September Tracking Discussion - Week 4 - YouLookFab Forum

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September Tracking Discussion - Week 4

Jenn

(website)

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Almost there! Congratulations on making it this far and, if you're just joining us, even a small amount amount of tracking can lead to increased mindfulness about your wardrobe.

The Challenge: Mark down what you wear each day during the month of September. This can be as simple as noting your outfit in your calendar, or as complex as creating your own spreadsheet. Taking a daily photo is useful as well. I’ll start a new discussion thread each week, but feel free to join in at any point in the month. Also, don't hesitate to start your own weekly thread for individual input!

Just one question from me this week: what patterns are you noticing?

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17 replies

Latest reply was from binkle

Jenn

(website)

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I've realized that when I add a new item, I wear it like crazy for a bit to integrate it into my wardrobe, before it settles into more routine wear. I was thinking about what La Pedestrienne was talking about last week (I think) about just continuing to wear something once you add it into the rotation. I think this is why some of my NAS pieces fall flat. I don't always have that chance to really wrap my mind around them right away when I'm still excited about them. I'll have to think about that more.

Also, I wrote this in my photos thread, but I realized the reason I hadn't been touching my toppers, despite the cool mornings was that I usually went to the gym in the mornings. That means I'm wearing my gear sweatshirt for the coldest part of the day, and by the time I'm done working out, it's warmed up and I don't need a topper anymore. That'll change when it's cool for larger parts of the day.

Runcarla

Veteran

Jenn, I totally agree! My last purchases in late August were 3 slouchy cotton knit sweaters. I brought 2 on vacation with me earlier this month and kept wearing them when I got home. The third came into play this week and I've already worn it 3 times. It is a combination of the novelty and the fact that they are perfect for the odd fall weather.

Suz

(website)

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I haven't been wearing any new items yet but I'm definitely on Team New Items. I LOVE wearing new things more than any other things and always tend to overwear new and beloved items in their season. My NAS purchases always have to wait several months but once I begin wearing them, they are "new" to me and so get treated like any other new item, i.e. worn almost to the exclusion of other things.

A pattern I've already noted: I'm wearing my long sleeved shirts/ blouses more than I wore them in Ontario. Different climate. Loving the opportunity to wear these.

Another observation. Not really a pattern, but a direction: I'm so over skinnies...even though I know I will continue to wear them. Much prefer a high waisted wide leg right now. It's not always practical (even cropped) but I'm resistant to skinnies now.

Sal

Veteran

Thanks Jenn for managing this. I plan a post with some pics Saturday before heading away a week (so I will be a day short).

My main pattern is that I wear my essentials more than I would have thought, and I wear statements less. I also think recording has tweaked what I wear - made me bring out one or two pieces and wear them. If I had not been writing things down then maybe I would not have bothered.

Greyscale

Veteran

Jenn, I definitely do that thing where new items get worn many many times in the first weeks. I need to be better at rotating them back in later.

I’m trying to take more photos for this week. So far my outfits have felt like failures... dunno why this week isn’t as great! Maybe tomorrow’s will be good.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Absolutely I've been wearing some new things to death. I don't always do that though, I've realised. How to predict is the issue. And the previous 10s from before the new thing become 8s, and then over time they might become 6s... and so my wardrobe gets bigger. I am struggling with this and may need to do a navel-gazing post some time.

Joy

Veteran

Jenn, That is a good question. like to wear new items right away so to wait months before wearing most NAS purchases is discouraging. I am wearing some other new purchases a lot, especially in fall colors. A pattern is that I find myself doing lots of new/old mixing that I didn't realize I was doing. The new items makes the old items feel new again. I guess that is what a seasonal refresh is supposed to do. Even a new bag or pair of shoes makes a difference in how I feel about an old outfit.

It has been too hot to put away summer or hot autumn pieces, but cool enough to want to wear toppers more. I need to move things around to put cooler weather items and fall colors more front and center, and move the hot weather items to the far sides...still available but not in such easy reach. As cool weather items come out, I have been trying them on and looking over for wear. A bag is filling for donation. It will include low rise jeans to force me to evaluate my jeans and pants to decide what I really want and need. I am considering not replacing blue denim jeans and wearing what I have..

K.M.

Veteran

I'm a little OCD so I want to give equal time to items new and old; I'll do a mental rotation to give them all their fair share. It's less to do with style variety and more to do with my sense of symmetry and fairness

As I'm tracking my last week of the month, I am more and more aware of how my emotional state plays into my style. On days when I'm stressed or feeling a bit down, it's really hard to drum up good outfits even if I try. I'll look at my closet but not feel any inspiration; I'll try a bunch of things and not like anything.

I think for the future it will be great to use the tracking challenge to create a reference library of outfits, so that on those less inspired days I can easily get dressed and feel put together.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I've been sick for days, so have worn a total of 2-3 (2 are the same except for pants) outfits all week, starting the end of last week, repeating when I have to leave home for a little while. That means over 90% of my clothes were not worn this week. No, I do not feel guilty in the least or plan to make any changes for that reason.

I was so happy when I could get my white skinnies out of the laundry and wear them some more. I got them in July, couldn't wear them much then or in August because it was too hot, but I've been loving them since. I'm curious if that will wear off. I can totally see wearing them in the dead of winter with my new tweedish jacket.

It looks like my mattress ticking long-tail shirt will get a lot of use too. When I ordered it, I thought it would be the perfect Florida topper, because it's so lightweight, and what doesn't go with tan and grey? Turns out it still had tags on a couple years later when I decided to bring it on this move, so I guess it still counts as "new". It has been great for the transitional season. Just enough warmth for the temp swings when I'm out, and easy enough to stick in my backpack.

Anonymous

Its still been too hot for my fall items as a rule so i have a lot of pants and sleeved blouses still with tags. Knew it going in, but feel guilty about all the unworn items (about 10). I did wear the new purple skirt a couple days ago and enjoyed it, but it ended up being hotter out than i thought. Monday was cool enough for pants, but thats rare for September.

Roberta

Veteran

What I realized during this project:

1. For DECADES I wouldn't wear white because I thought it made me look fat. Now I love my various white pants (four pairs) and want to wear them every day. I'm pretty sure it was a blog post by Angie that converted me. Denim, linen, corduroy - I wore them all this month.

2. I was motivated to inventory my closet by season/color. Fun to discover that some colors are only in one season or another. For example; 1 gray warm weather item vs. 13 gray cool weather. And I love gray! The reverse is true in my yellow collection, my yellow peacoat stands alone. Pink is all-season for me, go figure.

3. Doing this challenge as the weather changed (in Chicago) was very helpful to me with weeding my closet. At the end of the season, if I haven't worn it, it's because I don't really like it, regardless of whether it "fills a gap" or not. I got rid of more things than usual thanks to this 30 day focused review.

Now I am eyeballing the Boden yellow ponte top for winter. Except my neck might get cold.

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Helena

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This last week has been a fun clothing week, because the fall temps rolled in and it is absolutely perfect out. The trends I've noticied since the beginning of September:

columns of darks, or contrasting outfits are been dominant, as are neutrals (in fact today is the first and the teal/blush bad outfit day were the only two days I wore color really)
my new white Nikes with the silver swoosh are THE best - I love them so much and love the pop of white they add to my dark columns
lots and lots and lots of navy of course!
very little accessorizing - I'm enjoying some small-ish crystals studs (and occasionally silver hoops) and my fitbit blaze watch. My layered necklaces have gone on and been taken off a few times.
contrary to Suz' realization, dark skinnies still win in my closet, but my new straight/girlfriend jeans are a close second
two outfits have gotten ditched because they didn't feel right: the teal/blush outfit from a few days ago, which just felt sloppy, and this morning's white t-shirt and black cardi, which was a snooze-fest, although on paper it should have worked. Need to ponder further, but I'm thinking a column of dark would have made me like the cardigan more. (as a rule, I don't love cardigans, but they are very handy with the temperature swings we are having, so I bought a simple black one for those days when one seems essential)

Enjoyed reading everyone's learnings!

Style Fan

Veteran

What patterns am I noticing?

1/ I spend a lot of time in lounge clothing.
I have been sick quite a bit this month (migraines) which happens this time of year because of the weather. I have spent several days in bed and the days I got up I wore lounge clothes. But this is, unfortunately, part of my life. When I am in this state I need ultra comfy clothes. Keeping track of my outfits (it seems humorous to call what I am wearing an outfit) has helped me realize even more what I need to add to my wardrobe. I need nicer lounge clothes because I sometimes spend days in them.

2/ I save my good clothes for outings and that is okay.
I have made peace with myself about this habit of mine. I do not wear my good jeans (Frame) on day to day basis but I save them for outings. I do not wear my favourite sweaters or tops to go grocery shopping. I wear them for special occasions. I have always done this. I have my everyday clothes and my special/good clothes. It is okay. It works for me. Of course, my special clothes are not that special.

3/ I wear a uniform and I quite like it.
My fall uniform is jeans (Levis for everyday wear and Frame for special outings), T-Shirt (Marks for everyday wear and Caslon or Three Dots for first level special outings and Sarah Pacini for extra special outings) and a topper (Columbia for everyday wear, Cashmere cardigan for first level special outings and leather or suede jacket for extra special outings). Then I add footwear and accessories. Thinking about my outfits in this way has helped me develop my shopping list and packing capsules.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

runcarla, I really like bringing new or new(ish) things on vacation. Loading them up with good memories at the start makes me enjoy wearing them more throughout their lifetime. Talk about emotional dressing!

Suz, I'm excited to see how a new climate will affect what I wear and how I wear it. I'm dreading it a little, but perhaps the new sartorial possibilities will be better than I expected.

Sal, that is pretty interesting, because I feel like you wear a lot of statements! Perhaps those outfits are just more memorable.

Greyscale, I feel like some weeks are just like that, and sometimes the same outfits feel different later. I hope it doesn't last long.

JenniNZ, 10s DO drop over time. I was realizing that when I read Angie's culling post recently, and she talked about sleeves that used to stay scrunched, but then lost their elasticity. Such a small thing, but I can see how it would make a difference in your love for and ability to style a once-beloved sweater.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Joy, it's so hard to dress in this weather, but I love it! Today, we had a high right around 50. Tomorrow, it's supposed to be 88! I do think fall is finally coming, though.

K.M., on days like that, I've found that structured outfits that make me feel great on other days don't work at all for me. Sometimes, I need cozy comfort. I do think it's a good idea to have some outfits at the ready. Not having to think about it goes a long way.

Fashintern, a few years with tags! You're definitely not on Team Wear (new things)!

suntiger, for some reason, I always expect September to be cooler than it is. Especially since I'm moving south, I guess I need to realign that perception.

Roberta, I think September is a great time to do a review in a 4-season climate. It definitely covers a whole range of weather requirements. Also, I'm glad you've rediscovered white! Sounds like it's making you happy.

torontogirl, this week had some of those days that I consider "perfect" Colorado weather -- sunny and dry, with lows in the 40s and afternoon highs in the low-mid 70s. Just beautiful! I tried on white sneakers this week and they just didn't work the way I wanted them to. I'll have to admire the look on you!

Style Fan, I lost my whole day yesterday to a migraine, so I very much sympathize with you. I only get them once every month or two, but when they strike, they're debilitating, and fall is rough because the weather swings are a partial trigger for me, too.

Katerina

Veteran

Thank you Jenn for organizing this challenge, it was very interesting.
I realized that I am actually bad at trucking. I take pictures and try to make a system, but the actual counting wears is not for me. What I feel is very useful is to document outfits - so nice to just look and choose instead of thinking and not knowing what to wear... The documenting of outfits gives me a picture of how much I wear the different items and that motivates me to rotate my wardrobe more.
I have actually two rather separate wardrobes - workwear and what I wear when I go out on one hand and what I wear at home on the other. I don’t really know if I should call it lounge wear - it is a mixture of things,... My at home outfits do not include scarves and I normally don’t wear jewelry or watches at home. I want to reorganize my wardrobe and move some of the first part to the second part (and I don’t mean “demoting” items) to achieve better rotation and wear nicer things at home. I have a habit of almost never mixing these parts, although they are not totally separated, they are all in one closet space. It would be useful to document at home outfits, too. They certainly need improvement.

binkle

Veteran

Jenn,

Sorry I haven't participated weekly - I guess 'cause things are so predictable with me right now that I kind of guessed/knew how the month would turn out!

As I suspected, I've, as their old ads used to say, "Fallen into the Gap!"

I've been moving to lighter colors in the past 4 years, after a heavy-duty health situation. I'm not feeling the post-apocalyptic grey/black thing so much anymore.

And I was tired of the pants I'd worn regularly the past 2-3 years - and they were looking tired too! In California, for me, my bottoms are pretty seasonless, except for a pair or two of cords or heavier jeans for winter. I'd gotten some stupendous usage (almost 10 years) from a wide leg pair of Gap chinos - well loved, well washed, and absolutely falling apart. So earlier this summer I bought three pair of Gap girlfriend chinos in ivory, light blue, and olive. And continued to wear a favorite 10-year-old pair of Lane Bryant mid rise wide leg denims. I also have a favorite pair of ivory denims (non-Gap) but am giving them a rest until fall.

Plus I needed new tees, so added four Gap tees in grey, blue, sage green, b/w stripe, and continued to wear some older blue/white and b/w stripe tees, plus a couple of logo/sports tees that have personal value. Gap is constantly having various sales and deals too, so got some good prices.

I had been wearing the same black sneaker boots year-round for the past 3 years, so a big change was necessary. In May I bought Nike Air Force hi-tops (even higher hi-tops than the Finds, with an extra ankle strap). Really fun and refreshing to wear after the chunky black boots. And some 3-pack socks from Target.

I always wear a lightweight shawl/scarf in the sun, and had a couple from a few years ago - just light cotton things in blue, white and beige.

All in all, highly repeated (8 wears each for each pair of chinos, 4 wears on the denims, 2-5 wears on the various tees, daily wear on the Nikes) but everything worked together. From long experience and observation, I've realized I don't mind repeats when everything clicks for me.

Though now my thoughts are turning to cords and woolies!!!

If I can get my act together I'll add more pix!

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