https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:48:07 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1986447 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 21:30:53 +0000 Bennett 1986447@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Of course it's do-able! If you work five days a week, times four weeks in the month, that number of 18 outfits from your work wardrobe covers all but two days without repeating! As long as you select well for YOUR style: silhouette, color, pattern (or not), and fit. Simplicity is very liberating. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1986302 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 15:26:55 +0000 Anonymous 1986302@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Try your small capsule for work for a month and see how it works and how you feel.&nbsp; I suspect that if you love the outfits and they fit perfectly, you will be fine with them.&nbsp; You could even pack the rest of your work wardrobe into a holding zone so that you don't see it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1986059 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 17:41:36 +0000 Jules 1986059@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My clothes wear out because I wear the heck out of them. The clothes I end up donating are basically mistakes or very old items that by their nature didn’t get worn as much (suits, party dresses).<br /> So when I suggest to someone that they should consider wear and tear, it’s not because I don’t wear out my clothes?!? It’s precisely the opposite - I’m a former under buyer who once cried because my husband shrank one of two pairs of decent-enough work pants in the dryer. Of course he offered to replace them, but I hated clothes, my body and shopping so much at that point that the idea of having to find new pants in a hurry was not appealing.<br /> That was obviously a very personal low point, but basically I had to learn how to keep enough clothes in my closet to make my life easier. It’s ongoing as I recently realized I should duplicate my winter skinny jeans, rather than wearing out a pair every year and constantly wishing they weren’t in the laundry (I don’t wash them every time I wear them. But they do get dirty and require washing every 2-3 wears! In cold water and hung to dry as much as possible! And yes they actually wear out, to a very thin and unflattering degree!)<br /> Excuse my rant I fully understand how everyone’s experience is different, but the idea that people who don’t want clothes to wear out too quickly don’t wear their clothes enough is a bit ironic to the person who has literally worn favourite items to shreds and had to learn it was ok to spend money on myself to make my life easier. I’d caution anyone thinking of going from a large to small wardrobe to consider how often they want to do laundry and shop. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985998 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 14:38:44 +0000 Sisi 1985998@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it is doable even if&nbsp;those numbers seem a bit too limited&nbsp; to me, a small-wardrobe fan. But you can make an experiment and then let us know! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985851 Wed, 26 Dec 2018 17:50:59 +0000 kkards 1985851@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>very late to this post...but....</p> <p>Em, you ask if it can be done...of course it can...but I wonder why you don't ask should i do it? </p> <p>assuming that you have tried all 18 outfits on, and they work IRL and not just on paper...</p> <p>are you in a client facing job? and if so, do you see the same clients regularly? then you might want to create a chart to insure that you are not wearing the same outfit each time you see the same client...because yes they&nbsp;probably will notice....</p> <p>would this kind of dressing being within the norms of your office? or would this be something that others will notice and/or comment on? if they do notice and/or comment on it, will you be comfortable or will you feel awkward or will you not care?</p> <p>interesting in what you decide to do, please let us know...</p> <p>and i'd love it if you would share the 18 outfits you've created</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985824 Wed, 26 Dec 2018 12:04:52 +0000 anchie 1985824@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Uniform dressing is very freeing, and most men are uniform dressers and it works for them, so why not? And if it is only for work outfits, even easier because you get to have some variety in your casual wardrobe. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985727 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 16:50:50 +0000 Anonymous 1985727@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, I think it’s possible, and I do something similar in the summer...but my summer is only 2.5 months, so it works because I wear the heck out of my clothes.</p> <p>I have actually done a minimalist wardrobe in the fall/winter too (8 months). I didn’t think about fashion that much in these months, so it was ok. However, fashion and clothes are now a bigger part of my life, so wearing the same thing all the time would no longer work for me. </p> <p>So the “set it and forget it” aspect of your plan will only work if you can truly “forget” about your clothes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985720 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 15:19:03 +0000 Janet 1985720@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know this is a tangent, but I’m also fascinated with the varying experiences with jeans wearing out. I have jeans at the ranch that are still not quite “worn out” even though they are ten years old. I think there is even a pair of David Kahn’s (remember that look? Low rise and bootcut with frayed hems in the back from being long enough to walk on?) that must be 12 or so years old. Granted they are not worn frequently anymore.</p> <p>But in my closet here at home are some Paige and AG jeans I have had for easily 6-7 years that are going strong. Also my Gap and Lucky bootcuts. I do have quite a few jeans, so maybe I’m spreading the wear out enough that it takes a long time to wear them out. </p> <p>But back to the original questions, I agree that this is a very personal preference. I work for myself and have a very casual life, so I don’t need to compartmentalize my wardrobe into “work” wear, but I would be bored to tears after two weeks if I tried to rotate a tiny wardrobe of workwear. And I *am* hard on my clothes at work (or was, but I was a graphic designer and frequently did comp work so had to build mockups of publications and products so I was working with adhesives, x-acto knives, etc.). </p> <p>I would try simply putting some lesser-loved pieces away and try operating with this smaller selection to see how it feels. You can always give away unloved stuff later. Please tell us how it goes! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985700 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 07:44:30 +0000 Suz 1985700@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wear tangent: Ditto what <i></i><b>Jenn</b><i></i> says. Remember, she and I wear our jeans <b>HARD.&nbsp;</b>The worst case was within a season -- pair of jeans from J. Crew. They wore out in inner thighs. They weren't even tight. I had purposely sized up. Who knows. Maybe that was the problem?&nbsp;</p> <p>When my kid was a toddler, I always wore through the knees -- sometimes after only a few months! Especially one knee. Why? Because I was always getting down on the ground to be at eye level. Yes, I patched them. But patched jeans are not really consistent with my style. Luckily, that doesn't happen so often any more.&nbsp;</p> <p>I've also worn through at belt loops (fixable, to a point) and sometimes it's the rear that starts looking thin. Once my cat got his claws in a pair and made a kind of run in them -- or at least a very obviously pulled thread, and this in turn weakened the fabric overall. And sometimes they just fade too much. I don't mind some fading -- that's fine. But I tend to like at least one dark rinse in rotation so if all of my jeans are on the light side I will be looking for a darker pair to add.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have lots of jeans, too. It's not like I wear the same pair all the time. But I do favour certain ones. I'll easily wear my favourite 2 pair more than 150 times each per year.&nbsp;</p> <p>Who knows, right? Some people are just harder on stuff, I guess. I have friends who go through tops a lot faster than I do-- they perspire more, I guess, or stain/ spill more. That is rarely my issue. For me, it's footwear and jeans all the way, with knits a close contender for wear -- in fact, I probably hang onto most of mine somewhat past the "best by" date just because it infuriates me that they tend to look tired so soon!&nbsp;<br /><b></b> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985694 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 07:13:58 +0000 Jenn 1985694@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Tangent: I definitely wear through jeans, maybe not in a year, but sometimes, and easily in 2-3. It’s always the inner thighs that wear through. I have a cheap pair right now that I’ll only wear at home because after about 75 wears, they’re looking threadbare there, and I know they could go at any time. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985692 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 06:55:16 +0000 Sal 1985692@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I worked in an office my wardrobe was similar in size to that - perhaps two more pieces. I would definitely do this again if in that situation - my job is casual now so it merges together.</p> <p>Wear is subjective and I am trying to pick items that I am happy to wear with signs of age. I don’t always get it right though. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe/page/2#post-1985684 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 02:47:46 +0000 Jaime 1985684@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would keep some clothes out of sight but in reach until you give the capsule a reasonable test. I am the opposite of a capsule dresser, but in reality tend to cycle through a subset of my clothes for a period of time and then move on. If you don't need to move on, or the change of season does that for you, it is worth a try! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985680 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 01:53:37 +0000 Gaylene 1985680@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OK, without going too off topic, I’m now fascinated by the thought a pair of jeans could be worn out in a year. My favourite jeans are almost 10 years old and still look good—at least to me. The number of wears is probably 700+—definitely more than a year. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985676 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 00:45:54 +0000 Gigi 1985676@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have much experience with capsule wardrobes. I think that it's worth a try, but I definitely wouldn't start tossing anything until you've put the plan into action for a couple of months. Sometimes our wants and needs change. Maybe right now you feel like having less, but in a couple months' time, you might change your mind (at least I know I can't count on myself to be consistent, lol!). I would put the unused clothing in a holding zone and do a trial run with the propsed capsules. As you do the trial run, you will probably discover things that will require attention, like maybe you'll need one or two more tops or whatnot. But I think getting some real-life data would be very beneficial before making any permanent changes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985673 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 23:49:34 +0000 rachylou 1985673@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, that’s very good! I could see that working then. Altho, me still being me, I’d have a spare ready to put into rotation. Lol. I’m a complete dingbat and always a bit askew. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985672 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 23:26:31 +0000 em 1985672@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Rachylou</b>, I change out of my work clothes the minute I get home. My work clothes are kind of like a uniform, so the wear on them is minimal (desk job.) There is, of course, the ever present threat of coffee spills or snags, but oh well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985670 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 22:51:11 +0000 rachylou 1985670@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I’m hard on my clothes. It’s me. I don’t wear an apron to cook or clean. I crawl around on the ground. I always manage to do something like get a pocket caught on a drawer handle or try and do something while juggling a cup of coffee. And I can kill a pair of shoes on one dog walk. Yes. I blame my uncorrected-for astigmatism, lol. Including for the long walks scruffing up my shoes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985668 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 22:15:57 +0000 Anonymous 1985668@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting discussion, and I wish I could type better and for longer. I"m with Sterling and Gaylene - the whole idea is to wear and replace your clothes, not hoard them for years like a crazy person &nbsp;That said, the only things I ever wear out are sweaters and t-shirts. &nbsp;Suz - I'm curious how you wear out a pair of jeans in a year. &nbsp; Wear out as in wear through the fabric at stress points? &nbsp;I can't even conceive of that - my jeans are all years old. I operate a business casual wardrobe for one of my jobs with a very small number of pieces and am totally happy with it. &nbsp;It's a little bigger than you described, but not by much. I don't wash my clothes unless they are dirty or have picked up odor from food or the environment around me, so laundry backlogs are &nbsp;no issue at all. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985661 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 20:51:52 +0000 Suz 1985661@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it's really personal, as others have said. It would be too limiting for me even though I enjoy repeats.&nbsp;</p> <p>I really like <b>Laura's</b> questions (figure out what it is that appeals) and <b>Barbara Diane'</b>s suggestions.&nbsp;</p> <p>Trying it out while keeping many of your current items in a hold zone sounds feasible. Just don't toss it all until you know for sure.&nbsp;</p> <p>Some people really love this approach and replace most of their wardrobe yearly. If one has the budget and likes repeating outfits I suppose that's a way to go.&nbsp;</p> <p>On the subject of wear, I must be harder on some of my clothes than others on the forum. Because even though I have a medium-to-large wardrobe, I <b>do </b>wear things out. Not everything, of course. But I pass on (edit out) more due to wear than due to boredom or style shifts. </p> <p>Perhaps because I have quite a variety of roles, but some dominate, meaning certain items become real workhorses and get worn a lot more often than others? I honestly don't know. I mend. I launder carefully, don't launder items that don't need washing, and barely use a dryer. I polish and maintain. </p> <p>Even so, I typically wear my favourite jeans out in one year (worst case scenario) &nbsp;to three years. Shoes and boots last about the same length of time, except for tall boots which I wear less frequently. Sandals often last only one season. Granted, I walk a lot more than most people.&nbsp;</p> <p>Knits last anywhere from 1 season (at worst -- so frustrating!) to 5 or so. They definitely show their age sooner than woven items.&nbsp;</p> <p>Coats last because I have a decent collection. Blazers last. Some dresses last (and some don't) -- but I wear them less often.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985659 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 20:39:20 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1985659@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p> <div>Sounds good to me! <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have a separate spot for your work clothes? If you can carve one out for a while (honestly, that many pieces can sneak into a coat closet or corner of the laundry room and hang out), that would give you a chance to see how many other tops or whatever you need to save. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>3x bottoms sounds like plenty to me--2 wears each per week, and one of them can be out of commission after the first day without throwing everything off. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I hang nearly everything to dry. Doing laundry on Sat gives even my son's sweatpants a chance to dry before school on Monday. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm curious about seasonality. I find I tend to wear a small number of items repeatedly for 6 weeks to 2 months, then move on to another set. Some items get repeated, but the switches allow for smaller weather changes to be accounted for. How many times will you need to adjust for temps, precip, etc?<br /></div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985656 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 19:57:33 +0000 Jane 1985656@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting thread. I’m definitely at ease having less rather than more. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985655 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 19:55:02 +0000 em 1985655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Suntiger</b>....laundry? Uh oh..... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985654 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 19:33:51 +0000 Gaylene 1985654@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I’m with Sterling on this. A carefully chosen work wardrobe with 12-15 pieces would have been fine with me when I was teaching—assuming I had similar capsules for leisure and dressy wear. </p> <p>After hauling off bags of barely worn clothing to thrift stores, I’m now firmly in the “it’s good to wear out your clothes” camp. I’m also convinced I take better care of my clothes when I have a smaller closet.</p> <p>For me, “pristine” does not equal “new”. My well-worn Frye boots are “pristine” because they are well-maintained—buffed and polished, re-soled regularly, and always stored with shoe trees. Quality garments can withstand the rigors of years of normal wear if you treat them well. In fact, it can be hard to wear them out before the style becomes too dated or one’s body shape changes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985653 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 19:08:04 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1985653@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I guess my question is what is it about the Photoshopped outfits that appeals so much? The style? The fact that the decisions are made for you already? Whatever it is, figure out how to replicate that with the stuff you already have, give it a trial run, and see if it suits you to have that small of a set of outfits. Some people really like it and find it calming; others find it too limiting.</p> <p>I would want at least five complete outfits. Often I can wear things more than once before laundering, but in case I couldn’t for some reason I’d want a week’s worth. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985649 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 18:42:02 +0000 Anonymous 1985649@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I respectfully would like to disagree with some of the Forum Members.</p> <p>After having purged my wardrobe of barely-worn, pristine items, I have to disagree. &nbsp;You should want to wear your clothes. &nbsp;If they get worn out so much the better. &nbsp;</p> <p>And what do you do for work that is going to be so damaging? &nbsp;I work at a desk. &nbsp;The most physical effort I put in on a work day is to push back from the desk and stroll to the bathroom. &nbsp;I buy clothing capable of enduring that type of activity. &nbsp; </p> <p>Is it the laundry? &nbsp;I don't wash my clothes after every single wearing (learned on the Vivienne Files). &nbsp;I wash them when they need it. &nbsp;Then I use the gentle cycle and I hang to dry. &nbsp;Perhaps it is the hanging to dry that is really the best thing I do to maintain my clothes. &nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985642 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 18:11:37 +0000 Vix 1985642@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi Em --</p> <p>For sure for sure the #1 thing (mentioned by many others) is to try on the proposed outfits. Lots of stuff works in flat lay or apps and then looks off once on our bodies! </p> <p>The second thing would be to road-test each outfit for a full work day to see if any stuff pops up with comfort, hassle, etc. So that's another vote for doing a closet clear-out but keeping things in good shape that fit handy for stand-by duty.</p> <p>I agree your numbers would be too low for me -- esp the tops -- and I'm a uniform dresser who doesn't mind exact repeats and has worked with a very small core wardrobe of primarily neutrals at various points. But your numbers sound more like a great travel capsule, and I did get sick of what I wore when doing my highly restricted thing....</p> <p>I do think it's a great exercise to try with a safety net, though!&nbsp;</p> <p>Currently I'm once again working with a smaller core pulled from a more medium closet. [Some stuff is harder to make work for where I am.]</p> <p>Because I'm making an effort to incorporate the color-colors from my palette in tops /sweaters / scarves (all neutrals kind of bums me out in crappy winter weather) I could never even think of doing 5 unless I was ok with "it's Tuesday so Vix is wearing blue" which at this point I'm not. Even a full-neutral capsule required more upper-body wear for me.</p> <p>So, short version:&nbsp; </p> <ul> <li>try-ons with shoes</li> <li>double the number of tops (consider what's in the category -- neutrals vs color-color and whether you have details, prints etc)</li> <li>road-test every outfit -- full work day/commute (keep other things packed away)</li> </ul> <p>Good luck and yes, hope you'll report back. </p> <p>ps The wear thing is real. The odds of permanently staining or getting holes in stuff that's worn a lot seems to go way up!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985638 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 18:03:09 +0000 Barbara Diane 1985638@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wouldn’t want that tight of a wardrobe for many of the reasons mentioned (what if something wears out, gets ruined, etc.).<br /> But mostly now I’m wondering about the rest of your wardrobe. Have you tried to make a similar capsule? Maybe you’d like it better. Are there pieces you really like that didn’t make it in?<br /> I have no idea how many garments you had in your closet to begin with but I like the idea of putting at least some of the items in a holding zone.<br /> I also would suggest taking a moment to get quiet/centered and then imagine it is the end of the season. How do you feel about your wardrobe? Do you wish you had more items? Did they all make it through? How many will last another season? How do you feel about wearing the same capsule next winter? Will you be happy to refresh it I if needed or will it feel like a waste of time and/or money? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985635 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 17:49:42 +0000 Gretchen 1985635@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>i couldn't - too prone to mood based dressing. But I have friend who swears by a 30 item wardrobe. She queues her clothes on an app and says it's removed a lot of hassle.&nbsp;</p> <p>Would love to see what your capsule looks like! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985628 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 17:12:12 +0000 Carla 1985628@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Pick a few more tops from your existing wardrobe - but yes, it can be done. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tempted-to-dump-my-work-wardrobe#post-1985626 Mon, 24 Dec 2018 17:05:55 +0000 Anonymous 1985626@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The same! <b>Liz</b>. &nbsp;I haven't added anything yet because I haven't found anything I want to add. &nbsp;</p> <p>To be fair. &nbsp;I have had most of December off so I haven't been tested yet. &nbsp;</p> <p></p>