A quick wardrobe counting question..

lyn*

I count everything I can wear out in public on its own ... uh, with a bottom if it's a top, and with a top if it's a bottom ... I don't count things I wear only in layers (like spaghetti strap tanks).

11 years ago

Anonymous

Well, I only count stand-alone tops, bottoms and dresses.

I do not count cardigans, jackets, coats, shoes, or handbags in my core "10 Item wardrobe.. Most people do not count layering Ts, tanks, camisoles or leggings. I also don't count gear, sleepwear or loungewear that I never leave the house in.

I think for the 3/33 they count more items, like cardigans, jackets, coats, shoes, handbags, belts, hats, and jewelry.

I guess it just depends on how you slice and dice it!

11 years ago

kerry

Veteran

Hi Diane,

I just finished a wardrobe inventory and counted everything by category; toppers, tops, sweaters, bottoms, outerwear, shoes/boots, accessories. I didn't include under things, gear, loungers, PJs or socks/tights but I have a rough idea of those numbers too.

I was really trying to see if I overbuy in a particular category. I was also trying to get some sense of what items work in what seasons. Some are obvious but the more transitional pieces needed more thought on my part. I also did this to remind myself of what I have in my wardrobe so that I can wear ALL of it.

I wanted to get clear on what I could wear in each season. Right now I keep everything in a shared modest walk-in closet. But after the inventory, I moved some out-of-season items to another area of the closet so I could see what I actually have to work with for spring and summer. I don't know why I've always kept everything "out" all the time. It's confusing.

I also recorded when I bought each item so I could see how long I'm holding on to things and realized that I expect items to last much longer than they do. I always knew that bras, undies, socks, tees and tanks need to be replenished regularly but noticed here on the forum that many people turn over items in 2-4 years. This really surprised me!

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think it's really up to you what you want to count, Diane, and what your purpose is. When I consider my wardrobe I break it down by item per season and my total number included all stand-alone clothing PLUS indoor jackets, cardigans, pullovers that I might not wear alone but that I considered indoor wear and part of an "outfit." I didn't include layering tees & gear, accessories like scarves, or outer wear or footwear (although I did count these separately and noted what I was wearing most and why.)

11 years ago

cinnamon fern

Veteran

I count everything except underwear and socks - coats, layering tees, belts, bags, shoes, and gear. I include gear because it would be just as easy for me to end up with more gear than I need as it would be with regular clothes.

I count because I'm trying to keep my wardrobe at a size where stuff actually wears out. Why are you counting?

11 years ago

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I'm counting anything that isn't gear or underwear. Layering tees don't count, but basic tees do if I can wear them astops.

11 years ago

Anonymous

Thanks ladies, very interesting. I'm a little surprised as to the variation of what you all think should and shouldn't be included.

Cinnamon Fern, I'm wanting to count just out of sheer curiosity really and because over the last year I've added quite a bit to my wardrobe after getting rid of a lot of stuff over the previous couple of years and due to the YLF effect :). I also sort of think that with the few extra things I plan to make this year that my wardrobe is a nice moderate size so I'm curious now as to the total.

Here's what I think should probably be counted : All items of anything that constitutes part of an outfit, whether it's to be worn inside or out, but not including underwear like strappy cami's, bras and briefs, or plain white long sleeved underwear layering tees. I think shoes could be counted separately and also workout wear.

I think therefore, all tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets, tees, including basic tees for casual wear, sweaters, coats, cardigans. All of these will be fair game.

I'll most likely class scarves as accessories along with jewellery and won't count them.

It's quite a job to photograph everything though. Do you all try to keep up with new purchases once you've got the initial long session done?

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I count tops - including tanks and camis if they can be worn on their own which most all of mine can - pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, coats, jackets, shoes (except gear shoes like Sorel snow boots and Asics to run in). I don't count belts or bags or scarves (not that I have or wear many of these items anyway). I do not count gear or sleep/lounge, nor leggings, which border on underwear in my mind.
I've found I have 36 tops, 36 bottoms, and 36 toppers. Very bizarre. 28 shoes,16 dresses and 1 jumpsuit.

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think we cross posted. I very much do try and keep up with new purchases pictures. Many of mine are online orders so I take a copy of the stock pic when I place the order. Then if I keep the item I can add it to my closet inventory. It took a loooong time to initially photo catalog my stuff 3 years ago and I don't want to have to do that hard work again!
You might try a wardrobe app once you have all your pics. I'm loving Stylish Girl on my Kindle (or android) and I believe it has iPhone platform as well. I think lyn* uses Style book on her ipad.

https://play.google.com/store/.....tylishgirl

11 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

I count things like tops, bottoms, dresses, toppers and shoes. I bought an app to help me organize my closet, so that's how I count what I have. I just need to remember to keep it updated.

I don't count underwear, socks or things of that nature. I just eye ball it and as things are discarded, I try to keep a mental checklist of what needs to be replenished.

11 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

I count and track CPW for everything visible and worn outside that isn't gear or beat-up lounge wear (things to get muddy in). Mainly because I'm not buying anymore gear, I'm set for awhile, and what I have gets used regularly or was resold awhile ago.

So I count shoes, belts, scarves, bags, coats, tights, leggings, dress socks that are visible under heels so the color matters (not athletic or no-show socks which I wear until they get holes), and camis that are essential to outfits and show at the neckline. Layering tees that never show I don't count as they are part of the loungewear. PJs I don't count.

If I buy a necklace I might add it, but for now I don't count jewelry as I pretty much only wear hoop earrings right now.

I haven't taken pictures, but I do enter everything onto a spreadsheet.

ETA: I was thinking I had a relatively high number of clothes, and now I'm not so sure where I fall because the variation in 'what counts'

11 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I don't count. I don't photograph. I don't track. I do, however, examine my garments frequently and purge all the time. I have an eBay purge category, things I think I can sell. Then I have a thrift/charity shop category which is the biggest. I have a hard time throwing things in the garbage, I let the charity shop figure out what to do -- maybe things can be shipped to a bulk rag buyer and they can benefit. Almost nothing of mine is really that worn out. The one exception is tees which have tiny holes in them due to the flowing sheer tee trend. The ones from Zara get holes. The ones from Vince get holes. The ones from Splendid get holes, as do the H&M. Whether I spent $60 or $5, they need constant replacement.

So you see I don't have an inventory process which involves counting, but it does involve stock rotation. I will keep things anywhere from one month (it it's a fail) to 4 years. I think the average age of my closet is 18 to 24 months.I like frequent rotation and fresh merchandise.

I've been curious to try the 3/33 approach though. But maybe start at, 90 items for 3 months! Then see if I can further go minimal. I am not a minimalist, this would be a huge challenge.

In terms of what you count and what you don't, to me it all takes up space, time, money and energy to acquire and maintain. So not counting certain things puzzles me, although I see the logic behind it.

I have thought before of trying to establish a quantity for each necessary category. I have an excessive quantity of smart casual clothes, also casual clothes. This is where I'd like to whittle it down but my love for shopping and trends always gets the better of me. A few years ago I did an analysis of needs based on my lifestyle, I need to do that again this year. The analysis didn't help me curb my shopping and accumulative tendencies at all. I am super practical about work clothes needed, and wear the heck out of them. Also fancy things. I only have a few nice dresses, and don't mind repeating them. It's the trendy casual things I fall prey to again and again.

Sorry for the rant!

11 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I refuse to count my wardrobe.

11 years ago

deb

Veteran

This year I am counting all new purchases, clothing, underwear, shoes, hats, bags, all of it. I have is on an EXCEL spreadsheet by year and month and am including item type and dollar amount. I want to see how much I spend and where I am spending. I really do not budget, this is for my own curiosity.

11 years ago

Anonymous

I especially count tanks, socks, stuff that I machine wash, so that I know if I have enough to last between washings. Now that it's just DH and I, it can be hard to get a load of like type stuff. I refuse to count my shoes. As long as I have room to keep them in their storage area, I am not concerned.
When I didn't have very many clothes I counted outfits to see if I had enough for a week. Things like white jeans skew the count because they need to be washed after every wear, while usually my dark denim does not. I don't dry much in the dryer, including jeans, so drying time has to be considered. Summer means washing more things so more may be needed. Not sure this makes sense.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think I've only counted within categories, not across them. In other words, I want to have x bras and y pairs of underwear for laundry purposes, but I have no idea what the total number of items of clothing I own. Most of my 'inventory control' methods have to do with containers - I've got a certain amount of drawer space for the stuff that gets folded, and if I'm overflowing I have to cull. I took the idea from YLFers to get a certain number of hangers, and once those are used I need to cull, etc. Numberswise this doesn't always work out equitably across the seasons. Obviously I can fit a lot more summer tank tops in a drawer than I can thick sweaters.

I think it depends on why you're counting - to track CPW? Then probably you should count everything, including shoes and undergarments, so you can see how those are used. To aim toward a smaller wardrobe, or have a limit you don't go above? Then you need to decide what things you need to minimize and how much is 'enough' for you.

11 years ago

Susie

Veteran

For my lists of what I have in my closet and for tracking the number of times I wear things, my categories are pants, dresses, skirts, jeans, layering tops (tanks and tees), toppers, knit tops, shirts, sweaters, shorts, sweatshirts, footwear and bags.

I don't track wearings or the total number of pieces for gear, coats, swimwear, scarves, belts, underwear, socks or loungewear. But I do include most of those items on my list of purchases which has 3 sections- clothing, shoes/bags, and accessories.

11 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I wanted to count/include all my clothing, footwear & accessories for the purpose of counting CPW. So it's easier to tell you what I didn't count Underwear, tanks & camis that are used as underwear, sleep wear & the very few sentimental pieces I've kept. The reason I didn't count them is that the first three truly are essentials & I know they get worn to death. I have made a category (in Stylebook) for these non CPW items to note the date I bought them & the cost. I've done this for make up too. This helps me keep tabs on my spending without including them in my clothing numbers.

ETA: forgot to say I think it's important to count everything. I've only been doing this a short time & already it is throwing up some really interesting information about where I should be putting my money.

11 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

I love the idea of counting everything and keeping a running inventory, BUT, I started to count once and got bored and stopped:). I'm similar to Denise, I don't count, I try to keep my Stylebook up to date with not a lot of success, and I assess and purge with great consistency. I also find that buying better quality means there is more likelihood of being able to resell items on Ebay to assist in funding replacements or new goodies. For me it's about how my closet feels and functions but for some reason the actual numbers aren't so important to me.

11 years ago

E

Veteran

I don't count, unless a YLF thread comes up & makes me feel curious! I do the 'limited space' management system, and as long as it all fits neatly, it works for me. I don't photograph items either...I'm lucky enough to be able to store everything in either a hanging closet or a shelf one, so pretty much everything is visible at all times. Opening my closet doors seems a lot simpler than photographing everything! Clearly I'm lazy.

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Interesting thread! I've never really counted my wardrobe officially; I just know what it is therabouts. In my mental estimation, I have not included underthings (which include camis), belts, or scarves. I think that I go by Lyn's criterion of anything that can be worn by itself and not as an underlayer gets counted. Also, I don't count groups of things that I already know are going to get/are getting a lot of wear (underwear, leggings, "comfort" shoes).

I think my underlying reason for wanting a ballpark estimation is for CPW purposes and to make sure that I don't have more than I really need. If I am getting good CPW for all my items, then I would have to say that I have a reasonable wardrobe size, because if you have way too many items the CPW will be unacceptable, simply due to inability to wear *anything* enough times.

11 years ago

fern

Veteran

I count everything except underwear & true gear / workout clothes. T shirts and yoga tights (I wear them as leggings under dresses) are counted. I have a spreadsheet that gives me totals now - clothing, shoes and accessories.

The best thing about my spreadsheet is that it acts as a memory aid: when I am shopping, I can picture my list of t-shirts much more easily than I can remember what t-shirts I own. It's probably quirky how my memory works, but I have stopped accidentally duplicating since I wrote everything down.

11 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

This thread and movingfashionforwards encouraged me to go through ALL my clothes and add anything that wasn't gear or pjs or undies/plain socks to my spreadsheet tonight. It was good because if I couldn't be bothered to add something to the spreadsheet because I didn't forsee myself wearing it this year even for a special event, it went on the purge pile.

Some sentimental things didn't get added (wedding dress, silk sarees) but it really helped me cull my 'lounge' things down considerably since I listed those. Also I culled a lot of clothes that weren't my current style or I had loved but now felt too dated to wear in current outfits.

I also discovered an abundance of black shirts. Since they all passed the works with my current style/looks good on me test it will be interesting to see which ones actually get worn by the end of the year.

11 years ago

Anonymous

This has turned into quite an analytical, interesting thread! Thanks for all the replies.

Mo I think we're pretty much on the same page as to what to count. Incidentally I do have Dress Assistant on my lap top now. I actually got it about a year ago on the main computer, but I hardly got to use it as my son was on there a lot playing Minecraft with his pals! I then got my very own laptop a couple of months ago and installed the app on there and I just finished adding all my photos. I have photographed pretty much everything except for undies. I even photographed some jewellery as I plan to add wiw photos and include them next to pictures of the individual pieces so that I remember combinations for outfits with shoes and jewellery too.

I can add notes under each photo so I could enter the number of times worn, but I'm not too concerned with CPW too much on things I've sewn for myself as I can often make things for less that stores. I am however also curious as to frequency of wear and quantity because I am a SAHM and work from home, so do I really need so many things? Will I wear it all?

When people state wardrobe size by quoting a number I personally think all but underwear and shoes and jewellery should be included. I do consider shoes as separate. Not sure why though.

Denise I think your system is fine and makes good sense.

Janet.. That's your prerogative

Some of you prefer spreadsheets I see... Deb, Rabbit, Fern. I think that's a great way to do it, yet I feel I prefer the visual aspect of photos myself. Stylebook sounds good though I don't have a smartphone yet!

Fern, you say keeping track acts as a memory aid and I think that's what I need as I have a tendency to a spot of wardrobe blindness and outfit combination blindness for what I own and could potentially wear.

Rabbit, it was MFF's thread that prompted me too! I hope it works for you.

11 years ago

Anonymous

I count everything, except underwear.

11 years ago

MsLuna

Veteran

I count anything that's is my smart casual/weekend casual wardrobe. I'm currently sitting on 22 items right now. I don't count undies, loungewear, business suits (because they are NEVER worn), designated cocktail dresses (I have only one) and sleepwear.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Not to hijack the thread, but regarding Cocolion's comment about charity shops sorting the donations:

Yes we do. I volunteer at a charity thrift shop and we try to sell only items in perfect condition. Things that are imperfect (stains, holes, etc.), we donate to another charity that gives the items away (rather than sells them). We throw away very little.

11 years ago

Anonymous

JAileen, that's good to know because I have often wondered about some of the clothes that aren't in great shape. Sterling and MKK I'm going to do the same, thanks!

11 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

Late comment- but I love number posts and saved to come back to!
I started counting after reading Mo's posts about numbers and CPW and find it very useful.
Even though I love pants I still have twice as many tops, but I am happy with this.
I don't count sleepwear, underwear or accessories, but this year I have finally sorted through these categories and purged about a quarter in each.
I write down rather than photograph my clothes, except for this year's purchases, which I have taken pics of to see if it helps to keep my buying in check!

11 years ago

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