https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 03 May 2026 15:24:50 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395724 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 01:50:28 +0000 Lisa 1395724@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Joy-Thanks!&nbsp; I was initially surprised I liked softer colors better.&nbsp; And then I took a look around my home and realized it's all soft colors!&nbsp; Why didn't I realize that was more flattering earlier?&nbsp; And as I've slowly added more softer colors, I've grown happier with my wardrobe.&nbsp; </p> <p>Alasse-Thanks! (and double thanks for following my blog too!)&nbsp; Two of three mini capsules is a great way to starve off boredom.&nbsp; I have outfits built around straight leg jeans and bootcut jeans, I consider these my mini capsules.</p> <p>Alexandra-Thanks!&nbsp; I am surprised it's been a year.&nbsp; And I have learned a great deal but the best part is my smaller wardrobe makes me much happier.</p> <p>Suz-Thanks!&nbsp; I have learned a great deal of my preferences and habits and I am hoping it will help me be smarter in the future.&nbsp; When I did the French Capsule Challenges I realized that all the black and bold colors (the first challenge wardrobe w<a href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/more-on-french-wardrobes/" rel="nofollow">as black, white, cobalt and kelly green</a>) I was sporting were fun to look at but not flattering on me.&nbsp; For the <a href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/french-in-the-fall/" rel="nofollow">fall challenge</a> I incorporated browns as enjoyed that capsule more than the summer one.</p> <p>Caro in Oz-Thanks!&nbsp; Tracking has become a daily essential for me.&nbsp; It really helps me stay accountable and remind myself what my wardrobe goals are and how little of my wardrobe I use.</p> <p>Shedev-Thanks!&nbsp; I am happy to hear that the recap is helpful!</p> <p>Sara L-Thanks!&nbsp; I find that gear clothing is just as easy for me to overshop for at my daily clothes, by keeping it in the challenge, I am able to keep myself more accountable.&nbsp; In truth though, not all of my wardrobe was in the challenge.&nbsp; I still have my business capsule, formal wear capsule and loungewear capsules.&nbsp; But these are so small they have not been the problem and did not require shrinking their numbers.</p> <p>Thistle-Thanks!&nbsp; I am hoping that I will make much smarter purchasing decisions in the future as a result of doing this challenge.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395649 Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:04:52 +0000 Thistle 1395649@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, super impressed with your dedication to this challenge and the analysis you gave it. The investment in time and energy will continue to serve you so well! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395644 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:56:11 +0000 Sara L. 1395644@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for posting! &nbsp;I remember when you started the challenge and it's nice to get the final recap. &nbsp;I'm surprised you include gear in your wardrobe because that's one capsule that many people separate out from their normal wardrobe. &nbsp;I know I don't consider gear such as my running clothes to be part of my regular wardrobe. &nbsp;Thanks again for the update. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395544 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:41:42 +0000 shedev 1395544@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for posting this, Lisa. You've done an amazing job pairing down to your essentials. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395520 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:53:53 +0000 Caro in Oz 1395520@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for the recap Like you I find I "need" less than I previously thought.&nbsp;Tracking wears (&amp; likes) makes such a difference to our wardrobes doesn't it? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395470 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:53:20 +0000 Suz 1395470@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lisa, you now have an incredibly lean wardrobe! And it sounds as if you have learned a great deal about your preferences and buying habits. I am impressed!&nbsp;</p> <p>Very interested to hear that you prefer softer colours. What happened to bring you to this recognition? I do think that softer mid-tones are more flattering on the whole for your colouring. And perhaps you tire of them less, also?&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395330 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:35:43 +0000 Alexandra 1395330@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, has it really been a year now? Thank you for posting this recap. I really like your insights re: sales and poor planning. Funny how your wardrobe ended up much smaller than you'd have guessed, no? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395316 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:02:45 +0000 Alassë 1395316@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been following your blog for the updates, but thanks for posting here too. Like Joy, I've found mini-seasonal capsules an excellent way to stave off boredom; I can wear 2 or 3 in a dominant season and never feel bored. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395282 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:17:19 +0000 Anonymous 1395282@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lisa, your observations along with your challenge have been fun to follow and inspiring to many of us. I suspect that, if I did this challenge, I would also find that I need far less and would want softness in color.<br /> I have started inventorying what I am wearing and sticking to mini capsules for about 6 -8 weeks at a time to see what I'm drawn to most. I want to wear fewer things more so that there is more turn over to add new updating pieces each season. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-52-12-months#post-1395275 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:03:46 +0000 Lisa 1395275@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi,<br />I didn't want to keep hogging up the forum with my updates for the DH Closet Challenge so I've been updating <a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/">on my blog</a>. &nbsp;I've had a few comments on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-79">my last WIW</a> asking how the challenge was going and I am happy to comply, so here is recap of my latest musings. <p>To read more about the challenge, including the rules,&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/closet-challenge-from-dh-rules">click here</a>.</p> <p>For a recap of week 36, which was my last update on the forum, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/dh-closet-challenge-recap-week-36-9-months">click here.</a></p> <p><b>Reflections for week 52</b></p> <p>For my favorite top ten observations&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/one-year-dh-closet-challenge-summary-week-52/">check out this post.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;And I'll add/summarize a few below too.</p> <p><b>The boutique is down to a bakers dozen</b></p> <p>After a year of doing this challenge, I find myself with only 13 items left in the boutique. &nbsp;Despite my best attempts to clear out all my unworn clothing over the past year I still cling to these handful of items.&nbsp;(I analyze each item<a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/the-boutiques-bakers-dozen-week-51/">&nbsp;here</a>) &nbsp;The bottom line is, my souvenir items, which are impulse purchases, often do not fit into my current wardrobe goals, style or lifestyle. &nbsp;I often overpurchase items for weekend use, and I only have two days to sport those pieces, which isn't much time. &nbsp;I also tend to 'stock up' on pieces, only to find out that it takes much longer for something to wear out than I think it will.</p> <p><b>My wardrobe size is much, much smaller than I ever suspected</b></p> <p>With a current working wardrobe total of 111 items (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/planning-before-shopping/">58 for fall/winter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/analyzing-springsummer-week-43/">53 for spring/summer</a>) and 13 items sitting in the boutique unworn, I have 11.7% of my wardrobe sitting ‘on hold.’ &nbsp;In the next 6 months I would like to close the boutique and either purge or have added into my working wardrobe, these final 13 items. &nbsp;Before starting this challenge I would have&nbsp;arbitrarily&nbsp;calculated that I&nbsp;required X items in my wardrobe. &nbsp;How? &nbsp;4 seasons. &nbsp;14 outfits per season (so that I could repeat items every two weeks) 3 items per outfit. &nbsp;That's 168 pieces! &nbsp;This number is much higher than what I really have because I don't mind repeating pieces both across seasons (why do I need 14 bottoms for one season?) and repeating pieces within a week (6 bottoms for two seasons seems to work just fine).</p> <p><b>Sales and poor planning = poor purchases</b></p> <p>I've done so many mini purges in the past year and I find myself with the same take-aways every time I analyze why something is leaving my wardrobe. &nbsp;When I don't really think hard about how the potential item is going to fit into my wardrobe, it ends up sitting unworn, gets me frustrated because I cannot remix the piece into my wardrobe easily and ultimately ends up donated.</p> <p><b>Wardrobe challenges help me understand my wardrobe</b></p> <p><span>I adore a good challenge and I've completed two mini challenges throughout the past year, I've called them The French Capsule challenge (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/fall-french-capsule-challenge-wrap-up/">fall recap here</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://shoppingbrake.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/french-capsule-challenge-wrap-up/">summer recap here</a>). &nbsp;Working with a smaller collection of my wardrobe has given me the time to really analyze what I like, what I do not like, and what changes I need to make so that I am happy with my wardrobe. &nbsp;These challenges have made me realize that I enjoy a wardrobe with softer colors than what I currently own and I prefer when my pieces can remix easily. &nbsp;As I purchase new pieces I try to keep in mind these preferences and pay attention to if the item meets these criteria before I purchase something.</span></p> <p><b>So where do I go from here?</b></p> <p>Well I do have something up my sleeve, I plan to finish up the DH Closet challenge very soon, put the boutique out of business and start a new wardrobe challenge. :)</p> <p>And no wardrobe recap is complete without an inventory.&nbsp;</p> <p>At week 52, I have 58 items in my fall/winter wardrobe.</p> <ul> <li>6 bottoms (jeans and trousers)</li> <li>13 toppers (this includes: pullover sweaters, blazers and cardigans)</li> <li>8 knits (used for layering)</li> <li>4 gear items (2 toppers [fleece, hoodie], 1 layering knit [turtleneck] and 1 bottom [jean])</li> <li>1 shirt (for layering)</li> <li>5 LS T’s (for layering)</li> <li>4 tanks (for layering)</li> <li>6 thermal layers&nbsp;</li> <li>5 scarves&nbsp;</li> <li>4 workout items (2 tops and 2 bottoms)</li> <li>2 Short Sleeve Tops/Knits&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Thanks for reading!</p> <p> </p>