YouLookFab Forum » Topic: My closet inventory numbers

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: My closet inventory numbers https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:53:25 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php E on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1313683 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 21:09:51 +0000 E 1313683@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ There's no point in forcing yourself to wear clothes you don't care for, just because they're there! The money is spent either way; it's not like it reappears in your bank account once you've worn something a certain amount of times. So if you make yourself wear it just to 'get your money's worth,' even though you don't like it, you're really just doing a kind of penance. Instead try to figure out why you don't wear the item, so that you don't buy a similar piece in future: that knowledge is what will save you money. :D (It took me awhile to realise that, so I hope it doesn't sound too preachy.)  I'd take everything you don't like (because it's not flattering or because you have a better version) and box them up somewhere. Then if you really miss something you can get it back, and if not you'll be able to get rid of them without worrying. (I'm a reluctant purger myself and usually keep something for 6 months in my car trunk before bringing it to Goodwill, just in case I want it back...but I almost always end up forgetting about whatever it was by then.) I bet you'll find a closet full of just clothes you enjoy wearing makes it much easier to get dressed! :) Since you mentioned wanting to make a change in your shopping habits, I do have one more suggestion, but I want to preface it with: 1) feel free to ignore it and 2) absolutely no judgement is behind the suggestion! It's just an idea I ran across a few years ago that I thought was a great way to help rein in my own consumption level. So, here it is, in case it helps you: before you get rid of the clothes that you don't wear, put them in a big pile & take a photo. Then keep the photo in your wallet next to your credit card or cash. That might help you remember to practice Angie's PPP (patient, picky, and practical) shopping strategies! viva on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1313631 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 19:59:14 +0000 viva 1313631@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Susie is SO smart -- her two purge suggestions are the easiest way to start: get rid of (1) unflattering items and (2) duplicates. I would then create a pile: things you cannot remember the last time you wore them. (Terrible syntax there, but you know what I mean.) Then start going through that pile and make decisions about what should go (no longer in style, cannot realistically imagine wearing it, etc.) and what should stay (maybe you just need styling help?). I think the two best reasons to thin out your closet are that by your own admission, you have much more than you are wearing, and you love to shop -- so you know you will be bringing in more. This makes me think you should try to get your closet down to those things that you really love and that you are wearing or will wear. That will leave room for more really great choices. Out with the mediocre! It took me 8 months on YLF to get to this point. You are super fast. Susie on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1313582 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 18:17:09 +0000 Susie 1313582@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well I think your response gives a good place to start! I would get rid of all unflattering items. I think all of us would prefer to more wear something that looks good than to wear something unflattering just for the sake of variety. Duplicated are easy too- pick 1-3 of your favorites and purge the rest. Just these 2 categories should free up some space to add a few more Polished pieces as well as a few needed items like the black pants and white shirt. Then the next step can be replacing the place holders with better items as you find them. Melaine on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1313570 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 18:01:02 +0000 Melaine 1313570@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So, the reasons I would still like to pare it down further are that 1) I only wear a small fraction of the items the closet (although I am really improving on this) 2) many of the items are NOT flattering which is why they are not getting worn 3) A lot of overlap, like multiple purple tees....for no apparent reason. I continue to grab that one that is a favorite and the less flattering ones get passed over. 4) My wardrobe is very very casual. I need casual, but I want polished casual and I am not at that point yet. 5) Space is definitely an issue. I do have some items that I am keeping just until i find the better version. And there are some glaring holes. i have like 15 pairs of jeans but no black pants. No white shirts other than one really sad button up that I should probably purge anyway. I guess. I just look at my closet....don't like what I see and figure I should purge a ton! Lisa on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1313300 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 13:43:53 +0000 Lisa 1313300@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always enjoy number crunching posts.  I find it very helpful to count and keep track of my items.  It really prevents me from repeats.  But as others have said, how do you feel about your wardrobe?  Are you bored (too much of the same style), overwhelmed (too many things to pick from) or do you like your current variety?  These answers will tell you if you need to further purge or not.   Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312954 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 03:21:41 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1312954@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Those are some awfully tidy numbers! Congrats on putting together the list. The proportion of summer to winter seems reasonable given your climate, and the overall numbers as well. Do you find that you wear everything, or are there some categories that you don't need as many items in? I have found that with thrifted items especially sometimes I put up with annoying aspects I otherwise wouldn't - and sometimes you have no choice, but when you're trying to optimize your closet it's worth checking in to see if there are any 'almost but not quite' pieces that you should be on the outlook for an upgraded replacement. Alana in Canada on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312953 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 03:21:31 +0000 Alana in Canada 1312953@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Alasse.  Dee on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312946 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 03:18:06 +0000 Dee 1312946@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm jealous of your round numbers. I'd be very tempted to practice one-in-one-out just to keep them nice and even. :) It sounds like your wardrobe is pretty seasonally appropraite and if you've purged a lot over the last few years and are happy with what you have left, hopefully you've arrived at a good size for you.  Gigi on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312899 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 02:45:27 +0000 Gigi 1312899@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow, great start on your inventory! I will say that I feel like if you live where it's very hot and humid, you do need a larger closet than others simply because most of your stuff can probably be worn only a day before it needs washing. That is hilarious about the numbers! :) I am still pretty much building my wardrobe, so I'm not very good at giving advice for purging. I will say that when I have done my small purges in the past, what gets the ax are things that don't fit right, things that didn't hold up well, and things that are not my current style persona and that I therefore don't enjoy wearing.  Do you have many items that make you REALLY happy? I discovered when I started building my wardrobe that I was trying to rely only on my intellect: does it fit well, is it a good color for me, will it go with the other stuff in my wardrobe, etc. And that is certainly necessary. But what I was missing was, Does this item make me feel HAPPY? Am I so excited about this item that I want to wear it out of the store? Maybe if you try thinking about the "happiness factor" next time you are out shopping, you can avoid buying another not-so-perfect item. Alassë on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312854 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 02:19:53 +0000 Alassë 1312854@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great distillation, Alana! Suz on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312822 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 01:54:50 +0000 Suz 1312822@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's very revealing to count. But absolutely what Susie says -- what's the purpose? Do you feel overwhelmed or happy with this size of wardrobe? Each person is different and what works for one will not for the other.  Susie on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312811 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 01:45:49 +0000 Susie 1312811@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Another question that can help when deciding what to do with an item you're unsure about is "would I buy this again today?" But first...what is the reason for wanting to purge? Do you feel like you have things that you aren't wearing? Do you have pieces that are orphans because you don't have things to wear with them? Do you have more things than you need to meet your needs based on your lifestyle and activities...ie too many dressy pieces but not enough casual? Is your closet overly crowded? Do you even want to reduce the overall number? Alana in Canada on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312783 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 01:26:01 +0000 Alana in Canada 1312783@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great Start! Just for fun, try this for each "season" --put everything you absolutely love and would NOT get rid of in one pile. Work on summer first. Could you wear these, and only these for two weeks? A Month? Then take a look at the other and figure out which are "place holders" you know, the ones you have "for now" until the one you love comes along. Which of these must be added to pile one in order to get you through a wash cycle (say, two weeks.) Put aside the special occasion wear you love. What, now, would be the essential footwear? Now, can you let the rest go? Repeat for winter. Helena on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312762 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 01:14:21 +0000 Helena 1312762@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Melaine great inventory - so odd about the numbers! Best of luck with your purging project! Melaine on "My closet inventory numbers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-closet-inventory-numbers#post-1312685 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:02:30 +0000 Melaine 1312685@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ First of all, I want to thank everyone here for the fascinating, helpful, and fun posts, photos and comments. I have learned so much and am finding out how much I still have to learn every single time I check in. It has been really eye-opening (although also overwhelming). I am optimistic about making positive changes in my shopping habits as well as my outfits. So THANK YOU!  Today I did a very basic count of my closet and was interested in the numbers. First of all, what jumps out is the shockingly round numbers that happened by total chance. WEIRD. Secondly, I am kind of horrified at the number of items considering the vast number I have purged over the last 1-2 years. I'm talking garbage bag after garbage bag (I'd guess about 12 bags), so these numbers are still kind of surprisingly high.  I have two sides to my closet, warm and cold (well, I share with DH, but he only gets one out of three racks, haha). I am in the Deep South so I do need a lot of hot weather items often get layered for the colder part of the year so summer heavy is ok in my book. I would love any comments or feedback on the distribution or totals: Summer: 100 items total 16 tanks for layering (rarely worn standalone) 1 cropped jean jacket 1 classic jean jacket 1 white cropped jean jacket 1 chambray shirt 1 cropped denim vest 1 regular denim vest 1 cargo vest  1 denim button up tank 19 dresses 2 skorts 5 short jean skirts 3 maxi dresses  15 summer blouses (mostly patterned) 3 tunic length tops 11 short sleeve tee shirts 6 short skirts (all casual) 2 button up shirts for layering 1 cropped legging 2 maxi skirts 1 loose cotton pants (belly dancing!) 4 cocktail dresses 1 short sleeve cardigan sweater 1 dressy jacket Winter 75 items total 5 casual hoodies 12 cardigans 7 sweaters 4 Long Sleeve button up shirts 3 blazers 3 warm jackets (outerwear) 1 sweater dress 1 pea coat 1 peplum top 4 blouses 1 little black dress 1 long sleeve tunic 2 long sleeve tees 3 dresses 1 corduroy skirts 2 shirt dresses 1 moto jacket Shoes 35 pairs of shoes Frye boots (dark red) Emus Uggs (black eyelet) Target Kamischel boots Warm fur boots Brown booties Cream booties 7 pairs of flats: 2 black, black & gold, gold, red, brown, snakeskin brown clogs 3 pairs athletic shoes 2 pairs of fake-Toms (grey, yellow) 2 Converse (purple, coral) 2 sandals (silver, gunmetal) 3 wedge sandals (blue, brown, black) 1 black polka dot wellies 2 Croc Mary Janes (brown, black) 4 pairs flip flops Bottoms 30 bottoms 24 pairs of jeans, leggings, colored jeans, athletic pants 6 pairs of shorts This doesn't count my dresser which houses my undies, bras, pjs, bathing suits and graphic tees that I mostly wear around the house.  I have tons of jewelry, belts, and scarves that I'd like to count at some point. And I would love to photo my items and put them into one of my apps of which I have a couple. Since the vast majority of my clothes were thrifted I can't just zap photos over from websites, which would be a lot easier. And my camera situation is not great.  I am contemplating what purging still needs to happen. There are lots of items that I feel like are just good enough until I find a better one. But part of that is that I really do love to shop. I am wondering how many clothes I would still have if I got rid of everything I don't love. That's sobering.