The benefit of having a planned out wardrobe

The past couple months...well 4 months...have been an uproar for our family. The stress has been unbelievable as we go through a lot of transitions that have required major changes in long term goals and lifestyle changes for all of us. The good news is we are not moving and everyone is healthy. Its just a major redirection on what we plan to do in the future. Add on this upheaval with lots of projects at church and the kids' schools AND I am taking a painting class....I've barely been able to have a quiet moment. Things are settling down now and upon reflection, I see that throughout this period, I've managed to NOT resort to sweats and Uggs as I usually do when I am stressed out....I've kept my style quotient high since I basically have a grab and go wardrobe that requires no thinking. I did all my planning/organizing and culling before the stress-storm hit so I could ride it out easily. Yay!

It also helped that I have a moderate sized wardrobe that is focused on my ACTUAL life and not an imaginary life. My color choices are focused and I have acknowledged that I am not a skirt or dress girl. So my closet is filled with items that I really do get a of wear out of. Part of my planning process is creating a couple fall-back outfits to grab and go with mix and match options. Never have I been so happy that I am a "preparer" type person!

12 years ago

gryffin

Veteran

Wow, Marlene I am soooooooooooo impressed. You live the adage "those who fail to plan, plan to fail" Kudos on your organization and for being so proactive. We can all only control the factors within our control. But isn't it soothing at least to have one area that is working well just as we want it. Best of luck to you!! Sounds like things are falling into place but change is always stressful even when it's a positve change. Keep your chin up and your heels on!!

jazz69

Active Member

Sounds great.Would like to know how you did it! Can you walk me thru your planning process! Thanks in advance:))

Tanya

That sounds wonderful, congrats on being such a good planner.

minimalist

Marlene, wow! you've articulated exactly where I want to be, wardrobe-wise. Thanks for the inspiration. Now I'm going to look at your older posts, and see what process got you here.

Anonymous

What a wonderful testimonial to a well thought out wardrobe! I'm happy with what preparation I did before DH retired and wish I'd done more. For anyone knowing there is a lifestyle change ahead. It's a good idea to consider it when planning and shopping.

Marlene

I think the biggest concept about starting the planning process for me was acknowledging what my REAL life is and what i LIKE to wear. I am a MOTG with a lot of volunteer work that places me in several meetings a week. I LIKE to dress to impress because it gives me confidence. Even though most people in my town dress super casual, I like kicking it up a notch for the confidence it brings without being OVER dressed to feel out of place. Most of my struggle has been to find that balance of dressing "up" without over dressing. I need to be comfortable enough to drive the kids around all day while still being polished enough to have a random meeting with teachers or people down at City Hall. I also have been trying to figure out my style moniker....arty casual? suburban edgy? I haven't figured the exact wording yet but I'm at the point where I know it when I see it. That process continues.

I have also pared down my color choices: black/white/gray/denim with pops of purple, teal, turquoise and fuschia. Mostly gray though! I love gray. All my colors play nicely together.

I like the idea of uniforms. For me, its a slim or skinny bottom (yay ponte pants!!!!) with either a long tunic or layered tee with a drapey topper. I wear a lot of statement jewelry (I'm a jewelry maker) and scarves and that helps mix it up. And knee boots or booties. When I buy new pieces, I make an effort to have them work into this formula.

I think those are the main steps I go through during my planning process. It is hard to resist items I run across that I LIKE but don't work with my uniform. I have to ask myself: Does it work with my style moniker? Is it part of my color palate? Will it fit into my uniform formula? I need to be firm with myself.

And finally, I do spend some time in my closet at season transition points editing and putting together a couple outfit options. And purging out the bloopers that ended up not working for me. Its OK to make mistakes!

qfbrenda

Well done! I'm glad your planning is making this stressful time easier for you. We should all be that prepared.

Lisa

Great planning! I think paring down the color palette is a great idea and something I need to work on to help me further purge my own wardrobe. Thanks for sharing!

Caro in Oz

Fabulous read Marlene. Glad all your hard work paid off

Alix

I'm so impressed to read this Marlene. I aspire to reach your level of "organised wardrobe" (I too am a planner)! It's a work in progress..

Happy

I love your statement about realizing how to dress for you ACTUAL life, not your imaginary one. Someone once told me to decorate my house like that, but I hadn't thought to apply that to my wardrobe. Very helpful!

Eliza

This is a lot of wisdom in one post and I thank you for sharing it. Love your wardrobe description and color palette. So happy that something is simple during all of your transitions. Wishing for smooth sailing as you and your family move forward.

Amy

(website)

Marlene, you are an inspiration. Hang in there through this stressful time.

Susie

What an inspiring and thoughtful post. I love reading about wardrobe planning and I am delighted to hear how it has helped to reduce some measure of stress during a chaotic time.

I recently was invited to a fundraising event and it was so nice to not stress about what to wear because I knew that I had plenty of appropriate choices.

Sveta

That's great, Marlene. Well build wardrobe is a blessing for sure.
I am glad things are calming down for you now.

Beth Ann

Taking the time to build a wardrobe for your real life makes everyday decision making just a bit easier!

Glad to hear that you could dress with confidence when things were all topsy-turvy!

Suz

Great read, Marlene, and I would love to play in your closet! It sounds as if our lifestyles are somewhat similar and needs are similar as well. It's a tricky balance to reach but not impossible and paring down the colours, plus asking ourselves tough questions at the time of purchase, can really help.

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