YouLookFab Forum » Topic: How do you manage your wardrobe?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: How do you manage your wardrobe? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 23 May 2026 11:56:40 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Ingunn on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-755189 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:40:35 +0000 Ingunn 755189@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have to agree with Gaylene, most blazers and jackets are difficult to fit under a coat, and a cardigan is more comfortable. I love my jackets more and more, though, so I might try harder this year! Living in a Winter dominated area makes Summer dressing precious, and I rarely get to use my most summery garments very much unless I travel. That's part of the reason Spring colors are so welcome in my closet every year, like cream, coral, turquoise and blue. I separate typical Summer and Winter wear, but most of my clothes are in my closet year round, because I like to play around with opportunities, and sometimes a Summer cardigan gets wear in the middle of Winter, if I feel like it. I have a few wool garments that I tuck away over Summer, but I always keep a warm cardigan at hand. celia on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-755165 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:24:23 +0000 celia 755165@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thank you for sharing your experiences, I learned some new 'tricks' that I can apply to my existing wardrobe. And I have to confess that is nice to know that I am not the only one that has to ponder how to make my wardrobe work. JulieJohn on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-755041 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:12:33 +0000 JulieJohn 755041@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have been thinking along these lines a lot lately, but from a summer-dominant climate perspective. How to keep my spring-summer-fall wardrobe varied and interesting, though the climate is warm/hot through all those seasons. It's a challenge, but I think you are on to something = seasonal items and colors are the way to make this work. Saving items as a seasonal treat is a great idea, and one I'm going to try! Gaylene on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-755038 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:55:26 +0000 Gaylene 755038@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Four seasons means four capsules for me, each with a distinct color palette but with colors that can overlap for the transitional periods. For example, my fall and winter capsules tend to use black, grey, and jewel tones. My spring capsule uses navy, turquoise, and cream. My summer capsule uses white, cobalt blue, and orange. Each capsule usually contains a jacket, pants, several tops, skirt, and accessories. Jeans and seasonal items like sundresses, shorts, puffers, etc. expand the capsule to make it suitable for the particular season. While I do swap out things between seasons quite regularly and also incorporate other colors that work with my basic colors, I find that color is the big refresher that makes me happy when the seasons start to change. I love getting into my greys, blacks, and jewels tones in the fall but are heartily sick of them by February. Switching into navy and cream really feels like spring and lifts my spirits. I, too, love my jackets, but they are basically fall and spring garments for me. I find most jackets awkward to wear under coats and in the over-heated rooms of winter. In winter, I'm more likely to wear a knitted cardigan that easily fits under a coat but can be removed indoors if I get too warm. Anonymous on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-755029 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:32:14 +0000 Anonymous 755029@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is a great topic. Wait until you throw hot flashes into the mix! I love jackets and wear them as much as possible when it is cool enough and under coats in the winter. I hear you on the seasonal colors. As much as I try to ignore them, certain colors just seem right at various seasons. I'm so ready after New Years to get out of darks and jewel tones too. Makrame on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754823 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:18:20 +0000 Makrame 754823@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is a great topic. I am a few hours away from Toronto (on the US side) so our weather is similar. My problem is adjusting to a wide range of indoor temperatures. For example, my office and building is general can be quite chilly in the winter so I gradually switch to wearing more warm layers (blazers and cardigans with some wool in them or thick sweaters) as fall turns into winter. Right now I am still wearing thin knit blazers and thin shirts; there will be less of that later in the season. But some rooms are kept much warmer even in winter so I have to remember not to dress too warmly if I happen to be spending a few hours "in the warm room", such as some of the teaching labs. I also still have to figure out a solution for winter static, which turns many of my shirts into clingy mess. I also try save some "spring colors" for March and April when I get tired of my cold-weather wardrobe. My approach is different from Lisa's in that I deliberately use seasonal colors to break up the monotony of the long fall-winter-cold spring season (burgundy, brown, and olive in the fall, light blue in the spring, white denim with red and blue in the summer). D'Ellen on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754812 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:05:39 +0000 D'Ellen 754812@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I too live in a 4 season climate, but fall and spring a very short seasons here. Heat and humidity can hang around well after the calender says fall, and it can arrive pretty early in the spring. My "working" closet space is limited so I keep my off season clothes in a separate closet. I do a major switch twice a year, but I hold back some of the more season-specific things to cycle in/out later. I did the semi-annual switch in late September, but left some transitional things in the working closet, and the more wintery things stayed in the off-season closet. As the weather gets cooler, I'll cycle out the transitional items and cycle in the winter items. Of course there are some things that get worn year-round that live permanently in the working closet. This sounds like a lot of work, but it keeps my closet better organized and makes getting dressed much less stressful. I get very overwhelmed if I'm looking at things every day that don't have "wear now" possibilities. Lisa on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754765 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:19:14 +0000 Lisa 754765@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your strategy is similar to mine. I am also a 4 season location and they are pretty evenly split seasons. I do run on team cold though so I am layering most of the time. For fall, I wear either a short or long sleeve (depends on how cold the day is) underneath a blazer or sweatercoat which is my outerlayer. When the weather really drops I layer a LS T or a knit under the blazer or sweatercoat and then throw a puffer coat on the lot. Or I layer a LS T with a heavier jumper/sweater (not in weight, I like cashmere, just heavier as in a warmer outer layer). For spring and summer, I switch back to short sleeves under my layers. I'm always cold in a/c so my hot weather wardrobe is very small, 3 pairs of shorts and 5 short sleeve tops which go well with the shorts or cardigans and lighter weight blazers in the a/c. Also, it doesn't bother me, but I stay away from too much seasonal dressing. I do have and adore my white jeans, but they cannot be worn year round since our seasons are so drastic. So I stick to only a couple of pieces that are season specific. Right now I have: 2 white items (blazer and jeans) and a black knit blazer for spring/summer. I have 1 each cords and a tweed blazer for fall/winter. 3 tall boots which are worn fall/winter and spring. 5 sweaters/jumpers for the winter, and 3 sweatercoats. I also have 3 shorts and 2 pairs of sandals for summer. The rest of my wardrobe is relatively seasonless and can be worn close to year round. This helps me keep my wardrobe small. I also stay away from season specific colors but my favorite colors are not seasonal colors anyway (I have lots of blue, but little to no browns [remind me of fall] or pastels [remind me of spring]). rachylou on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754630 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:58:17 +0000 rachylou 754630@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is very educational for me. I have always wanted to know about managing in true winter. Also educational in terms of the use of blazers. In the Bay Area, where there is no true winter and no true summer, I have found there to be only a handful of days when a blazer over a sweater works. These will be the sort of grey but balmy days that come with a certain kind of rain. They are useless to me as sweater substitutes under the arctic A/C. And when it's cold and dry and windy, I have to put on a puffer. Nothing for it. Elly on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754580 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:08:20 +0000 Elly 754580@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Cecilia-- I guess I was just kinda assuming that cold places in the US and CAN were more culturally similar than CAN and Portugal, for example! I think in that aspect I would consider buying a pair of those nifty trouser magnets (or any small pairs of strong "bar" style magnets) that I could use to quickly shorten my trouser hems, and a nice pair of thick wooly socks in black or something to stick in my purse, maybe some nice house slippers that somewhat resemble real shoes for parties, ect. I know there are several companies that make fleece lined ballet slippers, for example which fold up small, are slippers, but would work with most skirts or pants. Even if I couldn't wear my jackets indoors because of heat I would still consider buying my coats large enough to fit a layer under. I get you with the wovens not being cosy, but I do find wool or tweed blazers warm, especially with a light wool or silk sweater under them and a coat over---- wool is such a great insulator and does breathe and let extra heat out as well. I always like to have a jacket in case I end up sitting in the chilly seat next to the window in a restaurant or by the door in a coffee shop, for example, even if I won't need it at work. But it does add complexity to outfit planning since it has to look good with the outfit but the outfit will probably be worn mostly without it. bj1111 on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754545 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:40:10 +0000 bj1111 754545@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ i also manage by bringing or stashing addl layers in my tote or office or car. eg a light scarf and a heavier wrap, light and heavy cardies...so i can augment depending on what i wore on any given day. also keeps things interesting late into the winter. Raisin on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754535 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:34:49 +0000 Raisin 754535@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yup, we have to do layers here in Canada. Not just for style, because you're right, the weather varies so widely and inside and outside. I always have some sort of sweater or cardi, even light ones in summer cause it can get breezy. I think I wil move more towards blazers like you, so I like your ideas. celia on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754521 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:27:05 +0000 celia 754521@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Elly, here as a norm everything inside is very warm and taking shoes off when you go to someones house in winter is what is culturally done.Tweed jackets inside, even on top of only a sweater would be too much for me. Also I feel that stiffer jackets in winter(even if underneath the coats) don't keep the warmth as much as soft fabrics, but I realize this might be a personal thing. Elly on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754497 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:08:24 +0000 Elly 754497@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I guess I luck out in this respect-- I always buy my coats large enough to layer a jacket under, because I am likely to wear a jacket and a sweater under them in the dead of winter. I can also wear my jackets indoors many places, including my workplace and most of my friends homes. Most of my friends are on a budget and keep their homes cool accordingly. My man friend runs hot, so also keeps his home cool. My workplace is almost always 63 degrees, although the offices themselves are sometimes warmer. I can't stand it when people overheat, I literally feel ill! Still, I like to layer and always make sure I can take the jacket off if needed indoors (so I wear decent ts and light long sleeves under many jackets rather than shells). Shoes are a totally different issue. I always like to take muddy or snowy boots off indoors, which can be a problem because sometimes the man friend doesn't and then I'm stepping in icy, muddy puddles---- same with a lot of my family, which is irritating because that can ever ruin house slippers without a rubber sole! I do try to remember to bring "inside shoes" or slippers to parties because my feet will freeze even in normal socks. I have a pair of Klogs brand shoes with a 1.5 to 2 inch heel that I wear mostly inside in the winter, but that is the pair I bring to ppls houses if I am wearing a pair of pants that would drag the ground in normal house slippers. We have very few if any Asian people in my area, so it is usually a "keep the house clean/protect our floors/keep germs out thing" rather than a cultural reason, so my "clean" indoor/house Klogs work. Plus, they keep my toes warm, covered, and comfy. Spring is my absolute least favorite season where I live. I loved it when I lived in NM and it meant spring rains, the desert blooming, and cherry blossoms on the local college campus. In southern Colorado, it is ugly, muddy, grey, dead, and cold until practically summer, but without the snow of winter. I feel silly dressed in spring colors during this time of year, so I stick with my winter wardrobe. Surprisingly, I don't get that sick of stuff, but I do make an attempt to wear things that are colors that enhance the end of my summer glow/golden undertones and copper in my hair more in fall, while I save things that make the shade of ivory I revert back to in the winter look regal rather than greyish and washed out. I'm a dark autumn, but can wear both winter and autumn colors to some extent, but am more likely to play around with making my own coloring/contrast look dramatic rather than playing with color itself later in the year. celia on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754370 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:46:46 +0000 celia 754370@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ceit, I forgot to mention the shoe issue. Wondering what will look good without shoes or boots is a headache for me. Sara L.I guess my wardrobe is not that small anymore, but I do try to hide the warm clothes that will be more springy, or simply not wear certain items that I know will get a lot of use in winter. Sara L. on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754362 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:39:08 +0000 Sara L. 754362@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your plan makes sense to me. I have a small closet so separate out my winter and summer clothes. Since I don't see the other half of my wardrobe for half the year, I'm always excited when I unpack the next season. It's like my clothes are new again. It also cuts down on getting bored with my clothes. Anonymous on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754358 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:37:23 +0000 Anonymous 754358@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Celia, you've hit on it perfectly. That is pretty much my strategy also, and I am a lifelong resident :) Yes, either going to a friends house means you will be boiling hot, or freezing cold (some of my friends like to keep their houses warm, others prefer to keep them cool!) I quickly figured it out and tailor my clothes accordingly (including bringing slippers to one close friend's house). celia on "How do you manage your wardrobe?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-do-you-manage-your-wardrobe#post-754352 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:33:22 +0000 celia 754352@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ As some of you might know by now I lived in Portugal all my life and moved to Canada in recent years. Wardrobe wise this meant a change in my managing mentality. Toronto has 4 very distinct seasons and how the houses (meaning both private and commercial or public places) manage the temperature indoors were both alien concepts to me. The most difficult part to manage are the Fall/Winter months.I love blazers but cannot wear them outdoors in winter because they are cold, also I cannot wear them indoors because they are too warm. Added to this if I start wearing the same capsule of clothes for that season in October by Spring I am sick and tired of them but will still have to wear some if the weather is not warm enough. This year I devised a plan.Right now I am trying to wear the warmer and fall like blazers(like the velveteen ones).To public places I can usually keep them on when I am inside at this time of the year. When this is not possible anymore I intend to wear my lighter blazers,as an intermediate layer underneath the puffer coats. Also I am trying to wear now the darker colors so that in spring I can wear lighter colors in materials that are not so fallish. Does this make sense?How do you deal with different seasons and your wardrobe ?