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Churn rate and 2022 purchases so far

Minaminu

Veteran

I have been looking at the pieces that I've added since 2020 and have realised that my churn rate is quite high, considering the amount of items that I purchase

2020: 19 pieces, 9 are either sold, replaced or donated
2021: 16 pieces, 1 donated and 2 never used due to lack of occasion
2022: 10 pieces so far and 1 piece hasn't been used yet due to fitting. It was an etsy handmade piece (black shirt dress bit tight and super long sleeves) so I am trying to figure out how to fix it.

I appreciate 2020 has been a challenging year and have tested different shapes and colours but 2021 too had some churn. How is your churn rate and is there any lessons in reducing it?

Here are my 10 pieces of 2022, trying to stay away from black! I have been adding some pink and lavender to the mix. It looks like I mainly bought from my non-buy shopping list (no more tops!) but some of the new tops were Hewi and I am very happy to have found them!

For 2022, I had a small shopping list

Ceremony outfit: bought a jumpsuit and some dresses to add variety for these type of events
Chambray shirt: still looking, would like to buy a preloaded one
Cream blazer: still looking, hoping to buy a suit
Linen top: still looking, not sure on which silhouette to look for
Cream bag: found it!

Any tips and suggestions would be much appreciated

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General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Minaminu

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Question: do you mean that you bought 19 pieces in 2020 and have already edited out 9 of the 19?
Or you edited out 9 pieces that year from earlier years?
If it is the former that does sound high?
I bought 12 pieces in 2020 and still have them all. I bought 14 pieces in 2021 and still have 13 of them-one is gone this year due to the neck becoming floppy. It had 38 wears though so I felt reasonably sustainable, just annoyed about the neck. But since it cost $35 that was under $1 per wear.
Am happy to share more thoughts if I understand your meaning better.

Sal

Veteran

Your additions are really lovely pieces. I think when trying to change your style there can be missteps along the way. We all do make them!

I will check out my spreadsheet tomorrow and come back to the thread. They mostly happen for me with a designer that is a friend (when they work they really work but 1/3-1/2 end up being mistakes).

Minaminu

Veteran

@Jenny, I mean that I got 19 pieces in 2020 and already edited out 9 of them: 2 pieces did not suit my lifestyle, 5 seasonal pieces had materials which did not suit the weather, 2 were ill-fitting. I know that 2020 was a difficult year and have tried different silhouettes and materials, still... it's a lot!

I have a small seasonal wardrobe overall so this churn rate is quite high.

2021 is a bit better as even the pieces that I haven't been able to wear now due to lack of occasion, I love them so I know that eventually will use them. If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!

@Sal, thanks for the kind comments! it would be interesting to hear if you have a similar churn rate too. Interesting point regarding the designer, this could be an easy mistake for me too as I often rely on some safe brands!

Brooklyn

Veteran

I am super picky and still make mistakes all the time. I just try to think about why they didn’t work and learn from the experience.

Your new additions look lovely. The print dress is very pretty.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I don't keep track of my churn rate, but it's probably been high since 2020. I had several job changes (from a work uniform, to casual office wear, to being in the field all day, to more formal office wear). I also have had body changes back and forth during this time, as well as swearing off of fast fashion.
The one change that I am making to try to reduce churn is to hold on to some of my pieces that do not currently fit in case they do fit again in the future. I don't have much space for this, though.

kkards

Veteran

IMO 2020 doesn’t count…seriously-instead of beating yourself up about it, make note of why the piece did not work, and more importantly why the other ones did work, and focus on the future. I have a saying that I’m known for at work, New Mistakes Every Year, ie will are all going to make mistakes, and there is nothing wrong with that, the issue is when you don’t learn from prior mistakes and keep making the same ones over and over again

Cardiff girl

Veteran

If there’s a way to avoid wardrobe mistakes l would like to hear it!
l agree with Kkards,as long as you learn from your mistakes and move forward that’s all we can do .l don’t have a lot of churn on a regular basis but l am in the middle of an epic wardrobe clear out so lve just saved up my churn!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I am laughing at Cardiff girl just “saving up” churn! That has also been my problem and I have gradually dealt with that since I have been on the forum, trying to do it sustainably by wearing things #30 wears before ditching them, but for some things particularly high heels realising that was never going to fly and deciding to donate them anyway. 4 wears in 10 years?- well, they were clearly not right for me.
So in a way you are being more sensible than that!
I also like kkards’ idea about “New mistakes every year”- hopefully the errors about fabrics for certain seasons you can not make again?
Sometimes with being more careful on purchases it has paralysed me with indecision in case it is wrong, and also I do get bored with what I have. I got down to 150 pieces which was a goal and have since bought 2 more without yet editing 2 out, sigh. So it is still somewhat problematic. I have definitely worn the 2 new things though.

Runcarla

Veteran

Since I started keeping track a couple of years ago, I’ve noticed that my churn is fairly consistent with 20 - 28 items in and roughly the same number out. This year however, I’ve acquired 22 (17 new, 5 thrifted) items so far, and edited 6. 5 items were tossed due to ‘worn out’ and one was donated due to fit and function (no pockets!) problems.

I keep a small wardrobe - around 80-90 items of daywear (all in Finds) - counting belts, bags, footwear, clothing, but not counting fitness kit, smalls, socks, etc.

It took me a while to figure out my post retirement style and with the pandemic I had to switch from being a B&M shopper to online (and I did make shopping mistakes.)

There are a few months left before I do my annual closet review in October, as well as $ in my clothing budget, so we shall see!

(Finds below - new in 2022. I’m team wear, so they have all been worn, and some are already work horses.)

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What kkards and Brooklyn said.

Minaminu, LOVELY NEW ITEMS!! Good job adding in the colours you wanted to. Fun and pretty.

I'm a professional at all of this, and I make wardrobe mistakes! Most of them with footwear, and itchy fabric these days.

I also remind myself that items don't need to be workhorses to be winners. They can be items you wear a few times a year that do the job, and score the same A++ as the workhorses.

Some items don't wear as well over time, malfunction when you wear them, aren't as comfortable as you thought, or don't make you feel as fab as you thought. It happens despite our thoughtful and discerning decisions! Style is art, and people are imperfect. We cannot control every aspect of our styles and wardrobes. We try the best we can, and it's good enough

Sal

Veteran

I have data since 2018:

2018 - still have 36%
2019 - still have 57%
2020 - still have 89%
2021 - still have 100%

There are a couple of pieces from 2020 and 2021 that I would not say are screaming successes though and I will re-evaulate them in late August/early September when I look at my winter to spring transition. I need to have a good try on session to consider them and whether I should sell them. The most annoying is a laptop backpack that I considered very carefully but I just don't love it (functionally).

Depending on the year 40-60% of my pieces that are removed are from being worn out (or stained) and the balance because of being over it, being a mistake or fit issues (on me).

I do have a few things I am thinking it is time to remove (a coat that I have gone off, a dress that I think is too bare, two sweaters that are almost worn out etc..)

I do have tolerance for pieces that I like but rarely wear - the three finds below are not workhorses yet I still enjoy them even though they aren't the easiest pieces for me.

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Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Mind boggled. And it is still early. My churn is sort of constant, I thrift, test, resell and thrift again. Since I am acutely aware of what happens to charity shop items that don't sell, I have no qualms about picking out the cream of the crop and putting it back into circulation - either by putting it out in the shop where I work or buying and reselling at other places. But, it is true, I actually keep my winners a very, very long time.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

First of all, I love your new items -- they are beautiful and look lovely together. what a cohesive and pretty colour story they tell. The print dress is so romantic looking! Love the tops, too.

Wardrobe churn -- it's a reality! It happens faster if you keep a small, tight closet. Either things wear out, or you make the discovery that they simply do not work (if you have made a mistake -- and we all do!) -- that much sooner.

Like the others, I think you ought to give yourself a pass for 2020. It was such a weird year.

I bought 24 non-gear items that year and have since passed along 7. Four were boots and sandals that wore out (I'm tough on footwear). One pair of jeans that I wore frequently for two years and then tired of the silhouette. One top that never fit quite right, and one sweater that stretched out over time. I also bought (and wore) a lot of gear that year because i moved and my new lifestyle included more hiking and biking. I still have everything from this batch of 20 items except 3 workout tees that stretched out.

I made 25 purchases in 2021 and ended up with some real hits and a few misses. 2 tops turned out to be colours that I would not wear. One pair of jeans just did not work for me, despite my having thought they were perfect. I still have everything else.

So far, I've bought 14 items this year and have all of them.

I do think I'm getting better about mistakes. Some items may not get a lot of wear but I still love and enjoy them and keep them.

Sal

Veteran

I think the other thing to consider Minaminu is how some things come into their own after a while in the wardrobe. Maybe due to weather, maybe occasion, or mood, or the supporting pieces.

I "try" to make an evaluation soonish after buying, if it really is not going to work, selling or donating quickly means someone else is more likely going to want it. But if I like it, it fits, I think it can take a year or two for something to come into it's own. Especially in the UK where your weather is unpredictable and varied, and occasions have been so variable.

With my friend the designer, her clothes are very affordable, and I have had some real successes over the years. But I am experimental and so the risk is higher. The finds below are my current items from her dating back to 2008......(there have been some since that time that I have worn out, and some that have been mistakes).

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Minaminu

Veteran

@Brooklyn, I think a "pause button" before making any purchasing is a good method!
@chewyspaghetti and @cardiffgirl, I have been keeping a holding zone but - like you - space is limited!
@kkards, love your saying New Mistakes Every Year, I may borrow it!
@Runcarla, interesting to hear that you have a high churn rate linked to the size of the wardrobe
@Angie,it's a consolation to hear that even a professional can make wardrobe mistakes!
@Sal, impressive data!

I think the errors in the material selection are indeed also related to the UK weather and the fact that I dream to move elsewhere. Long story... Love the kimono jacket!
@Liz, thank you for the kind words!