Playing in my closet...or how not to get bored with your clothes! - YouLookFab Forum

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Playing in my closet...or how not to get bored with your clothes!

Runcarla

Veteran

Austerity for financial reasons, or loss of enthusiasm during dark winter days (or other seasonal challenges) can be overcome with some games that could fire your creativity.

I like Una's idea of trying a different silhouette throughout a week. Tracyliz67 has one I like to do that involves bringing one item from day 1 forward to day 2, and so on for a '5 days of separation' kind of experiment. I like to play with colour and will do a week ( or month!) inspired by a colour or colour combo. I like copy cat challenges too.

So, shopping excluded, what clothes closet games do you like to play?

17 replies

Latest reply was from Elizabeth P

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Great thread, Carla!!

I am not sure I have any apart from YLF challenges.

I think I need a few!

Staysfit

Veteran

I am looking forward to some inspiration here! I expect a long winter, and the number of items in my closet has been cut down significantly more than I originally intended. I think my game plan will be to use shifting silhouettes and changing accessories. I like the idea of having a rotation of shoes/boots, and challenging myself to come up with something to pair with them.

Lisa

Veteran

I've done the French Capsule Challenge twice now (fall recap here and summer recap here) and found it helpful. I was able to try out putting together a capsule and then see how happy the smaller number of items and remixing options made me. I've also enjoyed the Picture photo challenges on the forum.

Windchime

Veteran

I, too, like the Picture photo challenges. Ornella has done some wonderful WIW's based on nature scenes she photographs on her walks. That would be a fun challenge for me (although during winter in my neck of the woods would mean wearing a lot of grey!)

Gigi

Veteran

Hmm, I will have to try the "five days of separation" thing! I know I will be bored...I don't have enough winter clothes for my climate. My finances are suffering, so I can't do any shopping right now. So I'll really need to make the most of what I have!

bj1111

Veteran

i've done 5 days of separation with 1 item. i wound up wearing the shirt as a scarf just to wear the item.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

No surprise I love the shoe idea. Wearing under worn items, or picking 5 tops to repeat every week for a month in different ways?

shedev

Veteran

My game is to wear all my items down to $10 CPW. For pricier items, to wear a similar amount to the moderately priced items. I've been playing since September and I've hit the mark on quite a few things. It's really helping me to remember to wear the stuff that ends up in the back of the closet. I purged a few things that I just don't want to wear. When I get to 10 on most of my closet, I'm gonna go for $5.

rabbit

Veteran

I'm doing the same as shedev, aiming for a certain CPW. I highlight in gray the items on my spreadsheet that have hit the mark and color code for the others (kind of a yellow, orange, red priority level) so I know what needs to be worn more.

So usually I have a few items I'm trying to combine for the next days outfit, and sometimes brainstorm and note down other outfit ideas at the time. With a somewhat large closet it really helps me remember, endlessly recombine, and wear everything, and quickly reveals what I'm not loving as much or is harder to wear multiple ways.

Over the summer I did this with legacy dresses that had been languishing, and it was fun and got them in circulation more.

I like the other closet challenges noted as well. Want to try them!

Gracie

Veteran

Nowadays I'm consciously choosing tops that are still warm weather and that are already cleaned and ironed, ready to go. I want to wear them and wash them before putting them away. I don't want to waste the ironing that I did, lol. They are working well layered.

I always try to vary my silhouette throughout the week: skinnies, bootcuts, straights, slacks, shorts, skirts. Fluid, tailored, body-con. I have to work on the dresses, maybe layer a pullover over them. Then I change heel height to give my feet a break, I rarely wear the same footwear two days in a row.

Joy

Veteran

I can't, won't wear the same footwear two days in a row but do like to wear a pair of jeans a couple of times before washing. I look for inspiration in Angie's outfits and ensembles and those posted in the Forum. What I wear is very much dictated by the weather and sometimes hard to plan. I love any kind of challenge, but especially the picture challenges.
I also enjoy working at making capsules from what I have. It is the best way for me to see new ways of pairing things.

carter

Veteran

What a great topic for a post! I'll have to try several of these ideas. Always love the YLF challenges as well.

crutcher

Veteran

While I would be playing in my closet, I found today that I was actually freezing at 29 degrees...I was walking across the mall parking lot and overheard two women talking about getting warmer clothes...That is my new motivation...
As for playing when the playing feel is normal...I enjoy composing outfits at night and hanging them on the closet for the next day...I try not to wear the same thing in a week...Joy gave me an idea of not wearing the same shoes two days straight...I like the idea of wearing the same piece 5 days straight just in different ways...Great gamesmanship ladies...

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Some great ideas here. I like trying to focus on varied color combinations to see if I can make things I might not normally put together, actually work together. Like charcoal and olive or deep brown and navy. I've also been experimenting more with things like sock color since it's finally cold enough to wear them and rolled pants are so popular with booties.

unfrumped

Veteran

I love the idea of bringing one item forward! Does it mean just that, that you must wear at least one item 2 days in a row ? Verrra interesting and also sounds very French -10 wardrobe-ish.
If one were tricky one could plan it all out in advance, but for me I'd have to make it up day by day--might inspire me to start with great basics on Monday, though!
Would you end up with goulash by Friday?

Runcarla

Veteran

Good shoe rotation is a great idea Staysfit, and Joy. Interesting concept about designing an outfit 'from the ground up'.

CPW is brilliant, and would certainly be a revealing exercise. Wonder if a tag on the hanger would work as well as a spread sheet?

Lisa, your challenge was serious hard work, but fun too. Good takeaways for us all.

bj111, you make me laugh! The version of '5 days/ degrees of separation' that I attempted involved carrying one item forward from the previous day's outfit, but the item in day 3 didn't have to be the same from day 1, just something from the day 2 outfit, etc.

I sure did enjoy the album cover challenge, and the movie poster challenge! And of course Angie's ensembles are crazy inspiring, and often based on things we might all have in our closets.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Oh, what a great thread! I really need something to make me think more about what I wear. I'm amassing a great wardrobe, but I seem to have zero creativity in the mornings, so fall back on old standby's, which don't always feel the most fab. I love it when there is a challenge, or an Angie inspired outfit to try. I guess the idea should be to have a weekly or monthly game to keep things interesting.

I have done a couple of "rainbow" challenges. Easier in the summer