YouLookFab Forum » Topic: By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:35:01 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php cheryl on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1115769 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 23:39:39 +0000 cheryl 1115769@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Such a fantastic thread. I love these type of posts. I have a spreadsheet but have never analyzed my purchases this way. Very fun and thought provoking.  Alassë on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1115610 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:43:27 +0000 Alassë 1115610@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Okay, here's mine. <div> 2013 by Category 21% Shoes 7% Belts 3% Jewelry 11% Summer Tops 7% Fall Tops 1% Sweaters 11% Skirts  3% Toppers 7% Dresses 12% Underthings (also includes pjs & gear) 15% Lingerie (nicer things) 1% Other (sewing notions for alterations)  2012 by Category 5% Coats 8% Belts 7% Summer Tops 6% Fall Tops 4% Sweaters 17% Skirts 10% Trousers 10% Toppers 7% Dresses 13% Underthings 2011 by Category 7% Coats 2% Summer Tops 8% Fall Tops 5% Sweaters 20% Skirts 10% Trousers 8% Toppers 37% Underthings 3% Lingerie  </div> Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1115536 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 16:49:18 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1115536@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh, believe me, that consultation is not going to happen until late in the year next year! I have other things I have to budget for first.  *sigh*  I am curious to see/compare the percentages between the gals who are refreshing/filling a few wardrobe holes, and the gals who are shopping more extensively to build/rebuild an entire closet. anne on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1115250 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 04:12:23 +0000 anne 1115250@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting!!  Now I want to work out my own figures!  Must get back to work though. Alassë on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1115061 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 22:47:45 +0000 Alassë 1115061@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ooh, excited for you LaBelle on that consultation! Lucky you! Ahem. Back to thread. I never thought of analyzing by clothing type before; I'll have to try that. Enjoyable reading, everyone! Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1114862 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 18:08:03 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1114862@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I really love reading these analyses!   Keep them coming!   Again, it is very clarifying and inspiring for me, in my own planning. I recently sat down and started going through the old <a rel="nofollow" href="http://colourmuse.blogspot.be/">Colour Muse blog</a> (her new site is <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.styleisalanguage.com/blog">here</a>, but doesn't have a handy archives tab like the old one), and I started a worksheet of sorts for myself, which includes a "before you buy" checklist.   And I have started going through my clothing, one item at a time, with the same list.   I will post my list sometime soon :) I feel I am on the right track for my style goals, and I have gotten a good handle on my shopping.  I think my BIG expenditures for 2014 will be for a signature fragrance (I have several perfumes that I adore, but none that really haunt me.   I want something that I am obsessed with), plus some more Marlies Dekkers bras, and a color consultation with Lisa PIppus. Lisa on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1114796 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 16:19:43 +0000 Lisa 1114796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A great analysis.  I also keep track of my wardrobe spending and average out what I spent per month once I know the years totals.  So far my total is a lot higher than I'd like so I plan to cut that down by half or more next year.  I have more than enough clothes and really should stop shopping so much.  I haven't thought about factoring it against my income or by category percents, two great ideas! Mo on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1114781 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 15:57:25 +0000 Mo 1114781@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Jayne, I was at 60% of last year's amount of items as well.  High five!   I'm hoping to continue to cut next year to another 60%.   As for when I buy more, it's always upon arrival in FL, no matter the season.  It's both the extra time and extra income together at once that makes for more shopping. Anonymous on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1114709 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 12:51:16 +0000 Anonymous 1114709@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love these types of analyses.  My clothing expenses for 2013 cover clothing, tailoring, and dry cleaning.  My major spending categories were lingerie (needed a refresh), casual, and work.  Although I made the commitment to develop casual capsules and spend less on work clothes, I still spent 1/3 of my budget on work clothes.  My goal for 2014 is to continue to develop casual capsules and purchase less work clothes (although the budget may not change because I hope to purchase less, but much higher quality).   Of course, I made some mistakes.  I bought multiple pairs of boyfriend jeans and hated every single one of them.  I ended up giving them to the Good Will since I wore and then washed them several times trying to make them work.  They don't work.  I don't feel fab in them.   I also kept searching for blazers this year, but the ones I bought seemed all wrong proportion-wise.  They seemed boxy to me.  I ended up buying them because I felt I "needed" them for a meeting to give me confidence, but found I didn't feel fab in them.  They remain in my wardrobe, but are slated to for the Good Will during the next purge.   Despite my mistakes, I am quite pleased with my 2013 purchases.  I bought things I really liked and wore them quite a bit.  I overcame some buying problems (e.g., always buying bottoms for work; never buying tops or toppers for work; never buying casual cloths; never buying sport or lingerie).  Venturing into casual clothes is a major accomplishment for me.   jayne on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1114673 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 09:30:03 +0000 jayne 1114673@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Dang, good stuff.  I just had to open excel and check out my numbers.. - bought an avergage of 8.5 items per month (which is 60% of the 2012 numbers) -$80 average cost per item - I still experimented with a few new styles and colors (dang colors draw me in) and felt I wasted 2% of the budget there.  But last year those experiments turned into replacement items (better quality versions) when I confirmed I liked the style in the cheaper version.  This year, that did not work so well. Do I need to experiment less? Approx. spending breakdown by item type: 20% toppers & coats 31% tops & sweaters 15% pants & skirts 4% dresses 6% footwear 14% accessories 6% undergarments & gear I discovered cashmere this year....obvious in the sweaters huh?! and I invested (eh em) in a wool coat I am glad to see shoe purchases are down, since I have way too many.  I so want some snake booties though. I may have to focus on revamping the shoe situation, but less impulse (2012 I am afraid) and more planned. I am very happy with the bottoms situation now. That should be less next year. Hmmm, thinking ahead I already plan to do a dresses focused summer next year to try and find a style there.  This was 6% of my salary.  In total, I expect the budget to remain the same, but to purchase less items.  I think my core is now in a really good place Thanks for inspiring this type of analysis, It was interesting. By the way, the peaks in my spending are always when I travel on a week long trip.  Obviously time and opportunity to get something unique effect me.  I am going to try and contol that better.  Those represent alot of my rejects later.  Susie on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111931 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:43:08 +0000 Susie 1111931@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love this :) I have kept track of all of my purchases for 2013...and it's A LOT. A really big number. I definitely plan to purchase way less next year. Unfortunately I still made some purchasing mistakes, especially in the early part of the year. But I did try to analyze why and to use that knowledge to avoid repeating those mistakes. I am doing much better with making better choices. I like the way you have broken it down by categories. I think I will try that, at least for number of pieces. I didn't keep track of all of the purchase prices. I am going to make sure to add that from now on. Anonymous on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111927 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:35:09 +0000 Anonymous 1111927@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting, but numbers make my head hurt. I have a pretty good idea of what gets worn a lot and what doesn't. That's always my criteria. I don't want anything hanging in my closet or stored in a drawer that doesn't get used. Alassë on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111920 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:21:51 +0000 Alassë 1111920@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting reading.... Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111872 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 14:32:49 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1111872@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Let me echo the others:   this is fascinating!   I am going to do this, starting this month.   I am curious to see what I will find - because I have a feeling my 'type-of-clothing' purchases are not what I think.    Your breakdown looks pretty good, allowing for all categories of wear.   Has it worked for you?   Or did you find that you overshopped one category, and have holes to fill in others?   Will you stick to these percentages in 2014? MRL on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111317 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:27:24 +0000 MRL 1111317@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Kate this is fascinating. in that you broke down your spending by type of clothing. That would never have occurred to me. I might do this in 2014. E on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111258 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 22:42:25 +0000 E 1111258@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ How interesting! Thnx for posting. :) I didn't track what I've bought this year (except shoes as I had a bit of a shoe wardrobe overhaul due to health issues), but as I thrift to maximise my small budget I'm sure it's quite a few individual items. Next year I think I'm going to devote my clothing budget to yarn & fabric instead & only bring in new items that I've made myself, which will dramatically decrease my wardrobe's expansion! carter on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111196 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:46:39 +0000 carter 1111196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great analysis. I so wish I had done this for 2013. I almost completely revamped my wardrobe this year, and dropped 2 sizes while doing this. I'm happy to be back to my regular size, but I sure wish it had come off before I gave up and started shopping for the body I had! That will certainly cut into my percentage of "super winners" for the long haul, but I do think that for each given size, I did very well in purchasing mostly super winners. Several of the items I bought in the beginning were so loved that I have duplicated in the new smaller size...not sure whether that's a sign that I'm buying the right things or a sign of insanity;-). My goal for 2014 is 100% super winners, and I want the vast majority of these to be items in the "I'll love forever" subcategory (new boots, leather coat, replace LBD, etc). I have enough clothes that are 8 or above on the happiness scale, that I just don't need anything else that isn't absolutely perfect. I need to tattoo this on my forehead. deb on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111069 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:19:01 +0000 deb 1111069@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fun numbers. what do you plan on changing in the item breakdown considering the spending decrease? Mo on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111067 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:18:46 +0000 Mo 1111067@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great roundup!  I do not have % but do have number of items bought and $ amounts.  I'm going to finish with 33 items it looks like and just around $1200. The $ amount covers everything - alterations, return costs, bras, socks, lounge, sleep - but the number amount only includes 'regular' clothing and accessories. Since I bought 57 items last year at about $1750 layout, this is a good decrease.  I would like to lower next year's amount to 18 to 24 items, keeping the same budget as this year, around $1200.   EDIT: a pic of my numbers  mamaKate on "By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/by-the-numbers-my-2013-fashion-report#post-1111060 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:12:55 +0000 mamaKate 1111060@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hardly ever post anymore, but here's one for all of you who enjoy seeing 'the numbers.'  (After a few years of going a little bonkers with my spending, I've started holding myself more accountable and keeping a tally.) 'My team ran the analytics' for 2013 and these are the 'top-level findings.' -I spent 10% of gross personal income (I was in a change-of-lifestyle phase) -$130 average cost per item  -27% of items were second-hand (representing 12% of the budget) -65% of budget spent at 2 retailers (I am loyal to my favorites) -35% of items are 'super winners,' either worn often or will love forever Bottom Line: set next year's budget at 40% of this year's, and be more selective. Approx. spending breakdown by item type: 20% toppers & coats 15% tops & sweaters 15% pants & skirts 20% dresses 15% footwear 10% accessories 5% undergarments & swim