DO you have a system for your outfit combinations? - YouLookFab Forum

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DO you have a system for your outfit combinations?

puffenstuff

(website)

Veteran

I was just reading one of Theresa's threads and she mentioned that she uses an excel spreadsheet to keep a record of her outfit combinations. Now this sounds like a great idea to me because I can have a terrible memory at times and cant think what goes with what.

So my question is do you have a system for keeping a record of your outfit combinations and if so what is it?

General

33 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

AJ

Veteran

I have three systems only because I'm not very organized. LOL!

The first is a spiral bound notebook that I keep in my room. I mark each page by season and as I get ideas while I'm putting away laundry or trying on clothes, I note the outfit on the correct page. Here's an example of one of my entries:
orange and cream skirt/camel cardi/navy pleated bib tee/orange necklace/rose gold flats/gold stud earrings/orange-red crossbody bag

I usually pick my bottoms first when putting together an outfit because I have fewer bottoms than tops. So I always list the bottom or dress first and I can just scan down the left side of the paper for the bottom I want to style.

My second system uses the notepad feature on my Yahoo mail account. Basically it is the same as my spiral bound notebook but as I'm browsing fashion sites or on-line shops and an outfit comes to mind, it's right there for me to jot down. This system is a bit better than my spiral because I can look up "yellow cardigan" and it will show me all my outfits I've jotted down with that item.

My last system is the one I go to the most, my on-line photo album on Flickr. That's where I post all my outfit pics. I can see how things fit on me and be reminded of color combos that I liked. Since I make a habit of listing the individual items I'm wearing, I can do searches to see how I wore an item in the past.

So that's my crazy system. Hope that helps!

Kate

Veteran

I haven't, but it sounds like a brilliant idea! I love the idea of taking pictures every day, but I usually forget to until it's too late. Plus I'm a big fan of lists... so I just started a spreadsheet to keep track of my daily outfits, which should be easy to search and easy to fill in later if I miss a day or two. We'll see how long I keep it going, and if I like it....

Mac

Veteran

You ladies are so much better organized than I could ever dream of being! If you find a system that works for you, I hope you'll post it; it might inspire me to emulate your methods.

Louise

Veteran

I have no system at all! I usually decide what to wear while I'm in the shower in the morning. Outfits ideas just stay in my head and when I decide to wear an item involved in a outfit it sparks my brain and the outfit idea pops up! x

rute

Veteran

I have no system, I just decide in the morning according to the wheather and the mood...
Lately I have been taking pictures of my best outfits, not to keep track, but because we see so much better looking at the picture then at the mirror! The shapes. the fit, it all so much clear in the pic!

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Oh My Goodness! Would you believe i was just thinking about this today - I need a better system than my spreadsheet because I need visuals!!

So, this afternoon I set up a Flickr account and am going to use it purely to record the GOOD outfits and put them into seasonal or event albums - that way I can browse images related to either weather or event. (I'll keep photobucket for all my uploading cos I find it easier to use for that kind of thing).

As for the spreadsheet I think what I need to do is spend some time trying on the outfits I have on there, taking pics and putting them into the appropriate folder...

But I'm not one of those go-with-the-flow kinda gals - I need organisation and I now know I need visuals as well LOL

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

My goodness <gasp>, some of you lot are in an entirely different organisational league from me! I am so impressed with your systems.

I am a kind of "maybe think about an outfit vaguely the night before" kind of girl, unless it is for a very important occasion, in which case I'll think about my outfit for days. I'd say I'm a very spontaneous dresser. I'm going to have to think about this!

lyn67

Veteran

I keep track of my outfits in my blog. When I have time, I take picties, make my comments and store them there-as I learned from others:-).
I find it very, very useful!

JennyK (NC)

I try to snap a pic of my outfit every day - good, bad, or downright ugly. I post them in my blog and sometimes when I need inspiration I just browse through the pictures. I include the bad ones as a reminder of what colors/shapes/items didn't work well together.

If you're shy about doing that, you can use a combination of methods to make it public yet fairly private. My blog is not searchable, so it won't pop up in any search engines. I blur my face in the vast majority of pictures, and the only place I post the links is here on ylf, so ylf folks are virtually the only people have ever seen it I think. If you use a photo-sharing site, you can password protect your pictures. I like using the blog because I can post several pictures with the "story" of the outfit and it's grouped together nicely.

I also use written notes, but not in an ongoing, organized way. For example, if I'm trying to plan my outfits for the week, I'll make notes of all of the components, including accessories and shoes. That helps my morning panic, as does grouping outfit items together in the closet.

Anonymous

I need to start taking pictures as the fastest and best record. I need a reminder of what has worked (or hasn't) so keep a small notebook in the bedroom like AJ does. I have what is usually the outstanding piece listed at the top of the page. Under that I jot notes each time I wear it..date, what I wore with it, if I got compliments or remarks, if I had to adjust, if something needed to be changed like lower shoes for PPL, etc. This needs to be in the bedroom so I can do it quickly. I'm amazed at how often I refer to it to remember what I wore or to help decide what pieces to toss or that need replacing.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

My blog serves as a visual record for me. I take almost daily pictures, so I have the blog posts, the photos (and I keep a list of both the prices that I pay for items and killer outfit combos in the same file), and then I also have pictures on Flickr when I want to share them.

JuliaInGermany

I have a little program called "Journler" on my Mac that I like very much. It's like a little blog and you can define categories and tag your posts as well as attach pictures or other files.

I use this not only for style related things but for everything that I'd like to write down for later reference. I have been a notebook/diary girl all my life but I wanted something that was easily search-able. I have a "style" category where I store my outfit pictures as well as my thoughts on what to buy for summer. I can search by date, tag, category or do a full-text search.

I love it! It's so easy to use and makes my life much easier. I store ideas for crafty projects, books I'd like to read and also facts about our last christmas party there. So next time christmas roles around unexpectedly (as it always does) I'll know exactly how big a goose to buy and how many bottles of wine to open.

LuAnn

I've thought about taking pictures but so far haven't started but I do try on dfferent combos on the weekends select and group my outfits in order so that they are ready each morning. It's a real time saver in the mornings.

puffenstuff

(website)

Veteran

So many great ideas here thanks Ladies! I really only get to dress up on the weekends because I have a uniform at work, so apart from looking on the computer at the outfits I have taken photos of I sometimes cannot remember what I wore! I really like the notepad idea and the detail you go into, I would have never thought of noting down what jewellery you wear with the outfit.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I really don't want to have set "outits" My goal is to learn to be more creative and to learn how to put together outfits that work and are not "off" proportionally, etc. So, my newly discovered "system" of putting my picture in one of three photobucket albums (fab, flop, or not fab but not bad) is helping me with that. I look through the albums and ask myself "what is it about all these outfits that make them fab" and "what is it about these that made them flops" I'm definitely seeing recurring themes. And as I get dressed in the morning I can say 'don't forget.. you're after that long lean line" or "keep to just one piece with volume" so for me it's becoming more about learning to work within guidelines that work for my body and my coloring.

taylor

Veteran

Great ideas, I clearly need to be documenting outfits that work. I try to remember them but I don't have much memory space left:)

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

My photos and my blog are my system, but to be honest, I always think I am repeating outfits but I actually never do. The accessories, the shoes, the sweater -- something is always different even if I am trying to duplicate an outfit!

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I use my blog. I have an iPhone, and I can email my pictures to go@blogger.com and they post directly to my blog.

A few weeks ago, I looked up my outfit from the previous year, and I actually wore the *exact* same outfit on the same day! Weird, huh? It wasn't even a very good one!

JuliaInGermany

Queenie, that is such a neat idea. I'll have to start asking myself why something works or doesn't, too.

Rosie

Veteran

I think Kim brings up perhaps the most important thing - really looking at the outfits to figure out what works at what doesn't. We can keep track of them all we want, but if we don't do any analysis then our records are nowhere near as helpful as they can be.

Mellllls

Veteran

Like Queenie, I don't like the idea of set outfits; I like being able to wake up and just put my outfit together (although, to be honest I think about what I'm going to wear the next day throughout the day.) So I have no system to share.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great ideas, ladies! I'm impressed with the organization around here.

Does it surprise you that I do not keep a record of my outfit combinations. At all.

AJ

Veteran

Angie, it doesn't surprise me because you are good at what you do and you don't need reminders of what looks good. You are like a gourmet chef who doesn't need recipies. You cook on the fly and your kitchen is HOT!! : )

marianna

Veteran

I am super unorganized and keeping lists/etc never even crosses my mind. I wish I was more organized. I am really impressed with all these fab ideas!

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Angie, are you sure you aren't ENFP? Hehehe....(-;

Sorry, a little Meyers-Briggs humor...

Mac

Veteran

Hey! I'm ENFP... are you, too, Jenava?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*chuckle*. Jenava, I guess my outfits are the only part of my life that I do not plan! I am one hundred percent ENFJ and have been tested several times.

Thanks for the sweet words, AJ.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Mac, no - I am an INFJ, although I test as an INTJ. But as I get older I realize I truly am INFJ. I was teasing Angie because "J" types are planners, but "P" types are more spontaneous!

Isabel

Veteran

I am like Katiepea......and then I sit and drool over AJ's outfits.

So, I have a new strategy as of today : AJ does all the work and keeps track of everything and I will just copy ! ; )

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