https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:51:55 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1220303 Fri, 11 Apr 2014 02:45:34 +0000 Suz 1220303@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gigi, it sounds as if you've put a lot of thought and work into this! I'm always so impressed and amazed at the time and effort involved in being stylish. I never, ever knew this before YLF. I was so happy to learn I was not the only person who needed to dream, analyze, make notes -- in order to develop a style.&nbsp;</p> <p>I use a mish mash of many ideas here. Sometimes I jot stuff down in my notebook (paper one -- just my regular journal/ writer's notebook, but at the back -- I reserve a pile of pages for this.) But increasingly, I'll make a note on the notes feature of my computer. I like this because I can access it anywhere. I haven't really tried using Evernote, but it seems to have much stronger capabilities and you can put photos in there, too. Ingunn is a master at this and has written some threads about how she uses it.&nbsp;</p> <p>Other people use apps. I downloaded a few but can't figure them out! (Probably because I've invested no time or effort int it, LOL.)&nbsp;</p> <p>I also use Pinterest (sort of..I keep an infrequently updated board of my own outfits) and YLF archives (if I want to see an old outfit). And my photos program.&nbsp;</p> <p>In other words, stuff is all over the place and I have no idea where it is. But it's still helpful to be jotting it down or taking the pictures!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1220234 Fri, 11 Apr 2014 01:38:14 +0000 Gigi 1220234@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, there are some great ideas here! I hadn't thought about it, but a notebook very similar to my paper one could be done electronically, as some of you are doing via Word or other applications. But like Janet and Viva, sometimes I like the old-fashioned pen and paper. For me, it's easier, because as soon as I run across something, I can just grab the notebook and jot it down.</p> <p>Celia, you could just add tabs to your notebook if you wanted to be able to find things more easily. That's how my notebook started, just kind of a random jumble, with some blank pages that I threw in for extra stuff to add at the end of a section. I finally realized that instead of driving myself crazy trying to find where a wrote such-and-such a makeup tip, I could just put a colored flag on the page with "Makeup" written on it and find it at a glance.</p> <p>Viva, I had thought about doing a scrapbook-type notebook, like you, but I got overwhelmed with all the catalogs in the mail and canceled them all! Although it doesn't seem to have made much difference yet...still getting loads of junk mail.</p> <p>E, my notebook has saved me many times when I have the urge to shop. I can play in my closet, or else I go online searching for style information (not shopping, just information, like Angie's articles), which I can add to the notebook. That kills quite a bit of time, until the shopping bug has left me. :^)</p> <p>Thanks, all,&nbsp;for sharing your ideas!</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219501 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:35:02 +0000 E 1219501@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow! I don't have anything like this, but it sounds like a fun project to work on when I'm feeling an urge to shop. Play in my wardrobe instead! ;)</p> <p>I wish I was taking pics of my outfit every day, but I can't seem to find the right routine/set up. If only my room was bright enough to just use my iphone vs having to set up my camera. Rationally, it only takes a couple minutes to set it up &amp; a couple more to take the photos, but I often find myself switching to pjs for bed without ever taking the pics. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219500 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:33:39 +0000 shedev 1219500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I keep mine in notebook form. It is a listing of clothes by category where I track wears, list of things bought per month, and wish list. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219499 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:32:32 +0000 celia 1219499@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a notebook , a paper notebook where I write items I want to shop, outfits I want to try, Angie's recommendations and ensembles, colour combinations and comments about this and that.&nbsp;<br />But I also use the same notebook for work, projects and random stuff.<br />Highly disorganized.<br />My saving grace is that I have a very small hand writing and everything fits there </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219476 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:11:21 +0000 Ornella 1219476@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is impressive. I might give some of&nbsp;it a go. Thanks for the idea. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219458 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:01:44 +0000 NDMom 1219458@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gigi....you are so organized! What an inspiration!</p> <p>Neel....love your strategies to use Pinterest!</p> <p>Susie....I have Evernote, too, but need to really learn how to use it effectively!</p> <p>Carter....that's what I use too....a large, artist book (blank pages w/black cover) to keep all my ideas in... My precursor to Pinterest. I love it for the same reason you do....so soothing for a creative, hands-on hobby in this electronic world.</p> <p>Janet....that is so sweet about your mom....very touching! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219450 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:53:24 +0000 Janet 1219450@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, the organization and list geek in me LOVES this. Thank you for sharing. Such great ideas, and I still love writing on paper. Even though I use my iPhone and iPad for almost everything, there are some things I just like using a notebook for. My mom used to buy me little stocking-stuffer gifts of small notebooks with fun covers -- they've gotten used up and now that she's been gone for five years, the supply has run low. I might have to treat myself in her memory. </p> <p>I started noting my outfits in a little notebook in my nightstand a year or so ago, but I forgot and slacked off on it. I recently ran across it and was surprised to see that I'd forgotten some of the combinations I wore. This kind of makes me want to start again! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219443 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:46:45 +0000 Alassë 1219443@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do, spread across a dozen Word documents: CPW, musings, possible items, outfits, articles by Angie (by far the biggest!), purge evaluations, etc. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219352 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:22:13 +0000 viva 1219352@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, I am so impressed by those of you who track items and outfits!&nbsp; </p> <p>I have two notebooks, actual notebooks. </p> <p>One is a big art journal that I use to actually paste images from magazines of things I like. It has a few sections -- hair, tomboy style, color and pattern -- and I journal and annotate around the images. It's really just an idea book more than anything. It's a really soothing thing to work on during a rainy weekend.</p> <p>The other is a small journal where I track purchases, thoughts about my style evolution, and also make lists about items I am interested in buying. It's turned out to be very useful, because I have found that sometimes just writing down 2 or 3 things I would like to add to my wardrobe is enough ... I come back a few days later and rethink them and then just cross them off.</p> <p>It's interesting you mention Evernote, Susie, because a friend of mine just talked to me about it. I had used it a while ago and may go back to it for organizing some info. But I have to admit that I spend so much time on computers that I really enjoy the analog nature of my fashion note books right now!&nbsp; </p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219324 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:42:09 +0000 carolbee 1219324@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm impressed with your amount of organisation. I have started something on a smaller scale, tracking what I bought, where from, how much. I've also started to note what items have left and why. I also jot down some travel capsule ideas,but not sure how useful this is. I started one months ago for our upcoming trip in June and have amended it at least 4 times as I buy new things! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219312 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 08:33:20 +0000 EveningMood 1219312@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow that's organized, Gigi!&nbsp;I tried to do something a little less ambitious a few years ago but I just lacked the energy. I also got the app Stylebook and never learned how to work it :)&nbsp;What I do now is take notes and do little drawings of my&nbsp;outfits on my planner if I want to record something. And I have an eye look notebook, where I sketch looks I liked and products I used so I can recreate them - otherwise I forget everything! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219306 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 08:04:38 +0000 rachylou 1219306@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I keep notes with Yahoo's Notepad. Primitive, but easy. It's more for ideas than what I have... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219301 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 06:50:39 +0000 Neel 1219301@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow! That's extensive!! And excellent job!! That's lot of hard work!</p> <p>I do something similar in pinterest. I upload my wiws from here that have received the 'yay' feedback into a secret board. That way it remains invisible to others but I could still see my outfits and recreate them whenever I wanted to.</p> <p>I also maintain a secret wish list board identified by holes in my wardrobe and the stores that I could find them in. And I have a public style inspiration board. I only pin outfits that I could possibly recreate with items in my own closet.</p> <p>It helps me a lot! Especially when I am stumped on what to wear! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219210 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 03:24:20 +0000 Susie 1219210@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I keep a notebook in Evernote called Wardrobe. I have a separate note for each week of WIW; I have about a year's worth of those. (I moved all of 2013 into a separate notebook.)</p> <p> I have notes listing everything in my closet, with a separate note for each category (pants, sweaters, skirts, etc.) </p> <p>I have a whole bunch of notes with links to websites, articles, tips, etc.</p> <p>There is a To Do note with a list of things to buy or alterations needed. </p> <p>I have a note for style musings- what I like, what I don't like, things I might want to try, outfit ideas. </p> <p> have lists of purchases; I started this last year so one for 2013 and one for this year. I have 3 categories- clothing, shoes and bags and other, like accessories. I start the entry with a category like TOP or JEANS, then the item, price, where purchased and the month.</p> <p>I do have a separate spreadsheet that I use to track the number of times I wear each item. I like using excel for that because I like the formulas for counting, totals, percentages etc. :)</p> <p>ETA: it's very easy to find things in Evernote using a search with a word or too. Plus I can access it from my office computer, phone and iPad. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219199 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 03:09:00 +0000 Jewell 1219199@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do keep a composition notebook style&nbsp;fashion journal, but it's not at all organized. It's a hodgepodge of things: fashion-related quotes, an itemized list of wardrobe items, a list of needs &amp; wants, seasonal shopping lists, notes from Angie's blog posts, capsule planning pages, and notes about keep/returns. I like how you have yours organized and I think I'll try something similar. This would be a good summer project as I tend to have lots of time on my hands during the summer months. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fashion-notebooks-long#post-1219187 Thu, 10 Apr 2014 02:51:04 +0000 Gigi 1219187@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been keeping a fashion notebook and thought I would share what I do with this notebook in case it helps anyone else.</p> <p>I use just a regular college-ruled notebook, and I've divided it up into sections. The sections are Outfit Log (yes, I keep mine on paper because I'm too lazy to create an Excel spreadsheet), Styling, Makeup Tips, Hairstyle Tips, Color Combos, Journal,&nbsp;Shopping, and To Buy. I just guesstimate how many pages I will need for each section, and I mark the first page of each section with a self-adhesive flag that sticks outside of the margin, and I write the name of the section on the flag. So it's kind of like the tabs to a large dictionary, where you can see the letters on the thumb tabs—except these stick out.</p> <p>On my Outfit Log, I divide it up into five columns: Date, Top(s), Bottom, Shoes, and Other.&nbsp;These are self-explanatory. I usually put tights and scarves in the Other column.&nbsp;If I have a day when I really loved my outfit, I put a big smiley face in the margin so that I can see my favorite outfits at a glance. And if I find that my outfit would greatly benefit from something I do not yet have, I write "Wardrobe Hole" in the "Other" column, write what I am missing ("solid scarf to go with BR skirt"), and circle it. That way I can see all my wardrobe holes at a glance and see what is most pressing.</p> <p>In my Styling section, I also have the same columns: Top, Bottom, Shoes, and Other. When I play in my closet, I write the item I am styling in the appropriate column and then add everything that I've found goes with it in the other columns. This has proven to be invaluable when I decide I want to wear skirt X and can't remember what tops I found go best with it.</p> <p>Makeup Tips and Hairstyle Tips are just random lists of things that I read that I want to keep track of so as to try in the future.</p> <p>Color Combos is just a list of color combos that I love or that I see in someone else's outfit and want to try.</p> <p>My Journal section is where I keep track of practical things that I discover about my dressing needs for my body. For instance, I have problems tucking shirts because I am very short-waisted, which makes the proportions look off. But I discovered that I can tuck if I have low-rise pants and a form-fitting shirt that will show my waistline through the shirt. I keep that info here. To organize it for easy retrieval, I keep the info in two columns. The first column is very small (an inch wide, maybe) and contains the topic ("Tucking," "Proportions," "Shoes," etc.). I sometimes write more than one topic in this column if more than one main topic seems to apply. And then I write the info in the space to the right, which is the second column.</p> <p>My Shopping section is just a list of my favorite stores. Sometimes I will be looking for a particular item of clothing and stumble upon a little-known store on the Internet. So I write those stores down in this section. Stores that are near me that I frequently call to have an item put on hold or to see if they have something in the store get their phone number written here too. It's much easier than always jumping online and having to locate the store I want. I also put notes next to the stores if necessary ("petites," "tops too big but bottoms OK," etc.).</p> <p>To Buy is my list of wants. I keep it divided up in various groupings, according to style (boho, relaxed, eclectic, classic, fun, etc.). Whenever I come across a item of clothing that I think I might like to have (e.g., Victorian booties!), I write it down. Then, if I have a little money to spend, I can peruse&nbsp;this "want" list and get something fun.</p> <p>Does anyone else keep a fashion journal? What do you keep in yours?</p> <p> </p>