From the beginning of August until December 31 I added 37 various items to my wardrobe, spreading across thrifted clothes and accessories (22), hand knitted sweaters, mittens and beanie (3), sale bargains - belt and shoes (3), full priced items (4) and gifts (4). I stayed on budget, more or less. Everything I added has been worn except the «Chanel» skirt suit.

This season, the main shift probably was from less shirts and blouses to more sweaters, and from less skirts and dresses to more trousers and jeans. In the following resume, I’ve only listed pieces that have been worn around 10 times or more. Obviously I have a longer list of pieces that has been worn less frequently, but what I have listed here are probably the most essential pieces I had in my wardrobe last season.

I hardly wore any pieces in this category at all. Only three pieces had more than 5 wears:

White button down (9)

Black watch plaid popover shirt (9)

Anne Fontaine collarless white blouse NEW Sept (6)

The new cream silk blouse I added in August has got very few wears until now, but I hope that changes now that we are entering warmer weather.

This category did also receive little wear. I suppose that underlines that I’m off layering for now, and that I clearly prefer wool to cotton during the colder months. Only two striped pieces made it onto the list.

White/black striped long-sleeved tee (12)

Navy/cream Breton (12)

I expect very different numbers in this category when the next season is over by August 31.

This is a much larger category. Wearing fewer layers and simpler pieces appeals more and more to me, and it clearly shows in the statistics.

Grey cashmere hoodie CRISTMAS GIFT (22)

Black fluid v-neck sweater NEW Nov (17)

Deep purple cropped handknit sweater w/ boatneck NEW Nov (17)

Grey v-neck sweater NEW Aug (14)

Graphic leopard sweater NEW Oct (13)

Navy Eric Bompard v-neck sweater (12)

Grey boyfriend cardigan (12)

Black v-neck cardigan (10)

Cobalt classic cardigan NEW Jan (9)

I have a few more pieces that have seen quite lot of wear, and I suspect that I will be continuing wearing fine knitwear throughout the warmer season, too. After all, I live in Norway.

Besides the black midi pencil skirt, very few of my skirts saw any wear at all.

Black midi pencil skirt NEW Sept (14)

Dark purple full midi skirt NEW Sept (7)

Only a couple of dresses have been in rotation at all this Winter.

Mustard/black houndstooth sheath NEW Sept (9)

Navy short sleeved sheath NEW Jan (6)

I expect to be wearing a lot more skirts and dresses in the upcoming Spring/Summer season.

I was really surprised to see which one that got the most wear in this category. The COS jeggings I thrifted for a very small amount of money has got 30 wears. That must have been my most frugal purchase in a very long time. I was also a bit surprised to see that I wear jeans a lot more than I think I do. Clearly, I don’t need that many dressy trousers.

Black skinnies/jeggings COS NEW Oct (30)

Blue Levi’s 510 slim leg jeans (16)

White Levi’s slim leg jeans (14)

Blue Levi’s Straight leg jeans (13)

Tiger of Sweden Straight leg jeans NEW January (14)

Navy wide/bootcut trousers NEW Sept (10)

Navy slim suit trousers NEW Jan (9)

Navy has clearly become my new neutral. I wear navy pants and jackets a LOT more than black right now. I also love pairing navy with black and white. The navy slim trousers and blazer suit has been in heavy rotation since January.

Hardly any surprises here. The parka I got for my birthday is clearly the most worn outerwear I have. The two wool coats have about the same number of wears between them, and the navy puffer has got a lot of wear, too, but it has been worn more to and from the gym than anywhere else. My trenchcoat has been in heavy rotation at the beginning and end of the season. The most interesting find is that my navy blazer has got more wears than any other indoor wear jackets even though I only got it in January. I think a new coat will be a nice investment next season.

Olive parka NEW sept (44)

Nawy puffer (30)

Blue plaid coat (26)

Red coat (15)

Navy blazer (13)

Trenchcoat (12)

Due to a relatively mild winter, I’ve worn my warmest and least stylish (!) boots less this season. The winner is the brouged Chelsea boots, closely followed by the cognac boots.

Black brogue Chelseaboots NEW Sept (35)

Cognac boots NEW Sept (30)

Black Chelseaboots, nubuk (replaced January) (23)

Brown booties (21)

Sorel snow boots (16)

Black pumps NEW Jan (10)

Stone suede booties NEW Aug (10)

I tend to wear very few accessories these days. Hats, scarves and gloves are a necessity, and I have worn a number of those. I don’t have very many great belts, but the few I have are in heavy rotation. I plan to add more belts. My two favorite scarves are for outdoor wear, and I rarely wear scarves indoors right now. I’ve worn my black Longchamp tote most of the season.

Cream/grey snakeskin belt NEW August (24)

Black basic belt (13)

Light blue cashmere scarf (45)

Heather grey wool/silk scarf (30)

Conclusion: If I had to cut back to only the most necessary, these are the 30 pieces I would add to my core Fall/Winter capsule next season:

1 White button down

2 Plaid shirt

3 Breton

4 Grey cashmere hoodie

5 Navy v-neck sweater

6 Black fluid v-neck sweater

7 Graphic sweater

8 Cobalt cardigan

9 Dark purple cropped sweater

10 Black pencil skirt

11 Dark purple full midi skirt

12 Mustard/black houndstooth sheath

13 Black skinny pants

14 Blue slim/straight leg jeans

15 White jeans

16 Navy slim suit trousers

17 Wide leg navy trousers

18 Olive parka

19 Plaid coat

20 Red coat

21 navy blazer

22 Black brogues Chelseaboots

23 Cognac boots

24 Brown booties

25 Black pumps

26 Cream/grey snakeskin belt

27 Black belt

28 grey wool scarf

29 Black bag

30 Wild card:)

This would probably get me through most situations. In addition, I would need snow boots and winter necessities like gloves and hats. I would probably also miss having a very dressy outfit for the party season, so a cocktail dress or at least dressy top, dressy shoes and a clutch would be great.

This exercise has been very useful and thought provoking for me. I realize that I have a lot, and that I tend to split my wears in some categories. I would like to have just enough so I can get the variety I crave without waste. I will probably never become a true minimalist, but I still want to have value for my purchases, and I think this will be a handy tool when I approach next the next cold season in September. What I’m most happy with is that my sales purchases turns out to be workhorses. What I think I should cut back on is the thrifting - there’s not much money involved, but I have a few too many pieces that I end up not loving that much after all. I also like that my «investments» (suit, shoes, silk blouse) for the most part have been good additions to my wardrobe.

If you’re still reading, you are indulging me. Thank you! Any and all comments are most welcome as usual.