YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Wear tracking updates?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Wear tracking updates? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:43:20 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Anonymous on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906563 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:39:50 +0000 Anonymous 1906563@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree wholeheartedly, LaP!!!!  I implemented a tracking system when I started to feel a loss of control (pre-YLF days).  Why was I always shopping?  Was I always buying the same thing?  Well, that seems weird.  Do I have a problem or am I imagining a problem?   Today these data inform my purchases.  For example, I was always buying black slacks for work (I wasn't imagining it!).  How many pairs of black slacks does a rational woman actually need?  I own three pair today.  I have enough to meet all my needs.   Tracking allowed me to know the actual count of black slacks in my wardrobe; how often each of them was worn; which of them were rarely being worn; and the maximum price I should pay for an item for my lifestyle and budget (as Gigi pointed out above).  On the flip side, I discovered that I could rationalize spending a lot more money on bags because I use them constantly and the price per wear decreases dramatically.   I also learned that duplication is not necessary my friend.  Duplication makes so much sense .... but in practice it does not work for me.  Yet, I still claim the title Queen of Duplication.  I continue to work on that resolving that issue.   LaPed on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906464 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 13:12:46 +0000 LaPed 1906464@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Bijou, I haven't bothered tracking accessories because I don't buy many of them (one pair of sunnies, plus my older pair as back-up, one tote bag, one crossbody). I could track scarves and hats, but most of them were handmade by my mum and have been in my closet for a very, very long time. If I ever reach a point where I'm "collecting" a certain type of accessory, then I'll start tracking it. But I just don't shop for accessories the way I do apparel; with the exception of bags and sunglasses, my accessories don't really wear out. I agree that my sunglasses probably have the lowest CPW of anything I own, and perhaps the highest joy-per-wear! Jenni, I struggled with how to incorporate my older clothes into my wear-tracking too, but ultimately decided not to sweat over estimating previous wears. I figure if something has been in my closet for a long time, making the cut through several cross-country moves it's usually because I do wear it! Anyway, my real interest is in what I'm reaching for now. I do have a column in my spreadsheet to indicate Purchase Year, and another for whether something was bought new or secondhand, so those give me some more insight into longevity. Oldest items are from 2002 and both from J Crew: duffel coat and a boiled wool hoodie that need repairs before I wear them again, but I haven't found a good tailor in my area whom I trust to put a new lining in a coat that has a lot of sentimental value... ""Tasselectomy" -- hah! I have performed a few rufflectomies myself. ;) Jussie, pants are the hardest thing, next to shoes, for me to find. It's the only category of clothes where I'm a heavy duplicator because when I find something that fits I do feel I ought to stock up. I have three pairs of Levi's 501s in different washes, two pairs of Boden Richmonds pants in different colours, etc. Also, like Sal, I'm very hard on my pants compared to the rest of my clothes (excepting, again, shoes). My #1 favourite olive pants have bleach stains on them, and I still wear them because they fit better than any other pants I've ever had. I do wonder if I ought to try dying over the bleach spots, but I might just make it worse. Gigi, your budget thresholds are very similar to mine. Pants and tops up to $100 (really for tops I'm trying to not buy at all, and when I do they're usually under $50), up to $200 for shoes and outerwear, although I would be willing to go higher for something exceptional in either of those categories, because they are reliably high-wear categories.  Smittie, my husband is the same as you with his work shoes; he only wears them in an office setting and they seem to last forever. I say wear the Burberry! Good coats are hard to damage. It really will last forever even if you're wearing it on a regular basis (see above with my J Crew duffle coat -- the wool outer is still in great shape; the lining is shot but should be replaceable). I'm impressed that you have just 5 pairs of pants in rotation -- a couple years ago I had about that many, and I felt like I was perpetually cleaning or mending them. Having a few more options is a great sanity-saver for me, and I still feel like I'm always shopping for something to replace a worn-out pair (right now it's black jeans); I just can't stay ahead of my pants... Efbgen, I haven't yet put away my winter clothes. We're supposed to get more snow this week! However, I didn't put away my summer clothes last year til the end of October because the fall was so unseasonably warm where I am. The seasons have been very erratic -- makes it hard to plan! Sterling -- it's so worth it! Tracking gives me a real sense of being "in control" of my wardrobe if that makes sense.  Greyscale, that's a great idea. Maybe once I have a year's worth of data I'll think about graphing too. I think the wears are in part a reflection of a very long, gruelling winter in the northeast. I'm really pushing myself to wear my "transitional" clothes before we slingshot right into summer weather, but it's so chilly/grey/windy/snowy I really just want to keep wearing my deep winter stuff.   Jenn, those are good percentages to keep in my mind. I'll be really curious to see what my numbers look like after I've tracked a full four seasons. I'm still trying to figure out what my "seasonal" pieces are. I have a cotton cardigan that I think of as a warm-weather piece, but I've worn it 11 times this year, so I guess it's really a year-round garment.   Bijou on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906439 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:58:57 +0000 Bijou 1906439@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Have you tracked the wear on your accessories? I know my sunglasses would definitely be the best $/wear item in my wardrobe because I wear them 365 days of the year and have only 3 pairs, with 1 mainly in rotation. Handbags are also very cost effective purchases for me because 1. the JOY! I really love my handbags 2. I use one daily and get good use from them 3. they have a longevity factor, I am pretty good at keeping them in pristine condition, so they last a long time. Jenni NZ on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906419 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 10:13:10 +0000 Jenni NZ 1906419@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well yes next month will be 2 years of tracking La P. I started with guesswork on how many times things had been worn before that, and anything bought since May 2016 will be accurate. Just last month I've started to document what I am removing as well and how many wears it has had. Grey K-mart singlet 2015 cost $16, 17 wears, gone a bit floppy and wearing out. Verge summer top bright colours 2011 cost $113, 36 wears( early wears guessed)- still in good shape and not dated I felt, just "over it" after 7 years. Pale green silky jacket 2010 I showed the forum-about 25 wears, floppy neckline and a bit tight in the arms. Unsure of the 2010 cost. Decided I'm tired of it. Summer print cotton dress 2015 30 wears, got a hole and 2 frayed areas. Cost $69. Wearing out. Summer print tunic 2016 $30, 45 wears. A favourite. Tassels on the bottom were fraying and falling off. Have done a "tasselectomy" but necklace edging stretched. May keep for gardening or painting only. Pale pink cut-out top $38 2016, 96% polyester. This was an online buy that was essentially a mistake as the fabric quality was not good. It was quite pretty. I forced myself into 10 wears to bring CPW down but it has fraying threads now. Lesson learned, probably not to buy anything but shoes online. I should have returned it in the first place. I have tried very hard to buy better since joining YLF in January 2017. I still have a fairly small number of over 30 wears items but working on it. jussie on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906378 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 07:10:42 +0000 jussie 1906378@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is an interesting thread. Although I’ve never tracked wears, I already know that my jeans are worn very frequently. This means it’s super important for me to have some pairs of jeans that I’m happy with (although this isn’t easy to find), so if I’m at the shops I’ll often just randomly try a couple of pairs on, as it’s worth stocking up whenever I happen to find a pair I like. Sals point about often seeing a lot of people whilst wearing winter outer wear is a good point, this holds true for me in winter too. Maybe my coat capsule could do with a little more attention.... Gigi on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906357 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 04:04:06 +0000 Gigi 1906357@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is why I love tracking wears...you learn a lot about your wearing habits! Tracking wears enables me to see which silhouettes get worn the most, especially when it comes to jeans. It helps me determine future purchases by showing me what's getting worn the most and what's getting worn the least. It also helps me determine ballpark numbers for how much money I am comfortable spending on a particular type of item (I have only a modest wardrobe budget, so I have to be very careful). In my tracking, I have learned that I really want to avoid spending more than $100 for a pair of jeans or a top. I like to feel like I get my money's worth out of my clothing (which to me means $1-2 per wear), and I find that if I spend more than $100 for a single item, I either tire of the item before I feel that I've gotten my money's worth, or else the item wears out before that point. In exceptional circumstances I will spend more than $100 for a single item, so it's not a set-in-stone rule. I bought a pair of embroidered jeans that were an excellent fit, a new-to-me light wash, full length, and well tapered at the ankles--a set of traits that I rarely find together. So I splurged on them ($128). I'm very happy that I did! Anonymous on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906291 Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:45:48 +0000 Anonymous 1906291@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes, I think balancing out the pants to tops might be a good way to create some more interesting outfits. I think I had 5 pairs of pants all winter. So 30 days x 7 months = 210 days / 5 pants = ~40 wears each. It was boring but I was ok with boredom as I think I looked nice enough every day. I had some new outerwear and booties to keep me happy. But even with those additions, I don’t think I was having fun with fashion and I’m not sure what to do about that because I just don’t like winter clothing. I wore two pairs of booties indoors all winter. So 210days /2 = 105 wears each. Wow, that’s insane! They still look like new because they were mostly only worn indoors! I still really like both pairs and will wear them both next year. I have some amazing L.A. Canadienne boots which I wore every day at least 4 months this year. Not a lot of walking in them though, but they are still getting a worn look and they’re now on preserve-mode. Gah! This is year two for them. I guess that’s all i can expect. I am wondering whether tall hunter boots with lining would be a good option for next year, and then split wears with a more delicate boot. My Burberry pea coat has had about 10-15 wears over the past 7 months, I’d say. I do try to save it for best. Sal on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906264 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 22:40:03 +0000 Sal 1906264@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting - I have only ever tracked for one month at a time (on two occasions). I know my workhorse shoes (both winter and summer), jeans, outerwear and sweaters get a lot of wear.  Dresses, tops, more dressy/fun shoes do get less for various reasons. I also seem to stain, rip, ruin pants more than tops!! Even in my milder climate I think prioritising footwear and outer wear is important.  I see a lot of people outdoors - walking together, watching sport together etc  So having decent outwear and footwear that I like and feel good in is more important than the pants or long sleeve merino that is rarely seen in full (only a glimpse).  You clearly have done well with your workhorses!! Anonymous on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906252 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 22:04:24 +0000 Anonymous 1906252@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Impressive.   Anonymous on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906250 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 21:48:17 +0000 Anonymous 1906250@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow! With it being a bad winter my turtlenecks saw a lot of action( no figures sorry) will have to track my button downs for spring a little more closely. Problem is I use fashion to escape math ( especially at tax season time) Greyscale on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906244 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 21:32:42 +0000 Greyscale 1906244@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ And yeah, I’m impressed that anything hit 30 wears already! I suppose it makes sense that winter outerwear and footwear would get a lot of use, but you clearly chose winners. Greyscale on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906243 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 21:30:44 +0000 Greyscale 1906243@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In a few days I’ll hit 1 year of tracking what I buy and wear. I’m looking forward to analyzing it. I will even make graphs. Jenn on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906226 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 20:46:14 +0000 Jenn 1906226@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Having items at 30 wears already this year is super-impressive! I don't have stats for just 2018, but over all time, I'm finding that the percentage of my wardrobe in various categories is staying very close to the same. I usually have somewhere close to 20% of my closet at less than 10 wears, about 40% between 10-24 wears, and the last 40% at 25+. This stays pretty consistent as new pieces rotate in and others rotate out. I'm pretty happy with my seasonal pieces getting 10-15 wears per year. Bags, shoes, and outerwear inevitably get more, though. Jeans and gear, as well. Sisi on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906122 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:49:36 +0000 Sisi 1906122@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ How interesting! I have approximately the same figures as you. About 30 wears for outerwear, shoes and a beloved pair of jeans, 10 wears for pants and fewer wears for tops (sweaters, tees and such). That's because lately I have been buying too many tops in the search of the perfect one - I am never happy with my tops.  LaPed on "Wear tracking updates?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wear-tracking-updates#post-1906112 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:29:48 +0000 LaPed 1906112@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I know a few others here had started wear-tracking this year (and others have been tracking for much longer!). I started Jan 1st of this year, so I have accumulated some interesting data on mid-to-late winter. I've had seven items hit 30 wears (that is, 30 wears this year, I started everything from an artificial zero): my long down coat, my short down jacket, my long wool coat, my Blundstones, my Allbirds and my Soft Star metros (both currently being used as indoor-only house/classroom shoes), and my Bogs. So, outerwear and footwear. Several of my loungewear items (hoodies and sweatpants) are up in the 20s, as is some of my outdoor gear. Many of my pants and jeans are at 8-10 wears, along with a few of my favorite toppers. Shirts, lightweight layering sweaters, etc, are all quite a bit lower -- I have more than I need but no desire to cull, because they're my primary source of variety.  It's quite instructive, and I think the data is fairly in line with my spending habits. I have a higher price limit for outerwear and footwear, because I know those will see lots of use. I'm trying to be disciplined about not adding any more tops! If anything, I ought to try to balance my tops:bottoms ratio a bit more, as I end up having to launder or spot-clean my jeans and trousers quite often -- my legs are apparently bigger stain magnets than my upper body!  Anyone else learning anything interesting from their wear tracking or other closet management methods?