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By the numbers: my 2013 fashion report

mamaKate

Veteran

I hardly ever post anymore, but here's one for all of you who enjoy seeing 'the numbers.' (After a few years of going a little bonkers with my spending, I've started holding myself more accountable and keeping a tally.)

'My team ran the analytics' for 2013 and these are the 'top-level findings.'
-I spent 10% of gross personal income (I was in a change-of-lifestyle phase)
-$130 average cost per item
-27% of items were second-hand (representing 12% of the budget)
-65% of budget spent at 2 retailers (I am loyal to my favorites)
-35% of items are 'super winners,' either worn often or will love forever

Bottom Line: set next year's budget at 40% of this year's, and be more selective.

Approx. spending breakdown by item type:
20% toppers & coats
15% tops & sweaters
15% pants & skirts
20% dresses
15% footwear
10% accessories
5% undergarments & swim

Dressing

19 replies

Latest reply was from cheryl

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Great roundup! I do not have % but do have number of items bought and $ amounts. I'm going to finish with 33 items it looks like and just around $1200. The $ amount covers everything - alterations, return costs, bras, socks, lounge, sleep - but the number amount only includes 'regular' clothing and accessories.
Since I bought 57 items last year at about $1750 layout, this is a good decrease. I would like to lower next year's amount to 18 to 24 items, keeping the same budget as this year, around $1200.

EDIT: a pic of my numbers

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deb

Veteran

Fun numbers. what do you plan on changing in the item breakdown considering the spending decrease?

carter

Veteran

Great analysis. I so wish I had done this for 2013. I almost completely revamped my wardrobe this year, and dropped 2 sizes while doing this. I'm happy to be back to my regular size, but I sure wish it had come off before I gave up and started shopping for the body I had! That will certainly cut into my percentage of "super winners" for the long haul, but I do think that for each given size, I did very well in purchasing mostly super winners. Several of the items I bought in the beginning were so loved that I have duplicated in the new smaller size...not sure whether that's a sign that I'm buying the right things or a sign of insanity;-).

My goal for 2014 is 100% super winners, and I want the vast majority of these to be items in the "I'll love forever" subcategory (new boots, leather coat, replace LBD, etc). I have enough clothes that are 8 or above on the happiness scale, that I just don't need anything else that isn't absolutely perfect. I need to tattoo this on my forehead.

E

Veteran

How interesting! Thnx for posting. I didn't track what I've bought this year (except shoes as I had a bit of a shoe wardrobe overhaul due to health issues), but as I thrift to maximise my small budget I'm sure it's quite a few individual items. Next year I think I'm going to devote my clothing budget to yarn & fabric instead & only bring in new items that I've made myself, which will dramatically decrease my wardrobe's expansion!

MRL

Veteran

Kate this is fascinating. in that you broke down your spending by type of clothing. That would never have occurred to me. I might do this in 2014.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Let me echo the others: this is fascinating! I am going to do this, starting this month. I am curious to see what I will find - because I have a feeling my 'type-of-clothing' purchases are not what I think. Your breakdown looks pretty good, allowing for all categories of wear. Has it worked for you? Or did you find that you overshopped one category, and have holes to fill in others? Will you stick to these percentages in 2014?

Alassë

Veteran

Very interesting reading....

Anonymous

Interesting, but numbers make my head hurt. I have a pretty good idea of what gets worn a lot and what doesn't. That's always my criteria. I don't want anything hanging in my closet or stored in a drawer that doesn't get used.

Susie

Veteran

I love this

I have kept track of all of my purchases for 2013...and it's A LOT. A really big number. I definitely plan to purchase way less next year.

Unfortunately I still made some purchasing mistakes, especially in the early part of the year. But I did try to analyze why and to use that knowledge to avoid repeating those mistakes. I am doing much better with making better choices.

I like the way you have broken it down by categories. I think I will try that, at least for number of pieces. I didn't keep track of all of the purchase prices. I am going to make sure to add that from now on.

jayne

Veteran

Dang, good stuff. I just had to open excel and check out my numbers..

- bought an avergage of 8.5 items per month (which is 60% of the 2012 numbers)
-$80 average cost per item
- I still experimented with a few new styles and colors (dang colors draw me in) and felt I wasted 2% of the budget there. But last year those experiments turned into replacement items (better quality versions) when I confirmed I liked the style in the cheaper version. This year, that did not work so well. Do I need to experiment less?

Approx. spending breakdown by item type:

20% toppers & coats
31% tops & sweaters
15% pants & skirts
4% dresses
6% footwear
14% accessories
6% undergarments & gear

I discovered cashmere this year....obvious in the sweaters huh?!
and I invested (eh em) in a wool coat

I am glad to see shoe purchases are down, since I have way too many. I so want some snake booties though. I may have to focus on revamping the shoe situation, but less impulse (2012 I am afraid) and more planned.

I am very happy with the bottoms situation now. That should be less next year.

Hmmm, thinking ahead I already plan to do a dresses focused summer next year to try and find a style there.

This was 6% of my salary. In total, I expect the budget to remain the same, but to purchase less items. I think my core is now in a really good place

Thanks for inspiring this type of analysis, It was interesting.

By the way, the peaks in my spending are always when I travel on a week long trip. Obviously time and opportunity to get something unique effect me. I am going to try and contol that better. Those represent alot of my rejects later.

Anonymous

I love these types of analyses. My clothing expenses for 2013 cover clothing, tailoring, and dry cleaning. My major spending categories were lingerie (needed a refresh), casual, and work. Although I made the commitment to develop casual capsules and spend less on work clothes, I still spent 1/3 of my budget on work clothes. My goal for 2014 is to continue to develop casual capsules and purchase less work clothes (although the budget may not change because I hope to purchase less, but much higher quality).

Of course, I made some mistakes. I bought multiple pairs of boyfriend jeans and hated every single one of them. I ended up giving them to the Good Will since I wore and then washed them several times trying to make them work. They don't work. I don't feel fab in them.

I also kept searching for blazers this year, but the ones I bought seemed all wrong proportion-wise. They seemed boxy to me. I ended up buying them because I felt I "needed" them for a meeting to give me confidence, but found I didn't feel fab in them. They remain in my wardrobe, but are slated to for the Good Will during the next purge.

Despite my mistakes, I am quite pleased with my 2013 purchases. I bought things I really liked and wore them quite a bit. I overcame some buying problems (e.g., always buying bottoms for work; never buying tops or toppers for work; never buying casual cloths; never buying sport or lingerie). Venturing into casual clothes is a major accomplishment for me.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Jayne, I was at 60% of last year's amount of items as well. High five!
I'm hoping to continue to cut next year to another 60%.
As for when I buy more, it's always upon arrival in FL, no matter the season. It's both the extra time and extra income together at once that makes for more shopping.

Lisa

Veteran

A great analysis. I also keep track of my wardrobe spending and average out what I spent per month once I know the years totals. So far my total is a lot higher than I'd like so I plan to cut that down by half or more next year. I have more than enough clothes and really should stop shopping so much. I haven't thought about factoring it against my income or by category percents, two great ideas!

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I really love reading these analyses! Keep them coming! Again, it is very clarifying and inspiring for me, in my own planning.

I recently sat down and started going through the old Colour Muse blog (her new site is here, but doesn't have a handy archives tab like the old one), and I started a worksheet of sorts for myself, which includes a "before you buy" checklist. And I have started going through my clothing, one item at a time, with the same list. I will post my list sometime soon

I feel I am on the right track for my style goals, and I have gotten a good handle on my shopping. I think my BIG expenditures for 2014 will be for a signature fragrance (I have several perfumes that I adore, but none that really haunt me. I want something that I am obsessed with), plus some more Marlies Dekkers bras, and a color consultation with Lisa PIppus.

Alassë

Veteran

Ooh, excited for you LaBelle on that consultation! Lucky you!

Ahem. Back to thread. I never thought of analyzing by clothing type before; I'll have to try that. Enjoyable reading, everyone!

anne

Veteran

Very interesting!! Now I want to work out my own figures! Must get back to work though.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Oh, believe me, that consultation is not going to happen until late in the year next year! I have other things I have to budget for first. *sigh*

I am curious to see/compare the percentages between the gals who are refreshing/filling a few wardrobe holes, and the gals who are shopping more extensively to build/rebuild an entire closet.

Alassë

Veteran

Okay, here's mine.

2013 by Category

21% Shoes

7% Belts

3% Jewelry

11% Summer Tops

7% Fall Tops

1% Sweaters

11% Skirts

3% Toppers

7% Dresses

12% Underthings (also includes pjs & gear)

15% Lingerie (nicer things)

1% Other (sewing notions for alterations)

2012 by Category

5% Coats

8% Belts

7% Summer Tops

6% Fall Tops

4% Sweaters

17% Skirts

10% Trousers

10% Toppers

7% Dresses

13% Underthings

2011 by Category

7% Coats

2% Summer Tops

8% Fall Tops

5% Sweaters

20% Skirts

10% Trousers

8% Toppers

37% Underthings

3% Lingerie

cheryl

Veteran

Such a fantastic thread. I love these type of posts. I have a spreadsheet but have never analyzed my purchases this way. Very fun and thought provoking.