This is an excellent post, Caro! What resonates most for me is your comment about thinking how you want to project yourself -- I need to think this through for myself and carry through with a plan.

This is a great post. I am inspired to start something similar. I'm a numbers person and it still seems a little overwhelming so I am especially impressed that you say you aren't into numbers and came up with this great system!

Thanks for your explanation, Caro, and the excellent resources. I am bookmarking this post!

I've been tracking wears since sept 14, because you told here how enlightening it had been for you.
Indeed, it's enlightening.

First, I had my climate wrong, I was shopping at the start of each season, stocking up for Winter and Summer. Counting wears I realized these well- defined and easy-to-shop-for seasons were actually quite short. I needed more clothes for an inbetween temperate climate.

Second, it was quite shocking to discover that even in a small wardrobe like mine, few items were worn more than 20 times a year : jeans, outerwear, closed shoes. Also surprised to discover the unsung heroes of my wardrobe, these things I reached for over and over, absent mindedly.

So I gave more attention to the Spring / Fall clothes and to the newly identified workhorses.

I don't count cpw, nor jpw, I mostly use the tracking for wardrobe management, not as a budget or style tool.

I like your Joy-factor observation. I think this is similar to Angie's happiness factor.
My style goal now is similar to yours: Only go for pieces with a really high happiness factor. I think I can do this now that I have a firmer grip on what my style actually is, and what types of pieces will bring high happiness. It used to be that lots of random things would bring high happiness, and then the happiness would fade fairly quickly once I was over the item.
I'm less like that now. There is more consistency in the types of things I like, and the happiness factor is higher and *lasts longer*

Thank you for bringing up the role of happiness/emotion in shopping.
A

Skylurker, I really like what you say here. I made similar discoveries in my season of tracking...first, that even though I live in a climate that has extremes, I still need clothes for the in-between seasons, and also, that certain items are "unsung heroes" and it is okay to put more attention and money there: Bags, boots, belts, some scarves, coats (in my climate). Also, the items I wear all the time at home, like Caro's birkies. For me that is a pair of slip on sandals in summer that I wear in the house, and slippers or clogs of some kind in winter (indoor footwear).

I have come back to this and enjoyed all the comments......

I agree with Skylurker about shopping for trans-seasonal clothes. The 17th of June is definitely winter here and I have worn a wool coat once this year......I have yet to wear a wool hat or a turtleneck top.

I also agree with the need for more transeasonal clothes.
So crazy. I always think 'summer/winter' because our summers and winters are SO extreme. But there's a lot of in between that I just seem to forget about!

Smittie, I think this was one of my biggest errors pre- YLF! I just didn't get it. Now I dress for "cool spring" (i.e. when it's still winter cold but the light has changed); regular spring (lasts anywhere from 2 days to 2 months...), "warm fall" (when it's September but still hot as Hades), and regular fall (anywhere from 2 days to 2 months....).

Fascinating and insightful thread, Caro! Both the initial post and all of the responses. Thanks for sharing your findings in such detail with us. I love the idea of cataloging joy alongside cost -- CPW alone doesn't always show the whole picture. Sounds like your joy matrix took a little time to sort (which makes sense) but that you've got it humming along now. I think many of us would have similar elements in our own matrices but perhaps different weighting.

Caro and everyone this has been a wonderfully inspiring thread. Yes JPW is as important as CPW in some contexts. I am planning a huge closet reevaluation this weekend and am planning on using JPW as a test.

Helen11- I wouldn't have believed the CPW without the tracking it is a great feeling to "justify" a purchase that way. I do have other things that have a much higher CPW that I love more than my Birks
Thanks Chris987
Elizabeth P - it took me a long time to track in this way so please don't get discouraged - I think frustration is a good thing - without it nothing would change I'm happy to answer any questions you have about Stylebook but for me it was just a tracking device. The insights I gained were mostly due to asking myself questions about how I felt in my outfits. Sure I needed the data for CPW - but low CPW is not the most important thing for me. I wanted that balance between CPW & JPW between the practical & the inspirational. I wanted them all to come together for my wardrobe & my outfits in a way that felt like me. So I can't tell you how important some introspection was for me. What are my goals for my wardrobe? What are the most important things I need from my clothes? If I'm feeling less than par emotionally or physically which outfits make me feel better? These are the sorts of questions I started asking myself (your questions might be very different). If you want some advice (please ignore if you don't) I would suggest starting with noting how you feel in your outfits at the beginning & end of the day. Just note down a few words. If there is a big discrepancy then look at what went wrong.
anne - ikwym about what we wear when it's "just family". I really flipped my thinking on that to it's family - they are the most important people in my life. It was a shock to realise my feeling was a similar to the "I'm just a housewife" of my mothers generation which made me feel sad for my mum.

Caro, thank you for that insight -- how you feel when you put it on, how you feel at the end of the day. I am pondering.

Suz - It's a long story with lots of twists & turns As briefly as possible:
For my casual clothes the hardest thing was the what do I really want to wear question - I went to & fro between groups like house clothes & dressy casual; lounging & house clothes; just lounging & going out clothes. The distinctions were important because at the time I wouldn't go out in my house clothes. I discovered things like I hated having to get changed before I went out & like you needed cosy knit type garments rather than jackets inside in winter. Once I realised I only needed going out clothes & lounging (which are pre-shower & end of day only) then I could start working on the specifics.
My going out clothes were fine but not my lounging ones. I'd really skimped on quality in this capsule so given that one of my realisations was I loved nice fabric it was clear why I never felt fab.
So only good quality fabric blends of cashmere, cotton & cashmere, silk & linen. Or poly/viscose blended with the above.
Then I thought about style, comfort & practicality - probably in that order I have four outfits in my deep winter lounging capsule now

• x2 cashmere/cotton lounge pants, grey & navy.
• x2 cashmere hoodies - grey & navy (I wear these to yoga too)
• x2 pairs of Uniqlo slim stretchy pants, navy & navy/olive check
• x2 tunic style tops, olive & brick red they are shaped at the waist with kangaroo pockets they are a smooth, warm interlock cotton blend.

I'll be back

Caro. This is so great. Thanks. Our needs are a bit different but I have often been tempted to go this route. More distinction between capsules. It could work well for me. I'll be back too.

Lovely to hear from you too Vix. Yes it certainly is a gradual process & I did go through a few "run out and buy all the things and then wonder why you don't like what you're wearing" moments

Have you figured out a way to reduce/eliminate "GPLWDTLI" -- Guilt Per Low Wear Due to Loser Items? If so please share! I HAVE!!! Through tracking I gained clarity on what I actually needed in my wardrobe. This led to buying far less because there is a lot of stuff out there that isn't what I'm looking for & I don't need to buy everything I see & like. It also led to a higher percentage of successes. So when the inevitable happened - like your shoe scenario - I was able to re-coup what I could & move on. I did the best I could & it isn't my fault that I can't tell if the shoe is comfortable until it is too late.

Thanks for the validation about beautiful clothes

JAileen I love your comment about much worn clothes feeling like old friends The point about making outfits is so important. It's even more important in Aust. as we have very poor return policies compared to you.

Thanks Ledonna N

Hi shedev my fellow shoe & boot lover
JPW is a little trickier to nail down. Some of the things that I would consider are being true to my persona, adopting trends to my persona, comfort in fabric, comfort for weather. cohesiveness between casual and dressy items. I agree it is tricky but well worth it imo. Everyone of your points are important for me too.

Angie - yes, things change from season to season as in dresses for high summer but not so much for the rest of the year. They also change from year to year - the snakeskin booties I bought that worn on high rotation for a few months in 2013 (autumn/winter/early spring) then not so much. They cost me $A220 with shipping & the CPW is currently $4. They are still in perfect condition & I've kept them but I have moved on to other booties I've noticed that I do this with my wardrobe. I have an intense period of wear then not so much. In the past I kept everything because they were still "good" now I let them go if I'm truly over them

Right Amy I think you can do this in whatever way suits you - it doesn't have to be formal it could just be a notebook or your calendar. T's really just to listen & see what it is you love to wear & what you actually wear

Gingko It was & still is interesting to note the differences between the reality of how I look(ed) & inspirational looks or ideas. The discrepancies weren't to do with my body not being "model-like" or me being older or any of those things I thought it might be. The differences were really practical & therefore changeable. Like quality, fit, the right colours, attention to the outfit as a whole & as a way of presenting myself.

RobinF If you are a numbers person you have a head start It felt overwhelming to me too but I'm so glad I did it - it was the set up that was the hard part after that it was just part of my routine

Hi Firecracker glad you found some useful info

skylurker So glad it has given you something solid to work from too. I think I went through everything you did The climate, how little I wore everything & especially undervaluing the workhorses in my wardrobe

Did I miss it Caro but how do you actually score your JPW?
Do you write it down or note it some way in the Stylebook app?

Thanks for sharing Caro. I have not been able to pay the attention I would like, to the management side of my wardrobe, but I think we all need to from time to time.

I really hear you on the joy per wear factor. This is everything to me. And thanks for coining that term JPW. I am going to use it.

I too like repeating outfits that have high JPW. But -- I feel guilty for repeating them! Maybe guilty is the wrong word -- maybe lazy is more like it. Like, I have so many clothes, what am I doing repeating the same thing I wore last week.

I think you're on to something when you talk about the what do you want to wear categories (your reply to Suz above). For me it's my casual clothes in the a.m, mostly jeans and tees which is my version of loungewear. In the summer I work a lot, in a uniform so maybe once a week I have a reason to dress smart casually, at best. Then, once every two months I might have a few days of smart casual when I get out of town. In the winter I have less uniform more outfits to create, so even though summer is my dominant season, I don't have the same opportunity to dress smart casually.

I have, during the past year, put more of my resources towards travel. It just occurred to me that one of the things I love about travel, is I get to wear the kinds of clothes I love. I can get out of the jeans and tee loungewear/uniform rut.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....e-epiphany

smittie yes it is like Angie's happiness factor measuring it is a little less intuitive for me. I agree that having a grip on your style is very helpful in preventing too many of those oops I thought I loved it items

Kiwigirl/Sally I agree we do need more trans-seasonal clothes but this time last year I was desperate for a new winter coat - it was so cold

Suz me too - except I forgot about summer too.

Yes Aida it is such a personal thing - like our clothing choices themselves. I'm still tinkering with the weighting - It does vary depending on the types of clothes. Aren't the responses amazing - such an intelligent, thoughtful group - but you knew that

shevia - good luck with the reorg, hope the JPW helps

Thanks for this thread! I only have time for a quick reply right now, I need to come back this evening. Just let me say, maybe I need to do this too. Lately I realized that I'm wearing very few of my clothes right now, I'm at a point again where I feel like I have very few options. My taste hasn't changed that much though...

Lyn D I started off with a rating out of 10 but that didn't help with buying new stuff so I developed a series of questions to do with how I want to look & wearability of my clothes from fit to fabric. I sat & thought about what was important to me & came up with some initial questions but they developed/changed over time. I have it all in the Stylebook notes with the "look" which is the individual pieces that make up the look (the ones that go in the calendar).

I remember that post Denise - your percentages really resonated with me. It's wonderful that you are travelling more & consequently wearing the clothes you love I hear you on repeat outfits but for me at least I'd rather wear the same fab outfit than have a change for the sake of it. I've found that too much mixing & matching does nothing for me except create confusion. There are always one or two "best" tops for any bottom & with a change of jacket & footwear no-one knows if I'm repeating them

Hi Astrid Good idea, sometimes going through the things we aren't wearing & understanding why can be really helpful.

Thank-you Caro- I use Stylebook and will try this!

Thanks again, Caro, for starting this great thread, and for answering all these questions, too. Much appreciated.

Denise, this describes EXACTLY how I feel about repeats! I just didn't realize it until you wrote it:

I too like repeating outfits that have high JPW. But -- I feel guilty
for repeating them! Maybe guilty is the wrong word -- maybe lazy is
more like it. Like, I have so many clothes, what am I doing repeating
the same thing I wore last week.

Need to mull that over a bit.

Great insight, Caro. The putting outfits together once you bring items home resonates with me. I've been taking Angie's advice and doing sessions where I pull out everything I think will go with the piece and try, try, try. Yes, it's work but so worth it. And also, I'm learning why some combinations work and some don't. It's a process for sure.

Denise, this is why I love travel, too. But even there, I find that I repeat favourite outfits -- because I tend to do the same types of activities when I travel and enjoy certain combinations the most for those activities. (So, this dress, with these shoes, topper, clutch, earrings; that skirt with that top and those shoes, etc. Like Outfit A and Outfit B and C for X activity, and outfits D and E for Y activity -- and so on.)

I think I'm going to come at this the opposite way. I'm going to look at the items that are instant and (in some cases) lasting workhorses. What makes me love them (or at least wear them) so much. Most of my workhorses are actually wardrobe essentials but I tend to get a lot of JPW from some of my essentials; I know that is not true for all. I also get JPW from some statement items, of course, and some of them are equal workhorses.

Anyway...I think I might get at the kinds of questions I should pose to myself about purchases by looking very hard at what I wear All. The. Time. Or what I wear -- or want to wear -- all the time when I am doing X activity, even if X activity only happens for me 4 times a year -- i still need to dress for it, and thinking about what I love love love for that activity should give me some clues about how I should continue to spend my $$.

Thanks again, Caro, for this enlightening conversation.

Thanks Helen11
Aida ikwy(&Denise)m but for me there are always "better" outfits - the ones I LOVE to wear - so fewer & better makes sense for me
It is a process for sure Marilyn but so worth it