YouLookFab Forum » Topic: # of wears -- discovery

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: # of wears -- discovery https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:25:13 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Jenni NZ on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1941123 Wed, 25 Jul 2018 09:51:01 +0000 Jenni NZ 1941123@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This post is so relevant to my present situation: thank you. Sunk costs: I do struggle, like Sterling. I am a donator not a seller. I tried selling about 2 years ago using NZ's equivalent of E-Bay but I had no success. I read somewhere that any goods that we own are usually worth more to us (in our own heads) than they are to anyone else. I suspect I charged too much and there is just too much available. Because I earn well it was then just too much effort to let things go for really cheap like $5 an item or something, I would rather just donate them. Because I also feel bad about the environmental impact, I'm left trying to wear the stuff a bit more, unless it is just too tight. I have managed to let 13 things go from my active wardrobe since March. 6 of these had over 30 wears and I am just tired of them or they are worn out. All seem fair enough. The other 7 have under 30 wears but under $5 CPW and are dated, worn, or I no longer like them. Only one is newish like 2016 and was a polyester fabric top I had ordered online. It cost $38 and I liked the pale pink colour but hated the fabric. Gritted my teeth for 10 wears. It was quite pretty but I had enough by 10 wears. I guess it was worse than meh! Jessikams on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1941103 Wed, 25 Jul 2018 08:13:32 +0000 Jessikams 1941103@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I get rid of things FAST if I notice that they are pissing me off when I wear them, for example: it should have pockets but doesn’t (who makes a military style vest without pockets?), it flaps around in the wind (wool coat without buttons or belt: why?), it itches or snags or tugs... you get the idea. And then of course I try not to repeat that purchasing mistake. Clothes that are more neutral or “meh” as you say are a tougher call for me. If it makes me feel “meh,” can I do something with styling to make it more exciting? But some pieces just take too much work. I feel this way about professional clothes I used to buy from Banana Republic. They are so darned neutral you have to like paste a circus on top to make them interesting. Not worth the effort. ChrisM on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940741 Tue, 24 Jul 2018 12:02:31 +0000 ChrisM 1940741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’m with 3style: holding zones are very helpful. I have some long sleeve Pima tees that are useful only as under layers. Tees are not flattering on my softening middle-aged middle so I certainly don’t want to spend money to replace them and I wear them infrequently. But when I need them, I have them. I also will resell items (eBay) that I know I won’t wear anymore and the sale prices are better for better name brands. Brands like Eileen Fisher do well because her basic styles have longevity and many (not all) of the fabrications tend to hold up (e.g. silk does well; rayon not so much.) Congrats on the analysis though. Very impressive and so interesting. Anonymous on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940546 Mon, 23 Jul 2018 19:47:03 +0000 Anonymous 1940546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love this post. While I do not track I get what you are saying. Sometimes I reach for my favorites and put them back because I want to save them for days I need that extra boost of confidence or wow feeling that it usually gives me. Hence CPW is less. Sometimes it’s hard to give up the ghost where some pieces are concerned and it’s not easy for me to let go. I did think Barbara’s comment was thought provoking. And I am learning a lot from the others comments too. Thanks 3style on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940394 Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:47:15 +0000 3style 1940394@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Tammyb, Since you’ve got everything organized in Excel, I think it would be great to create a “report” where you are sorting by total number of wears. Then for all of the “meh” clothing with a low frequency of wear, search for commonalities. They might be obvious commonalities of clothing properties such as size, fabric, color etc. Or it might be more subtle like finding that they were mostly bought in the evening when you’ve had a long tough day. Or trying too get free shipping with a larger online order. I have no idea. I’m guessing that the cause is not recorded in your spreadsheet per se, but that if you see them as a group you will gain some insight. Also I’m a big believer in holding zones for clothing. I think it’s much easier to get questionable stuff out of your wardrobe if the decision doesn’t have to be finalized immediately. Just this weekend I went through a medium sized laundry hamper’s worth of stuff. I kept six items from the holding zone because I felt that they were occasionally important for their function, but not important enough to spend fresh money to replace. For example, I tend to prefer cotton or linen summer cardigans but decided to keep my only polyester spandex one because it fits better over some new tops than do some of my other cardigans. I’m often wearing some other category of clothing over these tops. For example I like to wear a vest or a denim jacket or a giant scarf or a windbreaker jacket over these tops. I like to have the synthetic option for ease of on and off and tying around my waist and non wrinkled appearance. However, since I have a variety of alternative options, I don’t feel the need to spend more on synthetic cardigans. This particular cardigan was a going out of business super sale item before Coldwater Creek filed for bankruptcy. I knew that the pattern was a bit outside my comfort zone, but decided to try it for just a few dollars. My conclusion is that this type of pattern is busy enough that I only want to wear it with neutral clothing. The cardigan colors are black and white, so in theory it could go with nearly everything. In practice, I only like it with white or denim. So I think (as others have already mentioned) that the correct way to think about sunk costs is in terms of wardrobe holes. Does this item do something unique which I find to be occasionally important? Some people prefer a more minimalist closet without the less versatile options, and some people like more options. I think a lot of that has to do with how much you layer in the winter and how many different types activities you are doing. I tend to run cold and can easily end up wearing five layers on top in the winter, not including my coat. So I have fairly relaxed standards for items which get buried under three or four other layers. cindysmith on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940380 Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:22:43 +0000 cindysmith 1940380@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ When it comes to "sunk cost", I must admit I have fallen into that trap a lot. Now that I'm getting older, and have been living tiny, and have foot problems, and have gained weight, and so on and so forth... well, I've gotten better at saying "well, the money is gone either way I look at it, and I'm tired of looking at it" and getting rid of something. I sometimes wonder if it has anything to do with how many clothes my life & job chew through? Knowing that there's a 50% chance that I'm going to ruin something makes me less likely to spend big money on things. Anonymous on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940273 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 23:13:13 +0000 Anonymous 1940273@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sometimes, even often, clothes can get dated before wearing out. Get them out so somebody wants them before that happens. Jenn is right. Consignment shops love the good stuff and you can recoup some of your investment. bj1111 on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940263 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:11:45 +0000 bj1111 1940263@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Unless you need the piece to make your favorites or your essential pieces work or they fit a particular occasion (wedding, funeral, oscars), get rid of the meh. Anonymous on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940260 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:05:13 +0000 Anonymous 1940260@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So interesting. I have done some 30-60 day tracking. You ask important questions. I need the odd, little worn items for variety or special occasions . My bottoms get more wear than tops or toppers unless distinctive like my geezer magnet shiny blue jeans. They are memorable but a good item for casual holiday events, so I would not want to give them up until they no longer fit. Fit will cause me to toss or donate because I want to be able to wear everything in my closet. Sometimes it may go into a holding zone. If I really want to up wears on an item, I will pack it fir a trip as I always just use a carry-on and end up wearing things many times. If I don't want to wear something on a trip living out of a suitcase or using just 30 items for a month, I don't want it at all. That is a good test. Sal on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940253 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 21:44:19 +0000 Sal 1940253@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am probably very similar for 1 2 4 and 5!! The workhorses often are pretty boring essentials - not always - but often.  With respect to 4 - I am happy to wear things for longer than most I suspect - but then suddenly I am ready to let them go!!  Some become rags, but I don't hand on mis-shapen work shells to the thrift shop but they don't become garden wear either... so some do end up in the landfill.   I certainly have a few pieces that I wear once to four times a year only.  I can think of a jacket, a blouse, some shoes, and of course occasion wear.  Occasion wear gets a pass - but for the others I only keep them for two reasons: - it fits a hole (even if imperfectly) - I have a black knit bolero that I do not love but it is useful to wear over summer dresses about twice a year in the evening.  I don't have anything else that works as well right now.  I used to keep a button down shirt for board meetings in a multicultural environment - it was conservative and boring and served a purpose. - I love wearing them but have rare occasions - for me a green silk blouse that is quite a statement. Stagiaire Fash on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940244 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 21:05:30 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1940244@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I bet you wear your faves less often than you think because they feel special each time, so you remember them longer. I wonder if you’d enjoy wearing them more, or if that would take some of the “special” away The Cat on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940222 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 19:02:05 +0000 The Cat 1940222@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Congratulations with the analysis! I'm sure it will help you. I evaluate my wardrobe when the seasons change. So, 4 times a year. It's very seldom that I don't want to wear items I've purchased. It HAS happened, though, that an item just for some reason proves to be a disappointment or just doesn't feel right. Usually, I will try to get some wear out of it by styling it in different ways. But if I don't succeed, I will let it go within in a year or so. I don't want to keep items that I wear very seldom. The only possible exception is partywear, which I keep in a separate hanging closet in the attic. krishnidoux on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940207 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 16:47:34 +0000 krishnidoux 1940207@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Re: sunk costs and clothes that don't get as many wears: many of those pieces for me get left out too often because of a hidden closet hole. Menaning: because I lack something to wear them with to complete the look. So either I originally bought too much or not enough. Instead of running out the door to fill the closet hole I imagine, I put the unworn item away and concentrate on what I actually wear at the moment. Then a few weeks, months or seasons later, I find that the unworn piece comes in handy and often become a workhorse.  Re: meh clothes: you have to ask yourself why it's "meh" to you, why you put it in your closet in the first place. Practical, but not flattering enough? It's hiding a closet hole. Fit isn't ideal? You must visit your seamstress or donate. Color is wrong for your skintone, cut is wrong? Pass along. It doesn work with what you had in mind when you got it? Reassign it by thinking laterally. And so on. Jenn on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940204 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 16:39:22 +0000 Jenn 1940204@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm a tracker, and it's helped me a lot in refining my wardrobe over the past few years. It's also, I think, helped me move forward stylistically, as I can see, in hard numbers, when an item has served its purpose, and happily replace or move on to something new without a lot of guilt. For things that haven't seen much wear, it's more complicated. Recently, I've realized that it's worth it to me to spend a bit more per item, because if those items don't work out, they tend to retain more of their value in the resale market. Not only does that help me recover some sunk costs, but, perhaps more importantly, I suspect it makes the items more likely to be worn by their new owners. For pieces with no real resale value, I put them in a holding zone and, if I don't miss them in a few months, I feel okay donating because of what Barbara Diane said: the mental space it frees up is refreshing.  That being said, my goal is to have that happen as little as possible! What has surprised me most about tracking is how very long it can take to rack up wears, especially on items that can only be worn once before washing! Jane on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940193 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 16:10:22 +0000 Jane 1940193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well done TammyB. Nodding along with you on those meh clothes. I find it easier when they are gone (frees up my brain space as you say), although it does unsettle me about the money I have put towards them. That said, as I have a 'wardrobe hobby', and I do (!) then this is inevitably part of the journey. But I am so grateful to YLF as it is a great place to get views on.  On the clothes you love, could you wear them more? I do wonder about clothes that I love, and really want to wear mine a lot, because I feel they are more me than those clothes I don't love. And, I kind of want to be the best version of me that I can as much as possible, so I wear them more if I can. Barabara Dianne, I think you are wise. Part of the journey is probably forgiving mistakes which is I think woven into what you are saying? Barbara Diane on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940187 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:57:54 +0000 Barbara Diane 1940187@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This may seem out there but I’ll say it anyway. Getting items out of your closet that you don’t like opens up the energy in the closet, lightens it up, and, at a practical level, makes it easier to see what you have and like. I always find it easier to get dressed when those items are gone. Barbara Diane on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940185 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:51:18 +0000 Barbara Diane 1940185@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don’t track wears but I have done quite a bit of wardrobe analysis over the years. Re: meh clothes and sunk costs. I am willing to keep clothing that doesn’t get a lot of wears if it fills a purpose. If I don’t always reach for something else instead. If it fills a hole. If I need it for backup. If I don’t see that I will replace it and I need it. I get rid of clothing no matter the sunk cost once I realize I don’t like it or that I have no use for it. However, sometimes a try on session and open mindedness will reveal new options for a piece I wasn’t wearing. And occasionally if I really like something I keep it and the perfect item to wear it with shows up later. It helps in releasing clothing to figure out why it didn’t work so that you don’t repeat the same mistake again. And it can be a relief to give it to someone or donate it so that the item gets worn. I had a fancy necklace I liked but had maybe 2 wears. Over maybe 20-35 years. $100 CPW. I wore it earlier this month for a very special occasion. It fit the neckline perfectly, was the perfect color, and was just fancy enough. I was so pleased I had it. I think I purchased it all those years ago so it would be in my wardrobe for that very occasion. Now to find a way to use it more casually. I really like it. kkards on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940184 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:50:58 +0000 kkards 1940184@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Also, when do you give up on the "sunk costs" of something you don't wear? this really depends on why i'm not wearing it... if its because i can't figure out how to wear it, i will usually keep it a couple of years and keep trying. often it's becuase i'm trying something new and feel unsure of it...i need to get better about asking for advice from the forum earlier... if its becasue its uncomfortable..i'll give shoes 3 or 4 wears and then try to decide if its something that the shoemaker can help with (ie stretching) i'll take it in and try again. but if that doesn't help or if the pitch is off or the shoes are just not right,  i'll let them go pretty quickly.  and it depends on how much i like the item...i have somethings that i love, but don't wear often because don't have the right occasion, i will keep until i just decide it's time to let if go... Anonymous on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940182 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:49:08 +0000 Anonymous 1940182@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'll be following this post with great interest.   I struggle mightily with regard to sunk costs.  I could write a book.   Suz on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940179 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:39:21 +0000 Suz 1940179@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is a great analysis. I find wear-tracking tedious but there's no question that it teaches valuable lessons. It sounds like you've identified some key essentials and have recognized that it's okay to let go of some much-worn items to make room for replacements. Do you have a plan to wear your "favourite" clothes more often now as well? Or have you learned that they aren't consistent with lifestyle or weather and that's why you don't wear them much? When I tracked wears, I wasn't really all that surprised -- I knew what I was wearing a lot and what was languishing. But I also learned that it's okay and even necessary for me to keep some lesser worn items. For example, I don't dress up very often. But I do need dressy clothes anyway. Just because I might only wear a dressy item twice a year, is not a reason to get rid of it (in my case). Until it's worn out or I'm sick of it.  Re sunk costs -- tracking helps with that. Once you know what you wear most, you can spend most of your budget there.  Tammyb on "# of wears -- discovery" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/of-wears----discovery#post-1940157 Sun, 22 Jul 2018 14:35:47 +0000 Tammyb 1940157@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So I ffinally took my 2016 - 2018 wears that I keep in a notebook and put them in an excel spreadsheet.  (it took HOURS!)  so now I'm really able to quickly see what I have been wearing and a few interesting finds.  I know this will change the way I dress and shop.   1.  My favorite clothes that I LOVE, I don't wear as often as I thought.  When I get dressed, I think of them often, but don't ACTUALLY wear them because in my mind, I've already worn them too often.   2.  My workhorses that are basics (eg ponte slim black pants) that I wear continually -- approx 1/week - with all sorts of variations on shirts/toppers/accessories were bargains.  But I didn't know that when I bought them.   3.  I wear black pumps of some variety 90% of the time.  It's time to mix that a up a bit! 4.  I'm ready to part with a few things that are showing wear.  They have served me well (as proven by the numbers.)  5.  I have a lot 'meh' clothes.  I'm wearing them once or twice a year.  Are they worth the closet and brain space?  I'll need to really think about that..... I'm curious about others' experiences as they have analyzed their wears over time.... Also, when do you give up on the "sunk costs" of something you don't wear?