YouLookFab Forum » Topic: State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022 https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022 Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:47:51 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Anonymous on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2281237 Thu, 15 Sep 2022 01:44:47 +0000 Anonymous 2281237@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love seeing your wardrobe, it's so calming! You're inspiring :) I don't track wears and my wardrobe is bigger due to my climate and activities, but I think my churn rate is similar. The statement pieces are tricky. On one hand, new ones really freshen things up each season, but even with a 5PF it's easy to accumulate if they don't wear out. Suz on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2281203 Wed, 14 Sep 2022 17:27:58 +0000 Suz 2281203@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You have such a beautifully organized wardrobe and closet! Fab closet pics.  I haven't been keeping track of wears for a long time but I do track retirements and purchases each year and like you, I know that essentials require frequent replacement while statement items last and last and last. A huge proportion of my non-essentials date from before 2018. It is hard for me to edit out the higher ticket more statement-y items because they are not worn out but also, I tend to feel emotionally attached to them and truly love them.  Jenn on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280979 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 23:25:35 +0000 Jenn 2280979@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Minaminu, it's about half and half. I air dry anything with elastene, all sweaters, anything viscose, linen, wool, or silk, and anything else that specifies air dry on the label.  Everything else (which ends up being mostly cotton), I tumble dry on LOW. Minaminu on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280963 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:49:34 +0000 Minaminu 2280963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great analysis, as always! I like how you are carefully planning the new additions and strangely I too have been purchasing quite a few dresses this year. Much easier! May I ask if you air dry your laundry or a tumble dryer? just wondering if this could be affecting the turnover. Sloper on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280954 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 19:10:22 +0000 Sloper 2280954@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always admire your thoughtful organization.  <div> </div><div>I’ve certainly become more higgledy-piggledy the past few years.  A good clean-out and re-org would be a good idea. </div> Helena on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280941 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:54:48 +0000 Helena 2280941@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love reading these - makes total sense re: your essentials vs. statements ... if you wear it often, it will wear out, no way around it. Better worn out than unworn! JAileen on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280924 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 16:08:10 +0000 JAileen 2280924@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I enjoy seeing your posts like this.It’s so interesting how your wardrobe had to evolve from cold winter to no winter.  The photos are beautiful - so organized and appealing.  You almost make me want to count wears. Jenn on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280923 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 15:36:30 +0000 Jenn 2280923@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Angie, I love all the breathing room when you put everything back into the closet after a good cleanout.  I didn't do one this spring and had a pretty big holding zone post-pandemic, so I got rid of way more than usual. It feels light! Joy, I meant to tell you earlier that I LOVE your "Mountain Grandma" idea. Cozy hiking and apres-ski outfits tug at my heartstrings still. Jessikams, it's SO much more fun to buy the statement pieces, isn't it? Statement workout wear is a great idea. I'm also pleased that pattern-mixing is an accepted thing now, because it makes it easier to put more statements into rotation. lyn67, it's interesting to me that my wardrobe really seems to have stabilized and I considered backing off on the tracking because of that, but unforeseen things happen (for example, I've been losing some weight) so I'm curious to know how that will impact things going forward. rachylou, I think a lot about Sal's "power of one" and, for the most part, it serves me well. But then I have six black dresses, sooooo... Bijou, not all jeans make it to that level of wear! These are Warp & Weft and they're real workhorses! runcarla, I think of our wardrobes as similar in size too. I know the size of mine fluctuations between about 75 and 100, depending on how recently I've done a cleanout. (I do also edit along the way, if necessary, but not as thoroughly.) I agree with you that shoes and pants tend to cycle through faster than tops. And knit tops (especially jersey) are less durable than wovens. I love seeing your analysis every year and am looking forward to it next month! Sal, one thing I've noticed is that if I'm editing for something other than wear or size, the pieces most likely to go aren't true statements or essentials, but those "completer" sort of pieces that are like slightly more interesting essentials or slightly less interesting statements. Either/or sorts of pieces. Jaime, I almost feel like I should post pics of my husband's side of the closet, as well. Imagine a whole rack of soccer jerseys and wildy-printed button-downs.   Angie on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280913 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:08:44 +0000 Angie 2280913@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What Jaime said :) My favourite part was seeing your very organized wardrobe pics! The wooden hangers work beautifully with your palette.  Anonymous on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280903 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:43:52 +0000 Anonymous 2280903@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What an excellent Monday morning read.  I still have not pulled out and evaluated winter items yet.  Too hot. Almost everything is seasonal.  I suspect that not much will fit that was worn last winter.  I do not have very many cold weather pants, 2 pair of jeans, one pair black snow pants I wear as gear and not.  One pair black cords are new.  Everything else is probably too big and will fall down.  Tops and toppers will look oversized, but that is ok.  Puffer coats (I own 2) were purchased when was smaller so should be ok.  I may update accessories for those coats.  I plan to wear more puffy vests and paid flannel shirts. ( Mountain  grandma)  My blazers are over 6 years old and still look new.  They are even older as they were thrifted.  I would like to add a plaid blazer.   <div>Shoes and boots are old and need replacing.  I plan to wear my hiking sneakers more.</div> Jessikams on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280895 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 08:13:23 +0000 Jessikams 2280895@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your analysis and Sal’s comment gave me an AHA! moment…… that basics wear out and need replacing, and statement items are often dressier, don’t get worn as much, and don’t wear out. I feel annoyed every time I have to replace something basic. My closet is so huge, I always feel “why should I NEED to buy anything at all ?” But the truth is a yellow floral jacket is never going to sub in for a plain black t shirt. T shirts need to be bought even if the wardrobe feels full! What I should stop buying are statements, I guess, because they tend to pile up over time. But I love them so…. Lately I’m into statement gear: bright colors or crazy finishes. That scratches the itch in a useful way. So maybe yellow floral yoga pants instead of a yellow floral jacket. Hope you enjoyed that season finale! I love that show. lyn67 on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280892 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:19:55 +0000 lyn67 2280892@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I simply cannot say a word more than...I'm impressed!:-)) rachylou on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280891 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 06:24:02 +0000 rachylou 2280891@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It occurs to me to debate myself on the value of duplicating essentials. Of course there’s more than one factor in such a decision, but I wonder, focusing on style alone, if it’s better not to duplicate essentials. That essentials need updating in a way that other things don’t. Bijou on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280887 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 05:26:14 +0000 Bijou 2280887@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your post reminded me that it is important to identify my workhorses and what needs replacing. I suspect that my most worn items are similar to yours, with a focus on dresses as an easy "one and done" solution as we approach summer. I was surprised by the number of wears on your jeans, 147 wears in a year makes them a very low $ per wear item regardless of the initial cost. Sal on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280885 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 04:15:39 +0000 Sal 2280885@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You have such good data about your closet Jenn and reading this clarified a few things for me: 1) The need to keep buying essentials or workhorses - the lovely statement toppers or special occasion clothes don't often wear out.  There are times we edit them out, but in the most part they last a long time.   2) I have a similar number of dresses (16)  and toppers (13)- but a lot more shoes (19), pants/skirts (22) and tops (29) - and a lot more gear and accessories.  Some of this is due to climate and some my work which needs a certain number of dressy pieces - but some is due to my constant addition of shoes lately without wearing older ones out.... 3) I think you are on top of your climate and needs - so I don't really see excess in any areas or shortages.  I think most of us need more tops to bottoms - due to laundry and climate, and layering - tops under jackets for example.  Jenn on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280884 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 03:35:54 +0000 Jenn 2280884@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Rachylou, I’d say about half of what I’ve retired recently has been over four years old. There’s definitely an element of essentials churning faster and special items staying in my closet for years or even decades. In fact, 37 of the items in my active closet are from 2018 or earlier. rachylou on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280883 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 03:13:16 +0000 rachylou 2280883@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The question that comes to my mind is number of items that actually last four years. Did you retire anything under four this year? Carla on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280880 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 02:10:09 +0000 Carla 2280880@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ We have very similar numbers, though I include a few things you don’t in my count (hats, gloves, etc.) and I have more gym kit - but don’t count it at all.  I don’t have as much long term data, since I started keeping track in 2020, but I did keep track of when I bought things.   <div> </div><div>I find your pants numbers low, but I see your dress numbers are higher than mine.  It’s probably a weather/environment thing.   <div> </div><div>Like you, I turn over about a quarter of my closet every year.  This year marked 4 years since I retired, I have 21 items that are pre-retirement (2018 or earlier) with the rest of more recent vintage.  A whopping 27 items have been picked up this year!  I still have 25  items from 2021, 7 items from 2020, and 9 from 2019.   <div> </div><div>About tops.  I’ve got 22 tops - same as you!  I do rotate through all of them, though 2 are part of my dressy capsule and might only get worn once or twice a year.  On the other hand, they are both from 2016 - so 6 yo.  In any given month, I tend to rotate through 12 different tops.  I’ve worn as few as 8 and as many as 16 different tops however.  Obviously, sweaters and flannel shirts see more wears 8 cold months of the year, and sleeveless tops are hot weather specific, so 5 months of the year.  I think that puts me at 89 items, more or less!</div></div><div> </div><div>I’ve noticed  the greatest turnover has been in pants  and footwear.  Only 1/10 pair of pants is older than 2 years, and 2/13 footwear.  I hold on to dresses (4) and skirts (3) I’m not buying bags (7) or scarves (6) but I am building a collection of hats (9) </div><div> </div><div>Clothes are lasting longer, now that I’ve committed to line drying so many things. I had 3 pair of jeans with over 70 wears each (just retired one pair - but the others still going strong!) 10 tops with 30+ wears, etc.   The annual audit is pending for end of October, though I’ve edited 8 items already (due to wear) so I’m glad for the prompt to review the numbers now!  </div></div> Jaime on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280877 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:50:24 +0000 Jaime 2280877@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Although I am not a data keeper with my wardrobe, I do enjoy reading about how you manage and track your own. I can imagine it is very satisfying. Looking forward to the pictures . Jenn on "State of the Wardrobe Fall 2022" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2022#post-2280875 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:27:16 +0000 Jenn 2280875@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm running late! I usually take some time to evaluate my wardrobe in August, but August was a doozy this year and I didn't have a chance to pull out all my clothes and do the big sort until this weekend. You'll want a cup of coffee or tea for this one because it's a lot of info. Friendly warning: if you don't like numbers or are bothered by posts about wardrobe size, now's the time to click away or skip ahead to the photos. I track purchases, retirements, and wears because I'm interested in learning more about the durability and longevity of my garments and gaining insight into my own consumer habits. It's never a judgment on anyone else's choices. Previous iterations of this post:<a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-2021-edition"> 2021</a>, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2020-long-many-numbers">2020</a>, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2019-sooo-long-so-geeky">2019</a>, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2018-numbers-heavy">2018</a>, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-pre-fall-2017-long-numbers-heavy">2017</a>, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/state-of-the-wardrobe-fall-2016-long-numbers-heavy">2016</a>. Let's do this! The current count: Total Main Wardrobe: 84 items (98 with gear) This is my entire wardrobe, except lingerie and sleepwear. The count includes shoes, bags, and scarves, but not jewelry or strictly functional cold weather accessories like gloves and beanies. I also have a small holding zone that currently has three items in it. Last year's total: 84 (97 with gear) Wear levels (not including gear): (For clarity, these numbers are over the life of the garment, not just over the past year) More than 30 times: 50% of wardrobe, 42 items (last year: 44 items, 52%) 10-29 times: 29%, 24 items (last year: 27 items, 32%) Less than 10 times 21%, 18 items (last year: 13 items, 16%) Takeaways: I suspect these numbers are a bit off. I have missed some tracking over the past few months (just a day or two here and there) and I'm several weeks behind in transferring info from my calendar to my spreadsheet. It's still pretty consistent, though I'd like to have fewer pieces in that "less than ten" category. Since last report, I've added 21 items, so I’m replacing about 25% of my wardrobe per year. Put another way, that would mean I expect my items to last, on average, 4 years. I definitely seem to churn through essentials on a pretty regular basis, while collecting statements for the long term. I'm okay if that causes my wardrobe to grow a bit over the long-term, but hopefully not by more than a few pieces per year. The median number of wears is 30.5 for items currently in my closet. It was 32 last year. The mean number of wears is 47. That was 42 last year. In general, my wardrobe is still lasting well past the 30-wears mark and the mean number of wears for items I retired this year was 46. The Nitty Gritty (breakdowns by Category): Dresses: 10 (last year: 8) I'm wearing my dresses more than ever these days and am actively expanding this part of my wardrobe. I wear them several times each week, especially in the summer. Wear count on my dresses ranges from 4 to 78 (previously 2 - 97). Outerwear: 3 (last year: 4) That 35-wear-count item that never changes is my trench coat. I don't care. I still love it and at some point I'll go someplace where I actually need it. Wear counts range from 35 to 225 (previously 35 - 212). Jeans: 1 (last year: 1) Different pair from last year, though. Wear counts range from 147 - 147 (previously 47 - 47) Pants: 3 (last year: 2) I have another pair on my fall wishlist. Wear counts range from 12 - 99 (previously 35 - 79) Skirts: 2 (last year: 5) Why wear a skirt when you can wear a dress? Wear counts range from 8 to 45 (previously 4 - 54) Toppers: 11 (last year: 7) I'm including any top layers that would be worn indoors here. A lot of my statement pieces are in this category, and they stick around for a long time. Wear counts range from 7 to 64 (previously 7 - 52) Tops: 22 (last year: 23) Why do I have so many tops and so few pants? I'm going to try to allow some attrition here. Wear counts range from 3 to 116 (previously 3 - 98) Footwear: 10 (last year: 11) This is kind of a cheat because I just realized I have one more pair I haven't added to the spreadsheet yet. Oh well. Numbers are pretty stable. Wear counts range from 12 to 116 (previously 7 - 157) Accessories: 13 (last year: 14) This category includes scarves, belts, and hats, but not jewelry, I also don't count winter gear, like gloves and beanies, or masks, all of which are shared amongst the family. Bags are counted separately below. Wear counts range from 3 to 54 (previously 3 - 54) Handbags: 8 (last year: 7) My favorite Fossil crossbody is still going strong with over 500 wears. Wear counts range from 1 to 539 (previously 24 - 455) Gear: 14 (last year: 13) Gear includes swimwear and clothing I only wear for exercise. Nothing exciting here. Wear counts range from 11 to 89 (previously 18 - 86) And that's all, folks! Congratulations and thank you, if you've managed to read this far. Your reward is a peek in the closet, but we're about to watch the finale of Stranger Things, so I'll be back with pictures shortly.