There have been several posts about accepting/planning lifestyle changes and how difficult it is to plan/make it reflect on our wardrobes.

Over the last year, I have been struggling as well to synch my small wardrobe with my lifestyle. My wardrobe is still based on the lifestyle that I had back in 2019, when my time was structured with 4/5 days in the office, several internal and external meetings, networking, etc. I realise that this is not reflecting the current lifestyle nor what I am planning to do in a couple of years' time. This is something that I need to take under consideration, as I want to continue to purchase pieces that have a longevity in my wardrobe.

Few years ago, I read a book about wardrobe planning and it had a fab exercise. I re-did an exercise, slightly tweaked it to better reflect the current times, and I think it could be beneficial to other fabbers, so I am posting it now as it could be helpful when planning the 2022 shopping list ;):

1. Look at the diary for a recent 4 weeks period that shows a typical example
2. Go through the diary and how you spent the day, adding the appropriate level of dress and the situation.
3. Add up and write the total for each level and % (number of days divided by total level in weeks)

I have attached a screen shot of my calculations as the results made me consider a few points.

When I compare the results of 2019 and this year (and what I am planning to do for the next few years!), it clearly shows some changes!

The initial thought was that I am glad that I like a classic style, as I can put in an holding zone some items that I do not need now but will need next year or so - and this is fine for me as these pieces are essentials and I love wearing them in the right environment. It's like seeing an old dear friend again :).

I've also been thinking about possible weight loss (for health reasons) and even if I reduce my weight, I would be very happy to keep on wearing my current tops in a loose way, so I am happy to have invested in these and will continue to do so in the next purchases. Being pear shaped (and WFH, plus working on loosing some weight), makes me think that the bottom pieces can be of less quality than the tops since I will need to replace them more often due to fit.

It also helped me understand why my 2021 shopping has been such a challenge! I mainly bought direct replacements and focused on balancing the palette of my wardrobe with lighter shades - it's now getting easier to mix things up and looks more curated. My 2021 budget shows that so far I purchased 21 pieces, 14 of them were direct replacements and the remaining purchases were an alternative style/fit to previous items. Overall, I kept the same number of pieces in my wardrobe but I am slowly shifting the level of dressing to match my lifestyle.

It'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on this exercise and how it made you consider your wardrobe!