I keep in my hope chest such as the first piece of clothing my husband bought for me and the sweater my grandmother knit me.

What wardrobe system, if any, do you use? Please God, don't let me be the only one...

Dressing

16 replies

Latest reply was from Jyoti

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

wow, you are organized! I take photos of my outfits, either on my person or laid out on the bed, and the night before I pick which one I want to wear. I wouldn't be able to plan so far in advance, though, because I need to take into consideration the weather (here in Seattle it's not so predictable) and the requirements of the day. Some days I have meetings that I need to dress up for, and other days I am walking across town for meetings, so my shoes and clothing needs to work for that.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Oh God, I cannot even plan for a week! I guess I am a moody dresser and often go with what I feel like today. Also like for Jenava weather plays a huge part as well as a need to commute on foot..
My goal is to keep a smallish wardrobe, have everything visible to me at once and love everything I own: this really helps to avoid wardrobe orphans.

Vildy

Veteran

I avidly read whenever anyone describes a wardrobe system. Even if it wouldn't work for me, I can see better my own preferences standing in relief. I don't in the least mind wearing the same things over and over. If my wardrobe is trending that way, as I purge unworn items - just got rid of 6 tall kitchen bags full today - then that's fine with me. I tend to purge as much or much more than I acquire. It's usually driven by the acquisition of a new item that seems like it's veering off in a different direction. So I guess I often use the One of These Things Is Not Like the Others approach, and the others can equal a whole lot.

I'm totally a mood dresser like Sveta, am mostly a pedestrian and very weather-sensitive. In a lot of ways I am driven to look as though I laugh at the weather - a huge, huge lie that I engineer with a plentiful stock of thermal underwear and vivid, fresh looking clothes for humid sweltering weather.

Jem

Veteran

Wow! You are so organized, I'm impressed.

jayne

Veteran

Oh yes, I have excel for control of my purchases in cost, but I use an app on my phone to plan outfits, track what I wore, and get an idea of what is not getting worn. I took picture of everything (we are talking over 400 items)...so it doesn't get nerdier than this!

What I also do in excel is track when I delete an item. I don't delete it from excel but I put in the year removed. This way I can see how long, on average, I keep things after I buy them. And how much per month I spend, how much is average cost per item, et etc.

harmonica

Veteran

I track CPW, but have no excel skills (not even the simplest!). It helps me wear everything and also stops me from buying similar items I don't need. I really need to learn some very basic excel...

Deborah

Veteran

Impressive. I use StyleBook to record outfits but it's a work in process. I do if d it helpful, particularly when lacking inspiration to scroll through and quickly choose something.

krishnidoux

Veteran

I admire your method! It sure is the best way to prove to DH that you are needing those clothes. I wish I could find something to reply to my DH when he says I have way too much clothes (when I actually need more).

I am not that organized nor disciplined. Weather is so unstable where I live, and my life changes from day today: at home, at work...

The best method so far for me has been to follow Angie's advice and keep a very small wardrobe. I store the rest away in blue bins. That way I get a feeling of Christmas when I open them. And it forces me to work with what I have. I find I am more adventurous with a small wardrobe, mixing unexpected elements and discovering new silhouettes, using my accessories for novelty. I also have a better idea of any closet holes.

ManidipaM

Veteran

I confess to planning my outfits ahead of time only when travelling. Otherwise, I'm a moody dresser --- even if I do put clothes out the night before (and if I have to be somewhere early, or travel during rush-hour, I will do that), I often find the mood or weather or today's waistline comfort index makes me change plans. The planning I do, apart from trips, is mostly in my head.

However, I did start an Excel sheet titled 'My Complete Closet' when I realized I was getting muddled and forgetful about what I own, since I split my time between cities and across two wardrobes that I sometimes don't see for weeks, even months at a time. This also makes it easier to pack for travel --- I might be able to fill in the blanks with apparel or accessories in city B, even if I leave city A with less than a full complement of clothes.

I've also started tracking costs and CPW of new items as I add them. I have to confess, though, that this is more a curiosity-driven exercise; and doesn't actually determine what I will or will not buy. Again, I'm moody. However, if I find an expensive item is being worn a HUGE number of times, like 100 days a year... I might think it's worth splurging for a duplicate or a replacement, and pare down elsewhere to fit that in my budget.

On the whole, though, I find CPW alone gives me a false sense of utility --- there are garments that are worn very briefly in travel situations or short winters or the odd monsoonal day when I can't avoid being out and about; their CPW is pretty high because of the gear-ish or high-tech nature of the garments and lack of cross-seasonal wearability... and that's fine! Ditto special-occasion-only garments and shoes and bags.

I find I can rely on my gut to pick the favourites in my current closet at any time. They're the ones I love reaching for, and which make me feel happier or more confident than alternatives. Sometimes, despite their needing more maintenance (hand washing, ironing, polishing --- all chores I detest --- or lugging to and from the dry cleaner, not just a chore but also expensive), something feels great --- and that's a special favourite! The harder part is analysing WHY those are favourites --- and I need a Doc more than an Excel sheet for that. I even have favourite orphans, the most befuddling category of all.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh wow, you are way more disciplined and organized than I am about your wardrobe. It's funny because I am slightly OCD and very organized in most aspects of my life, but I am a very emotional shopper and dresser.

Like Manidipa, I will plan and list outfits when I travel or for a special occasion, but otherwise I rarely plan my outfits ahead of the time when I'm getting dressed. My days are too varied and our weather too unpredictable for me to plan days and weeks in advance.

I do hang new items in the front of my closet, with tags, until I decide to wear them. If they sit there until the return deadline approaches, I know they should go back to the store (unless they are not in season). I will also sometimes pull closet orphans and hang them at the front of the closet to try to spark me into wearing them. If they go ignored for too long, again I know they should probably go to a new home.

Anonymous

Firstly let me say wow I am impressed and I need to start some sort of system, and secondly whats Excel and whats SyleBook!? sorry to be so thick!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What an impressive system! Wow!

I fear I'm far less organized. I do plan very carefully before going on a trip but for my day-to-day life I have to adjust for weather and whatever my plans for the day might be, so I generally choose that day, or sometimes the night before.

I have no idea of the CPW of most items, but I sometimes do a rough calculation in my head and work it out that way. The truth is, I KNOW which items I reach for again and again, and I know why, so that helps direct my ongoing purchases (and my purges). CPW isn't always relevant; as Manidipa says, some items are quite specialized, and won't be worn often, but that doesn't mean they aren't needed.

I have a small wardrobe, though - there is nothing in my close (except for special occasion clothes) that wouldn't get worn at least a few times each season.

Anonymous

My goal is to keep a small closet and to keep most items multi-seasonal. I write down or take photos of outfits that I like well enough to repeat. This especially comes in handy when seasons change and I try to remember what I wore before in that season and so I don't toss a key piece in a closet purge, at least before replacing it.
It also helps me to hang together all similar items in the same color so that I don't duplicate. So all black jackets or all white shirts are together. I use the flocked hangers from BB&B with the little hooks on them so that they can be arranged vertically. That way like items like all my white shirts are all hung vertically in one spot... the black shirts, vests, pencil skirts, etc. It's worked well so that I can find things quickly and to keep from getting too many of the same thing.

Keix

Veteran

Love your system! I would never have the discipline to wear everything once before repeating, though.

I keep a spreadsheet for shopping expenses (and living expenses too, in a different "sheet" in the same annual workbook) and recently started a separate spreadsheet to track my whole wardrobe. I am living in a different place every few months (home, school, summer work) so it's really useful to have a complete inventory, even though I can't finish it until I go home next month.

Outfits, though... totally spur of the moment. If I'm planning ahead, I pick out the clothing components the night before and accessorize in the morning (which is sometimes a time sink). But half the time, I just grab things from my closet in a rush. My dilemma is that my closet is full of "tried and true" combinations that I resist reaching for, and sometimes I end up throwing together things that don't work so well together, but I don't have time in the morning to rethink.

qpswan

Wow, great ideas and insights! I would say that menopause has had the greatest effect on what I wear (not the weather although I live near Vancouver BC). I used to be super skinny and run cold but I have put on about 10 pounds and now run hot (temperature not sexiness).

I got really busy at work this spring and didn't get around to using my system. I wasted a great deal of time choosing and discarding outfits (and I made a big mess as well).

CPW scares me so I not going there...so does budgeting and the one in/one out rule.
BTW Excel is a spreadsheet programme and I don't know about Stylebook (I am not an app person).

When I was diagnosed with rheumatiod arthritis, I made a conscience effort to simplify life but have been unwilling to pare down my wardrobe. Scheduling is the next best thing to having a reasonable amount of clothes.

Jyoti

(website)

Veteran

That's amazing! I have an unhealthy love of spreadsheets, so I might try to duplicate yours for kicks. xD

I had the same problem so I did a giant wardrobe reorganization that probably took me a month. The major way I keep track of what I've got in my closet is to make sure every single piece is visible in some way (except for sleepwear and underwear because... it doesn't really count xD). I've refolded and hung and organized everything so I can see every item I own, and it's really helping me rotated through all of my closet a lot better, as before, I'd just grab the stuff that was on the top and forget about all the other stuff piled underneath it. I am a moody dresser like others here, but sometimes I try to do an abbreviated 30 for 30 challenge in which I grab a few pieces, mostly stuff I haven't worn for a while, and put them aside. I then make outfits for the week only from these items. So I mostly feel my way through trying to wear most of my clothes, but it would be fun to analyse how well I'm doing!