YouLookFab Forum » Topic: 2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: 2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long) https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 17 May 2026 17:08:50 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Lyn D. on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1731215 Fri, 23 Sep 2016 22:17:17 +0000 Lyn D. 1731215@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love these posts too! Don't feel bad about your 'mistakes'- even though I have been around for a long time I still make these at about the percentage you mentioned. It is all part of enjoying fashion! Chris987 on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1731125 Fri, 23 Sep 2016 17:56:10 +0000 Chris987 1731125@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Barbara Diane, and yes you are right, I DO get to make the rules :-). Shedev thanks...good point about not being able to layer...I'm guessing that's because you live in a hot place and I have pretty hot summers too. Thanks Sterling, very kind of you! You are spot on Angie! (as always) Angie on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730858 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 22:54:43 +0000 Angie 1730858@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree everyone's assessment here. All that's really left to do is wear the heck out of what you have and wait until you feel like adding to your wardrobe again.  Anonymous on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730806 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 20:42:37 +0000 Anonymous 1730806@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Amazing job!!!  Your learning rate is the speed of sound.  It took me several years to reach the point you are at right now.  WOW.  WOW.  WOW.   shedev on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730784 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 20:00:43 +0000 shedev 1730784@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great analysis. I also bought a lot of tops over the summer. I think my issue is that I can't layer in summer so I need more variety. In the other seasons I can use a topper to change it up. I also repeat bottoms more than tops. Barbara Diane on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730735 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 18:09:01 +0000 Barbara Diane 1730735@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, since you are making the rules you can keep to it at 20 days or change your mind. :) Thanks for the analysis. It really is useful. And I'm going to read the Suz's post now. Chris987 on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730561 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:18:41 +0000 Chris987 1730561@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Angie. Thanks Jenn, Suz, Celia, Aida, Kiwigal/Sally, Summer, La Pedestrienne, Harmonica, so glad you enjoyed this. I always have a little bit of self doubt with these types of postings and wonder if anyone really finds them that interesting. Nice to hear that the answer is yes! I know I too enjoy reading them. Jenn you are right and I hadn't realized that the activities of planning and tracking clothes are enjoyable in themselves without spending money. I'm a planner by nature so I agree! Thanks Suz. You (and others who commented) are probably right about tops, they are easier for me than bottoms. Pants, especially jeans, are tough for me and I have to try on at least a dozen to find one that is even a possibility. I've started to do some "marathon" jean try on sessions but I can only do 6 or 8 at a time before I can't stand it any more. Definitely agree on the scarves, I wear them a lot and tend to keep them a long time, even when they are out of style because lots of styles come back. I think you have hit on something about me being a little bit preppy. I never think of myself that way because that term conjures up "The Official Preppy Handbook" (how many of you remember that book from 1980?) and Talbots combinations of bright pink and kelly green, neither which represent my style preferences today. However, I just did a pinterest search on "preppy fall outfits" and wow I love a LOT of them. I'm going to think of them a "modern preppy" Thanks for the insight! Celia no I haven't come up with formulas yet but I expect to. Aida makes sense. Kiwigal/Sally thanks! Style Fan yes retirement has been a bigger mindset change than I expected, probably in part because the decision was based on the opportunity presenting itself at a good time rather than executing  against a plan with a specific schedule. I also really enjoyed my career so was not one of those who couldn't wait to see it end and had a long list of plans for afterward, although I'm starting to build that list now. La Pedestrienne, I'm not so sure my boho leanings are just in summer, but I generally agree with what you said. Yes summer is definitely lasting a while this year although it's quite cool some mornings.  Waving to you another NE gal who needs a little flannel/LLBean/menswear to feel "normal" :-)  I saw in your profile that you live in northern rural NE so you probably see even more of those styles in everyday life than I do. I bought a vintage LLBean Buffalo Plaid shirt/jacket a few years ago that I hardly every wear (it's a bit much even for me) but it make my DH happy when I do because his mother used to wear one. Harmonica thanks, and glad you like the 30-day hiatus idea. I'm  wondering how I'll feel about it 20 days in...:-) harmonica on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730544 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:59:09 +0000 harmonica 1730544@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Loved reading your step-by-step post! Thanks for sharing. You've done a great job and now have a direction for fall. A 30 day hiatus sound like a good step on the way. It got me thinking of my own SYC/have-fun-with-your-closet strategy and that I want to track it by drawing a simple grid in my planner that I can check off. That way I have a visualization of how long I've been keeping up and also mark the few failures I've done. LaPed on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730535 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:10:09 +0000 LaPed 1730535@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love reading analyses like this, Chris. I've been hanging around YLF for nearly a year, and I'm just starting to track purchases now. So, good for you for getting that ball rolling so quickly! I think Suz's analysis of New England style is pretty spot-on. Pragmatic 3/4 of the year and then cut loose and have a little boho fun for those brief days when it's warm enough (though summer seems to be lasting right through September this year, so maybe our style will have to adapt to a changing climate...). I, too, have a very soft spot for LLBean outdoorsy-prep looks. I tried very hard to reject that style when I was younger, but I'm learning to embrace it. Can't live without my flannel. "Elements of" and "small doses" are key here, just as you've observed with menswear inspired styles (I love those too!).  Thanks for the great read.  Summer on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730528 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:45:24 +0000 Summer 1730528@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is very impressive, Chris.  I enjoyed reading your analysis, and have also enjoyed seeing you build your wardrobe over the past months.  As Suz says, you are a very quick study. I like your plan to look for items that "just call my name" for a while.  I think that will sometimes highlight another style direction to explore. As for too many tops, I think that's understandable.  As others have mentioned, they are relatively easy and inexpensive to buy, and can provide a quick dose of colour and interest to often-worn outfits.  Plus, as you mention, you are getting better at choosing them, so that has to be good. Looking forward to seeing where your musings take you for the coming season. Style Fan on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730510 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 09:30:04 +0000 Style Fan 1730510@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I enjoy reading these posts.  I did my first year review which was an eye opener.  I have not tracked my outfits.  Also I recently retired.  Big change in mindset. I find tops harder to buy.  I am a pear/hourglass.  I stick to the same old ones.  Hmmm.  That post is coming. Great discipline on your part keeping track of all this.  Very impressive. Sal on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730452 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 03:27:09 +0000 Sal 1730452@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting, thanks for sharing!! I also overload on tops - so I can sympathise.  I tend to keep them longer than my bottoms too so if you have plenty that you love they will have good longevity. I admire you for your discipline and also for your open-ness to trying new styles. Aida on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730441 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 02:26:02 +0000 Aida 1730441@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great read, and excellent that you were able to get such good insight out of your purchase reflections. I'm thinking I should do the same! Was also thinking the same as Suz: Likely that tops are just easier for you to fit and therefore easier to buy, kind of like how I am with pants as an IT celia on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730436 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 02:18:42 +0000 celia 1730436@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wonderful post. I always enjoy to read what goes on I side other people's closets and what kind of direction they feel like taking with their style. About tops, I was going to say the same as Suz. Being a pretty pear myself I know the attraction of a beautiful well made top, or any top. There is nothing wrong with it as long as you feel comfortable with the idea and you actually wear the tops. I am curious to know if you pinpointed formula outfits for yourself. Suz on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730376 Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:06:22 +0000 Suz 1730376@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love this post. Thanks for summarizing your journey. Like Jenn, I really enjoy reading this type of post and WOW, are you ever a quick study. You've done really well.  I have been tracking items purchased but I only tracked wears for one fall/ winter. I might do it again for a while. It's enlightening, especially when making a life change.  Re the tops -- I'm just going to guess here, but as a pretty pear, tops are probably easier to buy. They are also an item that goes near your face, so they can give you a lift. And they tend to be less expensive than bottoms. They are therefore more likely to be impulse purchase items, bought to cheer you up, or to give you a change (if you are bored). In one sense, there's nothing wrong with this. The downside of course is that if you don't wear them you feel guilty. Meanwhile, if you do wear them often, you may tired of them faster (and hence need more). I am not entirely sure there's a perfect answer. One solution I've discovered for the winter months is scarves. As someone whose style also veers modern classic, I tend to get tired of many patterns quickly. Scarves allow me to wear a solid top (that acts as a blank canvas) while changing up the "party." Scarves are also practical in our cold winters.  I'd say your style sounds modern classic with a preppy wing. Perfect (and perfectly sensible) for where you live. I'll bet the boho comes out more in summer and the prep in fall/ winter -- again, I think that is hugely typical of New Englanders' style in general. (Mr. Suz is from New England and he is a prep through and through.)  Jenn on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730366 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 23:42:29 +0000 Jenn 1730366@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ These are my favorite posts to read, even if it sometimes seems like there aren't any real pertinent comments to make. You've done the work and the analysis and it will hopefully pay off in the future. This especially spoke to me: "A longer tem goal is to make every new purchase count..." I started tracking last fall, also feeling like I needed a bit of a wardrobe overhaul. I bought a lot that season and made several mistakes, but I have a much better understanding of my style and needs now. Another thing I've discovered is that just the act of tracking and planning is enjoyable for me. It's time spent engaging with a hobby without having to spend money on it.  Angie on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730362 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 23:36:06 +0000 Angie 1730362@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have to run, Chris. But I will give your fab insights more attention tomorrow. You have done SO WELL stepping outside of your box to try something new - and reaped the reward. I am proud of you.  Chris987 on "2016 YTD Purchase assessment (long)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2016-ytd-purchase-assessment-long#post-1730323 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 21:54:04 +0000 Chris987 1730323@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was very inspired by all the recent wardrobe assessments and decided to do one of my own. This is a purchase assessment for spring/summer items bought in Jan - Sept of 2016. I found YLF in April.  I tracked purchases all year and tracked daily wears staring June 1. Both were tremendously enlightening and I continue to do them.  I’m going through a pretty big life change (retirement) that requires moving to a much more casual wardrobe, so I had good reason for shopping, and also I needed to refresh my spring/summer wardrobe after a big purge last year. In spite of all that, I bought too much stuff, some of it not so great style or quality. Living in a true four-season climate and spending time outdoors in all seasons means I need a lot of variety in my wardrobe, but I don't want it to be huge and would rather have it better curated. I saw real progress in how I made my choices as the months went by but I'm not quite where I want to be. Here is how my purchases broke down: 8% outright mistakes; things I bought but did not want to wear or did not fit right and were not returnable. The good news is that these were almost all early in the year and thrifted, so the $$ amount was not very high. In order of budget %: 22% (30) tops. A few of these turned into mistakes once I wore them a few times, but as the year progressed I got better at making choices. I did not need this many new ones, and am not quite sure why I kept buying more. I get that in the heat of summer I need more to avoid laundry bottlenecks but that’s not the whole story here. 21% (9) shoes. Quite good. I got a nice pair of cognac booties, some beautiful black ankle strap heels, 2 pairs of metallic sandals (all firsts for me), plus some very casual sneakers (another first) and sandals, and one pair of very classic not so modern loafers. I learned a lot about shoe colors and what outfits they work with. I’ve broken out of my black-only shoe mode and am comfortably wearing lighter neutrals and am looking forward to some new fall items, although black footwear will always be a staple for me. 14% (10) jeans/pants. Overall pretty good. Included were the first pair of skinny jeans I’ve owned that I wore not tucked into boots, and 2 pairs of cropped casual pants, another first. Most of what I got was in a slimmer silhouette than in the past which I’m really liking. I haven’t figured out what I like best for the heat of summer. I tried cropped cargos and immediately demoted them to gardening and housecleaning, and am thinking I’ll stick with bermudas next year.     8% on new undies. I got a small selection of new ones at NAS that are nicer than any I’ve ever owned and I’m really liking them. I’m gradually phasing out some of the older stuff as it wears out. I’m also liking the “refresh once a year” idea. 6% (3) Toppers. I got a lovely tweed jacket (a top pic), a cropped light denim jacket, and a white denim jacket that I’ve worn a lot but is not so great quality and I’ll probably replace with a shorter one next year. 4% (5) dresses. This is kind of a toss-up. I’ve never been much of a dress wearer but I would like to wear them more. The reality is that I don’t need many for my lifestyle. I got one print sheath that I’ve worn quite a few times. Also a denim shirt dress with a fussy fit, a striped dress, and a print casual dress, each of which I’ve worn once or twice, and a solid knit I’ve not worn at all. I’ll see how this goes moving forward…a few of them can easily be worn into fall. They were all pretty inexpensive and random finds. 7% (4) Bags. Two of these are very good  (including my first-ever clutch) and the other two are ok. I did not find any that I loved enough to consider a wardrobe pet.  I’ve got a good sized collection already and I’ve decided to keep using them until I really know what else I want. 7% (9) Accessories, About half of this went to a new gold chain that is adjustable and gives me a second gold chain so I can wear multiple charms from my Grandmother’s very chunky gold charm bracelet as pendants. Also some sunglass and a couple of scarves, something I wear a LOT in cooler months and love. 4% (9) loungewear and workout clothes. I have a tough time spending money on these categories and typically just buy enough to avoid laundry bottlenecks and stick with sales and discount stores. I have been working out more so needed more items. I want to get nicer items in the future but it's less of a priority for me. . Conclusions Looking at the overall patterns, it seems the fewer I bought in a given category, the better I did. I "think" I have gotten more comfortable about spending more on individual items to get higher quality, but I need to go re-read Suz's forum thread "Breaking out of the budget mindset" again. I’m pretty good in most categories except tops. I’m getting good at shoes but it takes SO many orders and returns ...but that's just the nature of the beast.  What is my style? I’d say modern classic is my primary style, and I have a much better idea now of what that is. I also like a little boho and I’d like to play with sporty luxe a bit more. I wanted to move away from menswear but I keep being drawn to it so I guess I like it, just in smaller doses. And, I will always like (in small doses) the moniker I refer to as “LLBean-ish” which is true sporty/outdoorsy/athletic. Going forward, I do not need to buy as much because my fall/winter wardrobe is in better shape overall. Shoes, some more modern jeans, and a new bag are my priorities but I really don’t “need” anything. I also realized that when I buy too much in a certain category (like tops) it leads to too large a collection and not feeling like I “deserve” to buy new and fresher items every season. It’s like the pipeline is too full. Next Step I’m going to take a 30-day hiatus from shopping and buying, although I may still browse on line and will definitely keep up with YLF finds. I’ve been working for months to push my style into new directions, but today when I was shopping I decided to take a break from that mindset and just look for things that “called my name”. During my 30 day hiatus I’ll review the items I bough and still have plenty of time to return. It will be interesting to review where I have landed. I will review some recent shoe purchases including a few that haven’t arrived yet, do part 2 of the closet edit I stared over a month ago, make  wardrobe capsule(s), and otherwise shop my closet. Oh yeah, and do some other stuff not related to clothing that I've been neglecting :-)   A longer tem goal is to make every new purchase count, more statement pieces and fewer plain basics unless I specifically want them to fill wardrobe holes.  I'm not sure what to do about the excess buying of tops. Maybe if I start thinking of them as belonging in outfits rather than standing alone that will help. I know we've discussed this one a lot on the forum, as I recall lots of people share this issue. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your comments, as always.