YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:28:47 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Kate on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1307131 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:52:51 +0000 Kate 1307131@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I went searching for pics of EA's style and found this lovely series of blog posts where they show specific items she has and then a bunch of pics of her wearing them with different outfits.  It's great! <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.iwanttobeanalt.com/emmanuelle-alt-closet/">http://www.iwanttobeanalt.com/.....lt-closet/</a> Keturah on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1307105 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:12:36 +0000 Keturah 1307105@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Don't have time to read all the posts. But I did just stumble across this, and I wonder if it would help you in your current season of organization? You choose 3 of everything - one plain, one shocking/amazing/gorgeous, and one in-between the two. <div> </div><div>Just an idea... xo <div> </div><div><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.un-fancy.com/capsule-wardrobe-101/add-variety-to-your-wardrobe-with-one-little-trick/">http://www.un-fancy.com/capsul.....tle-trick/</a> </div></div> rute on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1307066 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:52:59 +0000 rute 1307066@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love your Emmanuelle Alt. Please note that she has simple basics but a gorgeous collection of jackets. She invests in jackets and shoes. She is not over the top with shoes but a medium heel improves the outfit So, the formula is: perfect pants and jeans + a simple t-shirt + a good pair of pointy pumps + a drop death jacket  Kate on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306974 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:48:47 +0000 Kate 1306974@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm a big fan of tracking what I wear (I've been doing it every day since November 2010!), but if you've got as much as it sounds like you do, simply entering all of your items into a spreadsheet will be quite a chore.  If you want to try to cut down a bit before you start keeping track of your stuff digitally, there are other options to keep track of what you're wearing.  One is to flip all the hangers around, and then only flip hangers back after you wear an item.  That's an easy way to visually see what hasn't been worn, but doesn't create much clutter or involve reorganizing.   If you have the space, you could also move the items you have worn to a different closet, room, drawer, or side of the closet, etc.  Then you try to only your unworn items.  This system may prove to be difficult if you have some items that are major workhorses or favorites, but knowing that would be telling. Another way of doing things is to just add items to your spreadsheet as you wear them, but then the "hidden" items simply remain hidden.  But maybe that would be ok...   At this point, it's not clear if you want to significantly cut down your wardrobe and go for a more minimalist approach, or if you want to keep your wardrobe large and use more of it more often.   I think that trying some experiments will help you gain clarity on what it is you want to do.  Something like the 30 for 30 (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.kendieveryday.com/p/30x30-remix.html">http://www.kendieveryday.com/p/30x30-remix.html</a>) would help you figure out how you feel about a capsule wardrobe.  Or keeping track of how many shoes you wear in a week or a month will help you figure out how much variety you actually use/need as opposed to what you purchase.  Or seeing how many days you can go without re-wearing anything can help you determine if the variety is exciting or if you can't wait to get back to your tried and true favorites (and if you have clothes that simply don't work for your lifestyle). Obviously you cannot do all of these different experiments at a time, but I think doing any of them would help you figure out how to proceed and what you want out of your wardrobe. If I were in your place, I would stop shopping and focus on trying to gain some clarity by using what I already have.  I've found that when I was still figuring out my style, shopping trips that I thought were helping me progress ended up resulting in a couple big successes and a lot of mistakes that just gave me more clothes to feel guilty about not wearing.   Good luck, and enjoy the journey! ElleH on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306935 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 06:48:09 +0000 ElleH 1306935@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes Claire a tuxedo suit. I have a silk tuxedo blazer, I just need pants. I did buy the halogen striped midi the other day to wear with a sweater in cooler temps for not too dressy events like thanksgiving or Christmas lunch. That is not in keeping with my new thoughts of pants only in cool weather. I don't need to buy anything else for it though. By the way I don't go to many fancy events. Hardly any. In fact I hardly go anywhere at all lately. Until NAS the only items I bought were for work because my cat doesn't really mind what I wear, & the orange Nicole Miller sheath I'd been waiting for. I've worn that already to a graduation & will be ready for the next daytime wedding. I still refuse to wear black or white to a wedding. The Le Smoking just wouldn't look as good in brown. WWEAW? Oh and the grey linen pants which can't be worn to many of my jobs but were worn to another graduation. Anonymous on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306877 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 03:38:53 +0000 Anonymous 1306877@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nancy, no that's her lunch box, lol! ;) Elle, I freeze in dresses in the Winter too, especially when the sun goes down. I agree. Summer holidays instead would be a fun change! Right now I'm doing just what you said, stand alone dresses in Summer (no jacket required, in fact most of them look stupid with every jacket I've tried). Jeans and blazers/jackets/coat in the Winter. Of course I don't have glamorous F/W evening events to go to like you probably do. You could wear a tuxedo, is that what you meant by a le smoking? I thought that was just the jacket. I like that olive on her, I'm sure it looks good on you too.  ElleH on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306848 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 03:08:53 +0000 ElleH 1306848@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nancy she has no assistants with her. Also it looks like a weekend look for her. Perhaps during the week all her stuff is in a desk drawer. She is also wearing olive, an extra color for her wardrobe. That's good. Now I've seen her in black white grey olive & navy, oh & leopard booties. I wear those colors but also all the shades of brown. All my colors are neutral with the occasional bit of coral or tomato red accent. Claire I will never stop carrying a bag. I'm barely able to manage clutches. I will always wear sunglasses too. And dresses when it is very hot. But I do love her simple wardrobe as inspiration. I just have to keep what I need to make it comfortable for me. It would be convenient to only wear pants in cooler weather though. I find many of my shoes & jackets for jeans & pants don't work with my dresses so I have to buy more stuff & finding jackets that look good with dresses is hard. Maybe I should set out to find the perfect Le Smoking for cooler dressy events, and only buy dresses for warm weather. I freeze in dressy dresses in the winter. Why can't the holidays be in Summer like Australia? And if I could find that belt of hers I would never need another belt. That & my burberry & my white mens belt. See there I go wanting more than her again. NancyT on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306779 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 01:58:07 +0000 NancyT 1306779@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A rare sighting...EA with a purse Suz on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306733 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 01:11:25 +0000 Suz 1306733@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/  "It is like visual noise."  yup. I hear you. LOL.  I think you just need a beautiful closet organization system like the ones you design for clients. :)  I don't like clutter, either. I do have a lot of "stuff" in my house because we have books galore. But I constantly make it NEAT. And there has to be space between.  Anonymous on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1306705 Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:49:46 +0000 Anonymous 1306705@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Elle, I have a problem with those over the door shoe racks too! They look so--I don't know--temporary? Your work as an organizer has probably spoiled you for very high-end solutions and finishes. Whatever you wind up with must be not only neat, but beautiful to look at. I love custom made built-ins (not that I have any) and the ones you described for shoes--with glass doors sound breathtaking! Remember when we were all calling you (Emanu)Elle, because you look just like EA? You could totally rock a look like hers, well maybe not just like hers, or you will be photographed on the street every time you go out, lol! And it doesn't have to be all black--it can be your SoCal version. You could pull a small, edited collection of items out of your main closet and put them in your hall closet to try it out without commitment. I'm really interested to see where you go with this. Oh, and I'm totally intrigued by the fact that Emanuelle Alt doesn't carry a bag. I'm actually considering trying that myself. I've loved carrying a clutch this last year so I'm already pared down to phone+small wallet+car key, but I have to carry sunnies too because my Rx lenses would melt if I left them in the car.  Lisa on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305992 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:38:10 +0000 Lisa 1305992@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I need to see my items to use them.  This is why I can keep my boutique (or hold items) in the same closet as my day to day items, and not use them.  They are in opaque bags that are covered.  Out of sight out of mind for me.  Footwear is split into two closets, the front door closet has shoes for the season and my working closet has the out of season items.  My rarely used footwear (weddings, business dress, etc) are the only footwear items stored in boxes.  The occasions are so specific I think of the shoes for say a dress to a wedding.  But day to day items must be in easy reach and sight for me. viva on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305976 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:31:44 +0000 viva 1305976@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I haven't gotten to the outfit tracking and not sure I ever will -- that is a level of detail I'm not sure I am really up to. I have found that for me, continually culling to a smaller wardrobe to keep everything visible is the most helpful. I am like you in that clutter is noise -- it makes me very anxious. I just counted my wardrobe and it's small-to-medium, and I keep going back into the closet to try to pare it down further. I just want to see everything and have fewer choices. Everything now for the entire year fits in one side of one walk-in closet I share with DH. I keep all my shoes (again, a small collection) out on shoe shelves from Home Depot's Martha Stewart line. They get a little dusty but I try to keep up with it. I have to see them to remember them, and actually, the dusting and handling helps me remember them too. For me, I guess it's all about keeping it visible, but also keeping the visible manageable. I not only need it hanging in front of me, I need space between everything -- no stuffing the racks. So that necessitates a small collection. This is all new learning but I think it's going to help me with outfit creation and also with smarter shopping. Best of luck, and I hope you stay well! Anonymous on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305916 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:52:00 +0000 Anonymous 1305916@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love this post and this subject.  In the past, I did forget about items that I could not see or did not see regularly.  So I arranged my closet in such a way that I could clearly see every single item in my closet.  I cannot forget about things that way.   I have two closets in my main bedroom.  In one closet, I hang all the bottoms, moving from casual pants to dress pants to dress skirts.  In the second closet I hang all the tops.  I fold tee shirts and sweaters on the shelf above.  I can clearly see each item.  Nothing gets forgotten and I can dress in partial darkness in a millisecond.   Special thank you to Claire for her links.  I'll review them this evening.   ElleH on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305864 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 07:23:47 +0000 ElleH 1305864@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks everyone. These tips are helpful. I will PM a couple of you about what I'm up to these days. Some great suggestions here I am going to try. And some perhaps not cos I don't really like over the door shoe bags. They feel cluttery to me. Clutter to me is like noise is to some people. It makes me uncomfortable. It is like visual noise. I know others would think that is not clutter at all. Having a bag of compartmentalized shoes. I guess it is that they are hanging in view rather than inside a walk in closet. I don't have a walk in. For some reason the idea of shelves with cubby holes seems neater to my eye. I will track my outfits & what I wear. I think I won't purge anything until I've done this for a while. And if I do discover something isn't getting worn but I love it then maybe I will hold onto it for the right occasion, weather etc. Perhaps I haven't had the opportunity lately. So long as the opportunities aren't fantasies. I had a huge moving purge 6 months ago. I won't wear any purchases I'm not sure about yet. I don't plan to only wear black but I like thinking about how it simplifies things & reduces the need for so many items. EA wears white jeans, jackets, shirts & light blue shirts too but the same black belt every day with a black shoe. These vary but they wouldn't need to vary much. I need to read Claire's links & digest all the other ideas here. Adelfa on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305828 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 04:48:49 +0000 Adelfa 1305828@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think rabbit makes a super good point about how black uniform dressing is not appreciated everywhere. I used to dress that way and agricultural California did not appreciate it. Clients complained that I looked depressing. Others (not clients) wondered if I had some kind of mental health thing going on. So I started adding color and lighter neutrals. I would just make sure that your environment is up for all the black (which I still love). I can see all of my shoes and I like it. They are in cubbies that are open and I don't have a dust problem, perhaps because I wear them often enough. I have about two dozen which isn't too much to store. I can see all of my bags too. Looking forward to seeing what you can come up with! Gigi on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305821 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 04:38:48 +0000 Gigi 1305821@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm sorry to hear about your memory problems, Elle. That certainly is frustrating! What I have found is that if I wear something enough, I will remember that I have it. So the key is making sure you wear everything for a while, and the best way maybe to do that is to decide the night before on a couple of possible outfits for the next day. So, say you have two blouses that you haven't worn much of. You could build a couple of outfits around these blouses the night before, and then when you wake up you could pick whichever outfit you feel like wearing. In this way you will start wearing your closet and get a better idea of what is in it by experience. I also periodically do what Rabbit does. I have a spreadsheet of my entire wardrobe, and I sometimes look at it to see what is being worn and what isn't. That way I can say, "Oh! I forgot about that top" and make an outfit around it. Sometimes I find that I'm not wearing an item because I'm not really quite sure what to wear with it. This gets me to think about possible combinations, and then I can wear the item much easier. And as Rabbit points out, it can be a lot easier to look at your closet via a spreadsheet than to have to stick your head in there and move all the hangers around. DonnaF on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305791 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 03:50:42 +0000 DonnaF 1305791@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have two over the door racks; each holds 18 pairs of shoes.  I use the one in my bedroom for in-season shoes and the one in the spare bedroom for out of season shoes.  (I have no tall boots.)  I figure 36 pairs of shoes, sandals, and booties is more than enough and actually, not all slots are filled at this point.  I still tend to overlook several pairs that I should probably purge, but having them all in full view helps.  Having most at eye level (vs. a high shelf or floor shelf) most definitely helps. Suz on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305775 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 03:28:10 +0000 Suz 1305775@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Elle, it sounds as if you have been dealing with a lot of changes. No wonder you are tired -- quite apart from health issues, this would be difficult.  I have to admit I laughed out loud when I got to this part:  "Actually EA doesn't carry a bag. I wonder if all the girls following her around have her things stuffed in their pockets. Is their no sun in Paris? She doesn't even wear sunglasses. " I think you could definitely rock an EA style.  But I also think what you've said here points to the difficulty of trying to model ourselves too strictly on celebs. Their lives are just so different from ours. Well, at least from mine. I certainly don't have a retinue of pretty young acolytes to carry my lipstick for me! Or my kleenex, LOL.  (Note: There hardly ever IS sun in Paris....but I digress...)  I have what I'd call a medium sized wardrobe now. I think I'd like it a little bit tighter and more streamlined, so my next project is going to be tracking to see which outfits I love the most and why. I'm actually happy repeating outfits that I love, and I do wear a kind of "uniform" a lot of the time, or at least I wear a few variations on a theme. Yet at the same time, I know I get bored when it's the same thing for months on end. A signature style is one thing. Wearing the same darn shirt is another.  But everybody is different. I think our life style and climate has to dictate a lot of this.  As for how to store your stuff to make it visible, I don't have any great suggestions except maybe one of those hanging IKEA shoe racks? I switch out my footwear (and clothes) seasonally because I live in a 4 season climate. So at any given time I only have about half my shoes in my main closet. They all fit on a small rack and the floor space and I can see them. I guess they are gathering dust, but I wear them often enough not to worry, and if I don't wear them, I tend to get rid of them. Because why hang onto them if they don't work?  Deborah on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305714 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 02:26:31 +0000 Deborah 1305714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I absolutely love what you are suggesting in your post here Elle.  And surely if it's good enough for EA it's good enough for us :) I think this kind of minimalism is doable as long as you are happy with limiting your variety.  I know I am:) You had me pondering my many black boots??  I wear my black ankle boots almost daily at the moment, why do I "need" all the others.  You have given me food for thought and I will return to this. BTW, how are you doing?  Sounds like you have changed jobs recently?  You mentioned brain fog and memory ... how are you health wise?  Hope you don't mind me asking.  It seems you have had a lot of change going recently. ElleH on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305707 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 02:12:58 +0000 ElleH 1305707@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks ladies. I will check out those links Claire. I should photograph my outfits, even if I don't post a WIW. I've been too tired to post lately & am making up for it all today. Then I will see what I wear a lot & remind my self of what outfits I can create. Brain fog is one of my health symptoms. I then thought that I could start my own pinterest categories of my outfits, not just the stuff I find on the web. Part of my organizational clutter free mind likes to have everything digital. No books, CDs, DVDs, filing cabinets or paper. In fact I am working as a freelance organizer, mainly focused on offices & paper but I do closets too. Keeping it all on a computer means I forget about it. My closet is organized but I feel like I need to see my shoes or get rid of them. I wasn't sure how long I'd be living here so I haven't remedied it. I also started working in dirty environments walking on rough terrain, getting on my hands & knees sometimes & carrying dust covered boxes from garages so that has influenced my clothing & shoe choices when dressing. I don't go anywhere other than work much as that is where I have to channel my energy. If I get better or change jobs I might find I wear more of my other stuff. My memory is part of what is causing me the problems too these days. I don't have too many of any clothing category but I feel that I've needed shoes for different events or outfits. If I wore the same clothes all the time I could wear the same shoes. NancyT on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305687 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 01:49:44 +0000 NancyT 1305687@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love your Emmanuelle Alt suggestion....she's one of my icons! p.s. Thanks for the links Claire :) Anonymous on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305664 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 01:11:50 +0000 Anonymous 1305664@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So you knew I would be all over this, right? First of all, here's a link that was on Link Love last week about organizing a large and varied wardrobe: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.alreadypretty.com/2014/07/reader-request-closet-organization-for-the-large-and-varied-wardrobe.html">http://www.alreadypretty.com/2.....varied-war</a> On the other hand, it sounds like you might be a bit overwhelmed by all of your things, some of which you can't even see. You might be a prime candidate for Project 333, in which you choose a small subset of items to wear for the current season, and store away the rest.  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://theproject333.com/capsule/">http://theproject333.com/capsule/</a> There is no right approach. I would follow your heart on this and see which one give you the most peace. Of course there's lots of ground in between (and at the extremes). I'm currently doing a version of the Ten-Item Wardrobe and it makes me feel very calm and serene not to have too much in my closet. But everyone is different! <a rel="nofollow" href="http://dailyconnoisseur.blogspot.com/2012/11/ten-item-wardrobe-getting-started.html">http://dailyconnoisseur.blogsp.....arted.html</a> Over at IntoMind, there are some great posts on developing a signature style (she uses Emanuelle Alt as an example) to make dressing simpler. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://into-mind.com/2014/03/16/how-to-build-the-perfect-wardrobe-10-basic-principles/">http://into-mind.com/2014/03/1.....rinciples/</a> I hope this is helpful instead of overwhelming. You might have to be like Popeye and eat up the worms and spit out the germs, lol! Good luck. :) rabbit on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305662 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 01:07:51 +0000 rabbit 1305662@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well I like black and I probably could do a lower budget version her style (didn't carry a bag until this year), and it might be a good idea for a longer stay in a city like NY or Paris where black uniform dressing is appreciated.     For me though variety (as long as most things work together) and pattern are a lot of fun for me right now, and have pretty consistently gone hand in hand with my love of black my whole life. In terms of wearing everything in a larger closet, this is where using a spreadsheet is something I find helpful.   I initially set it up to track CPW and record daily outfits, but it also helps me plan the outfit for the next day.   I scan my shoe section on the spreadsheet and see what hasn't been worn in a while and might be fun to step out in, and then build from there, or build around a top or skirt.     In some ways it keeps more variety in rotation than if I just stuck my head in the closet, but it's been good for road-testing various outfit combos, and then if they are great I star them on the spreadsheet and wear them again. ElleH on "Thinking about a smaller wardrobe of only items I wear a lot. Should items be more visible?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/thinking-about-a-smaller-wardrobe-of-only-items-i-wear-a-lot-should-items-be-more-visible#post-1305637 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:40:03 +0000 ElleH 1305637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ All the purging, organizing, minimalism posts etc have me thinking but also NAS "makes" me shop when I wasn't planning to & all I probably really need is a new bra or 2 & a couple of pairs of long trousers. I'm not even sure that I need those. Maybe jeans are acceptable in my work but it's hard to know so I play it safe with trousers. So in thinking about what to buy comes the question of what do I need & why do I need it. If I had a very focused style like Emmanuel Alt I could spend less & take up less space. Anyway, I'm wondering I don't wear some items because I have too many or if it is because I can't see everything I have, especially the shoes. Do you think you forget about items because you're rushing to get ready or are too tired to think (both things that happen to me) & just grab what you see? Do you think finding a way to have more things displayed would help? I don't know how I would do this. My hanging clothes are organized. I can see them but my shoes & bags are not so easy to see. Bags are protected in dust bags & shoes are in bottom of closet neatly but hidden underneath hanging stuff. Other shoes are in boxes stacked up in shelf in top of closet. I can easily identify what is in each box & if I think of a certain shoe I know exactly where it is. I'm organized. But I don't get inspired to put together a different outfit or wear a different shoe perhaps due to out of sight out of mind. Or maybe it is just like I said. I have too many? In the 80s my clothes hung on a rack because it was trendy but they gathered dust. At a previous old apartment my shoes gathered dust inside the closet. I bought clear plastic shoe boxes & stacked them at my last apartment. It was annoying getting to the ones at the bottom. Now I'm at a new place & haven't quite figured out a system & I'm not sure I'm staying here but I would like cabinets with glass doors & individual cubbies to fit each pair of shoes & bags where I can see them & they won't collect dust. Or I could be a less expensive version of EA & have one pair of black oxfords, black tennis shoes, black ankle strap pump, black flat tall boots & black booties & one black clutch & one black tote. Actually EA doesn't carry a bag. I wonder if all the girls following her around have her things stuffed in their pockets. Is there no sun in Paris? She doesn't even wear sunglasses. Why I need such a big bag & how to change that is my next project, post perhaps. And 2 pairs of black jeans, one black cropped pant, one pair of black flares, one black moto, one black tuxedo blazer, 2 black t shirts & 2 white ones. One black button down & one white one. 2 black sweaters or one grey & one black. One grey wool ( hides lint) coat & one trench. She doesn't even need a dress. The flares & tuxedo are here dress up le smoking outfit. If they were fab pieces could I live with just these? Could you? I'm happy with black & I love her style so you can sub in your own colors or items.