Caro I think it's a matter of getting my brain to that point of acceptance. It's quite stubborn sometimes, that brain

Suz This is exactly the sort of questioning I did. Comparisons like why do I wear these jeans a lot & those ones not so much were helpful & sometimes the differences were not obvious. Another thought that helped me was, the whole outfit is as important as having the right essentials. I know jeans are an essential in my wardrobe BUT if I don't have tops that feel right or shoes that feel current then I'm never going to feel fab in the jeans. This is where thinking in outfits came in

Believe me I know Aida - I'm older than you & feel I'm just coming to grips with it

Caro, do you use key words in your stylebook notes, that you can then use to search? This is where I struggle to use it. I'd like to be able to pull out all the outfits I loved and think about why. I guess the thing is remembering to make those notes, and be consistent with however you describe your feelings.

Elizabeth P I don't use key words in that way but I do put all the outfits that I want to repeat in their own sub-groups in the Looks folder. This folder also has seperate sub-groups for fails, high summer, cool temperate, warm temperate, winter etc. I also have outfits under travel, yoga etc. So in essence I've made my own key word sub-groups in these folders. I have a folder of outfits that are my go to outfits for most occasions in my life. Some of these outfits are copied across various groups - but that is easy to do in SB - the clone outfit option.
My JPW assessment consists of several questions from was the outfit appropriate for the weather to what would I have changed about it to make it better. I also give a lot of weight to how the outfit felt - both for fit & comfort but also for whether it was the best way of presenting myself for that occasion. Now that I've refined it I have 6 -8 questions some of which may not be answered for every outfit - if the outfit was appropriate for the weather say I don't note that. I now concentrate on either the outright negatives or on how I could improve the outfit (I'm talking about tweeks not a completely different outfit).
I'm about to change the way I record things now. For me there is no more need to record everything. I've learned that whatever I spend on lounging wear is okay because I wear these clothes every day & keep the capsule small. My cashmere items are down under the $5 CPW & they have much more life in them so I'm happy & I'm even happier about the JPW they have given me. Jeans are the same as are booties/boots. I've also learned my dressy capsule can now be much smaller than most because I don't mind repeats & my lifestyle has changes & I don't need as much. So now I'm relaxing everything a little & concentrating on buying as well as I can. I keep up the CPW but I'll only record JPW for new items if they are a new look or style for me.
If you have any other questions please ask away

To everyone who responded thank you so much you are such a wonderful, intelligent & thoughtful group

Thanks Caro! I really appreciate the time you took to respond so thoroughly to my question.

I put my outfits into categories that are "spring - work" and "spring - casual" "spring - going out" etc, so I organize in a very different way. I'll have to think about how my system can be adapted to analyze a bit more, because you have inspired me and I think there would be a lot of value in it for me. I think for me it'll be coming up with tags for the notes. Like any database, I need to think these through before I start, which is the hard part!

I do make a note if I get a "killer" from Angie

Thanks for sharing your experience, Caro. I've not tracked formally, although I do control my wears through the creation of mini capsules.

I'm finding that, largely because of the difficulties of shopping at a size 14 on a limited budget, I end up with a lot of 7s (pretty good, but not great) in my closet -- particularly tops and sweaters. I also hold on to items that were once in heavy rotation, but are now either not holding my interest, or are "almost" worn out (80% wear --- when you start looking for a replacement). How do you decide when to part with items?

I feel like I have lots to learn about creating a more personalized wardrobe, with higher quality garments. I have done better recently at added some unique jewelry, and a few prints and pairs of footwear that are more my "personal" style, rather than just what's available in the stores. Do you have some items that are the "core" of your style persona?

And yes, YLF is a safe place to announce that you find enjoyment in your clothing. An appreciation of beauty, wherever you find it, nourishes the soul.

Elizabeth P - I agreeing the setting up & particularly the thought that went into it was the hard part & even then mine was tweeked several times before I was happy enough with it I forgot to add that I also keep an eye on the most worn & least worn items in SB. It's been really helpful to check those items - if they are evening or really dressy then that's not a problem but if they are casual items then I take a closer look. Wish we could grab a coffee & chat about it some more
Beth Ann - the same thing was happening to me. My outfits were fine & I always had something nice to wear but they weren't inspiring me. That's why I decided to record how I felt in an outfit & then later how I would have changed it to be "better". Once I started asking the right questions (for me) this process produced results very quickly. It stopped me settling for generic things & made me home in on what I really wanted to wear.

Caro, I am late here, but simply had to comment as I blown away by both your post and all the wise comments. I am really inspired and will have to re-reread everything multiple times to slowly digest and hopefully absorb it.
I have decided to seriously focus on "fewer but better" starting from the upcoming season - I have been deciding it in the past too but always have been swayed by all the pretties in the stores. Yous insight about wanting to love everything has been very helpful.

Thanks Tanya. I know how easy it is to be swayed too That's where having the data helped me. I saw that so many of the things I bought on impulse either didn't fit with the overall concept I was aiming for or weren't good enough in some other way like fit or colour etc.

Thanks for sharing your thought process, Caro--it helps all of us grow.

I loved your comment about how due to the hot summer weather you have to make sure that your items are standalones. That is very helpful to me. I have been bored with a lot of my summer wardrobe, and I see now that this is why. I need to make sure that every summer item I buy is distinctive, because I will be wearing fewer items. It's easy to get into the mindset that simpler is better because the item will go with a lot of things, but simple isn't better if it becomes boring.

I also liked your comment about placeholders. I am getting to that point too. I just make do with what is in my closet, even if it doesn't bring me 100% happiness. The right supporting piece will come along eventually!