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Thoughts on outfit creation sessions

Lynette

All the great responses to my post this morning concerning wardrobe orphans now have me thinking about outfit creation sessions. How do you like to do them? Do you pull everything out that might work with a new item and try them all on in one big session or do you break it down into mini sessions? Do you schedule time for this or just fit it in? If you find you have nothing that goes with the item do you then take the item with you next time you shop? In contemplating this for myself I realize I don’t like to do outfit creation sessions when I am wearing makeup and therefore have to be so careful when pulling things on and off. That means it will need to be early in the morning or late in the evening. I also get antsy if it takes more than half an hour. I start thinking of everything else I need to do. And I easily get discouraged if the new item is not working in my wardrobe the way I thought it would and that causes me to spiral down. I believe some of you (Carla?) create “flat” outfits
on the bed before taking time for try ons. That seems like a good idea. I would love to hear what works well for other fabbers. All ideas and suggestions welcomed!

Dressing

36 replies

Latest reply was from

Anonymous

I find them a huge pita tbh I used to do it every weekend, to set up my outfits for the workweek, and make sure everything was in good condition/ dewrinkled. It took about 1/2 hour to an hour each week. Laying the outfits out doesn't compare to how things look on the body, cause it's hard to tell proportions.
Now my wadrobe is pretty much on autopilot, plus I'm wfh for now, but it was a lot of work to get there.

Liz

Veteran

I'm not very formal about it -- I just pull things out of the closet and try on, switching out pants or topper or tops or shoes until I have something that works. Sometimes I'm neat about it, sometimes half my closet ends up tossed around on my bed.

IF, however, I'd worked on it for a half hour and nothing works, that would likely mean the thing would get returned. I'm just not willing to have wardrobe orphans or tyrants that are difficult and hard to work with. Some people like that challenge; I don't. So I'm ruthless about returns. No way I'd let the garment force me to go out and buy even more items. If I really loved it, I might have another go on another day. The exception would be if I'm trying a new silhouette and know that I will need to buy a new outfit because I don't have the completer pieces in my closet.

One thing I find happens a lot: I try on a lot in the store (well, when we used to be able to), and bring home the one item out of 15 I tried on, that fit and worked and I liked. I bought it because I'd worked so hard to find it and it was the best of all the options in the store. But then I get it home and find that just because it was the best of what was available in the store, that doesn't mean it actually works in my closet.

Bijou

Veteran

I try things on and have an old scarf that I throw over my head and face to make sure makeup does not get on the item. I tend to randomly pull a few things out to try them. if I get three or four combinations that I like, I leave it at that. Unfortunately many retailers where I live don’t offer returns, so I have to be careful about what I purchase and make sure it will work before buying. I have gotten more disciplined in this respect.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I relate very much to what Liz wrote. I try to evaluate new purchases very soon after I bring them home so I can meet any return window if I change my mind. If I don’t find combinations that make me feel good pretty quickly, I usually return. I generally bring an item home with a good idea of what I want to pair it with, so it’s not a lengthy process for me. Sometimes it actually leads to pleasant surprises and ends up working with far more than I recognized, which is always fun. But if it’s too hard to make a new closet addition work, I’m not one to go out and buy yet another thing to try to save it — I don’t understand that approach unless you’ve got a very minimal wardrobe and are absolutely in love with a new piece and dying to make it work, or it is an absolute need like an occasion dress or an interview suit.

I don’t schedule this kind of thing. But I’m self employed and have a flexible schedule, so I’ll wait until the mood strikes and then do it on the fly, usually when I’m getting dressed for the day but don’t have anything pressing I need to do. I just pull out possible pairings one by one and hang the successful ones on the valet bar in my closet so I can take it all in when I’m finished. Not so successful pairing items get hung back up immediately. I can’t stand clothes on the floor or draped around anywhere.

Helena

Veteran

I don't do them, I think because my style is pretty simple and roughly the same formula every time i.e. jeans + top hehe. Not much to experiment with there!

anchie

Veteran

I do it only with the new additions to make sure that they play well with the rest of my wardrobe and that I can make different outfits with it. It is especially important to do it if it is something different and unusual for me, and I am not sure about proportions. I may not do it for essential navy sweater for example because I am already familiar with the shape and the color and I know how to pair it.

unfrumped

Veteran

I don’t lay things out flat- I can’t get much help from that. Plus the light in my bathroom where full length mirror is is the brightest.
I will pick out one or maybe 2 things I feel I need to know what really goes well with it. So, a pair of pants. Then will pull several tops that “ ought” to go, start putting things on, maybe find a good combo or maybe have small lightbulb moments re: tops styles and pull out some more.
It’s easy to get carried away- oh what jacket goes with this? Plus shoes. Then there’s a lot of stuff out, and the main problem is, I hate putting things away.
But I find it useful.
Ther are 2 good times for me— completely random but when I’ve got no other plans/demands, or before going out somewhere, ( but not a “ big event “) when I’ve got an hour or so before having to leave. Pre- pandemic this might have been the weekend for longer sessions, or before church, low- key date night, smart- casual theater, shopping for short sessions where I could then test- drive a creation but not worry if wasn’t perfect.

cat2

Veteran

I do them when I swap seasons. At home we have basically two seasons, Summer and Not Summer. I take the swap as an occasion to toss everything on the bed and try new outfits. I have my shoes for that season in the room so I can spot shoe gaps. I wear light shape wear so it’s easy to toss everything on and off, and no makeup or deodorant, and my hair up, so I don’t stain anything. I keep a notebook by my side to list what I need to fill in to roll through the season. I then hang everything in their outfits except the pieces needing alterations, they get hung together to take to the tailor. Any outfit orphans get hung together so they are easy to access when the new pieces I have ordered arrive. I do almost all online shopping because I have a busy job, and like having 14-30 days to decide what to keep. I also found that with a hard to fit shape I can find more options on my own than by going to our mall. Just to be clear, our mall looks like Rodeo Drive, and also has Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, etc. but it can still be hard to shop if you have limited time in the evening when you are tired and the sizes you want to try don’t happen to be on the rack. I do have three online personal shoppers if I need suggestions, and use them if I get stuck and need to pay full price for some elusive items; otherwise I use them mostly for hunting down gifts and unsnarling customer service issues. One absolutely rescued me when I made it to Chicago for a speech and my luggage didn’t, and another is really helpful if I get tossed onto a plane last minute to a new destination and I don’t have the right things with me, or a business trip gets extended by a couple of weeks.

cat2

Veteran

Hmm, the comments about not buying new pieces that are orphans are interesting to me. Usually for me something is an orphan because it’s in either a new color that is trending, a new color to me, or a new shape I have not tried before. So in no way does buying it represent failure to me! It means I am stretching my boundaries a bit. I will try an inexpensive version of something new to see if I like it, and then build from there.

slim cat

Veteran

I'm uniform dresser and often go with a safe choice - sorta repeat the same formula with some small changes.
When I get something that new to me ( like midi skirt last summer in ombre color ) I try to see what outfits are already exist out there with the similar item. I may try new formula with cheeper add-ons - like buying cropped tee from Marshalls or doing easy fixes ( tying the thin tee into the knot to get the cropped look ).
It takes me some time to adapt the new things. And I'm not very adventures in my own styling/dressing.

Toban

Veteran

I do outfit creation and try-on sessions with every new addition to my wardrobe before I take tags off. This way I confirm that a pieces mixes well with what I have and that I like the piece in outfits. I’ll generally stop after I find at least 3 outfits that I LOVE the piece in, including shoes. If that doesn’t happen, it gets returned. Unless a special occasion piece, then one awesome outfit is sufficient. I don’t preplan my outfits, but I know from the try-ons that I’ve got options that I’m happy with.

Anonymous

I like to think I'm fairly intuitive with this , and try to eliminate the "what will it work with?" step at the point of purchase. If there is one thing I can't stand though , it's trying on clothes. Hate it. I get hot, irritated and can easily slip down the slope into self -loathing if I'm in the wrong head space. I can't say I've ever done an outfit creation session at home. I occasionally wing it with an outfit, sometimes posting them here on the forum if I'm in doubt, and learn from there. But spending time in my bedroom with a pile of clothes? Shoot me right now.

unfrumped

Veteran

Agree with Toban--comment is more to your point of trying to reduce new orphans, vs see if items in existing wardrobe can have life/new life.

I also do try-ons when starting new season using clothes that were in storage (wool sweaters) or off-season closet. My goal is to not only try on an individual item for fit, etc, but to see, does it make outfits and deserve to stay. I have to be a bit careful because sometimes something goes with something(s) that are not pulled out yet and I forget! This is why I will use Holding Zone for items that I love but don't know or don't remember how to wear. Obviously if that's so hard, it may be a problem.
But an example is, I have a couple of cashmere sweaters that are shorter, and don't work with regular pants, but gp./match a couple of midi skirts for festive or semi-dressy wear in Winter--so, NOT going on in pandemic. Also go with high-waist pants, which I did not have much as casual at-home winter items. Also classic dressy items. Sometimes I will pin a note or tag a hanger "Save for,,,,!"

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I'm turning into a more uniform dresser as well. same style different patterns or colors. It works for me

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm in Liz's and Janet's camp. This is my approach:

Apart from when I buy wardrobe items on my travels, a wardrobe item is scrutinized in my dressing room at home almost as soon as I get it, or shortly thereafter.

1. I really have to like it, and it has to pass the fit, colour and quality test first. Alterations are taken into consideration to create perfect fit.

2. If that goes well, I create at least two COMPLETE outfits with the item that I feel fabulous in. If I can't, it's destined to be returned. (Only exception is formal wear and swimwear which can take a while to pull together).

3. If I am a little unsure of the item, I ask hubs Greg what he thinks.

I don't have an outfit creation challenge because I have a versatile wardrobe with the right essentials in place. I have put a lot of work into it over many years, so I know my wardrobe like the back of my hand. New to me items, colours and silhouettes aren't problematic to create outfits with because of the upfront work. Creating outfits is the most fun part for me! An item is returned after Step 1, 99.9% of the time.

Lynette, it's always best to try try the outfit on to make sure you like it. If you are accumulating wardrobe orphans, you have to bite the bullet and do the upfront work for a while. 30 minutes is great! Just a few outfits. The good news is that after a while, things become more intuitive and easier. I promise! You will get a better sense of what works with what the more you practice.

Jules

Veteran

At this point I have a general sense of what general formulas work for me and what not to buy (skirts, ahem), so I am rarely trying to work something totally new in. I write down ideas as they occur to me (in my phone Notes app), maybe even group the items together in my closet, then typically try it out when I am getting ready for something (work, social event etc), but do have some extra time and energy (not in a rush, or stressed). I try to flesh out the ideas beforehand so that it's not just a top and bottom but also a topper, footwear, maybe even the jewelry I feel might help pull it together. I also try not be overly invested - it's just an idea, so if it doesn't work that's ok, and I have fallback options ready.

Half an hour is plenty of time if that's your attention span for it! Perhaps just start with a small capsule of items that seem like they might work together, rather than your whole closet.

cat2

Veteran

Hmm, I am really intrigued by the range of approaches here. I have a favorite linen skirt with a unique pattern in cocoa brown, taupe and cream. When I bought it I didn’t have a thing to wear with it because light ivory was trending. A year later I found a cream knit welted top at retail and started wearing the skirt. A year after that I found the perfect brown welted top and wore that with the skirt a couple of years until it wore out. Now I have the linen skirt paired with a taupe silk top that I bought for my work wardrobe and crossed over to the casual side of my closet when it wasn’t quite dressy enough for work. If I had gone with your approaches I would never have bought something I love. Most of my wardrobe I accumulate the same way. I don’t think telling everyone they need to have the same approach you do makes sense, we all have different ways of getting to our goals.

LaPed

Veteran

When I look at something, whether online or in store, I ask myself what three things from my closet I could imagine wearing it with. If I can’t think of at least three, I generally won’t pursue it any further. If I can, then the first thing I do at home, assuming the item fits, is try it out with those three things. If they don’t work, then I’d reassess, make a few more outfits with other pieces, and decide whether the new piece is with the extra work (often, for me, it isn’t).

I have a smallish wardrobe but don’t expect everything to work with everything. I rarely do try on sessions for existing pieces; any new combos of older items are happy accidents.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I don’t do them very often. I think I put the work in before that stage. Knowing my wardrobe so intimately from my lists (others use Stylebook or YLF Finds) means I have an idea already if I see something, either in-store or online, whether it will “go” with items I have. And I definitely use a cooling-off period.
Aka a “power pause”. ( Remember that here in NZ we have done well with the pandemic so wandering in and out of stores “just looking” is more of a thing. Though I do also look and occasionally buy online, but as I detest doing returns I prefer B&M shopping and am SO happy I can still do it.)
An example is my new “brown zebra” top. I saw that by chance wandering into the store and checking the sale rack. I went home and thought about it with my lists while also looking it up online and probably taking some pants into the office as well to hold them up to the computer screen to check the colour match, because I am fussy like that! Then I went back to the mall another day with items I thought would go with it. It fit well and I bought it, the sale price being a bonus.
A downside of this approach is that one has to go to the store twice, and the item may sell to someone else in the meantime. I have become philosophical about this. I remember a Lisap comment that “there will always be more clothes” and just feel if that happens that the universe didn’t mean it for me!

Sal

Veteran

I do them about three to four times a year. This weekend I will pull out my boots and some winter pieces (maybe not all of them as it is early autumn) and if there are things I put away last winter with doubts about, I will try them on again, style them a bit, maybe come to the forum, and decide whether to keep or hand on.

New pieces that I am uncertain about I do immediately - I am fairly intuitive and usually have a combination in mind when adding something.

I also usually do a try on prior to a significant event to make sure the outfit works.

On occasions if I am tiring of a piece, or wondering if it still works, I will experiment by wearing it a few different ways.

I do think comparing proportions and colours and especially checking footwear is worth it. I loved the idea of a navy linen shirt for me, and purchased one, but in reality with my rust wide crops, or with white jeans, I actually didn't like it on me at all. Back it went.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Lynette, you might find this post helpful too:

https://youlookfab.com/2012/08.....purchases/

Lynette

Wow! So much wisdom here. I need to go back through and make some notes! Thank you for all these great ideas and insights. This is so helpful. There seem to be several camps. Some of you return an item if it does not immediately work with things you already have. Some are willing to shop for completed pieces. And for wardrobe creation sessions some of you love them and some loathe them! As Angie would say, “Horses for courses!” I will need to mull this over. I’ll be back to respond more this evening.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Yeah, it would need to be a really exceptional piece for me to keep it if I can't immediately make outfits from my wardrobe with it. But maybe others feel differently! Even though I have a sizable wardrobe, I want things in it to work together, and frankly my style is unlikely to veer wildly away from what it has been.

DonnaF

Veteran

I completely agree with Janet. I have to be in the mood for try-on sessions which is why I buy from Nordstrom; their return window is indefinite. But not wanting to do try-ons right away is also a clue that maybe I don't want something all that badly and need to return it. (Most of my purchases are online.)

Lynette

Liz- I can certainly relate to buying something that’s just ok because I spent so much time and effort shopping. I need to stop doing that!

Bijou-Such a brilliant idea to wear a scarf to protect the clothing from make up! Thanks!

Janet- Evaluating the item soon after bringing it home is key. Out of sight out of mind. I love looking at your outfit creation posts. You seem to have it down.

cat2

Veteran

That’s interesting; I think of myself as a pretty classic dresser, and I keep pieces in my closet as long as humanly possible so I would have assumed I was less adventurous when shopping. However, I do like a number of different silhouettes, like switching between them on a daily basis, like switching colors up when there is something new, etc. Maybe it’s less of a risk because I know that over time everything will eventually find a place and then be worn to shreds? So it doesn’t need to immediately be perfect, I know it will eventually earn it’s keep.

Runcarla

Veteran

When I get an item, or items home (and I do try them on in the store when shopping B&M) then I do ‘flat sets’ to get an idea how well the item will integrate into my closet. Flat sets don’t take much time at all. When I have more time, I do try-ons based on the flat sets. Usually the flat sets work out great, but sometimes they don’t look as well on as they do laid out flat. Often an item proves more versatile than expected, other times I like it a lot in one or two outfits, and don’t wear it in other combinations - even if it works. Sometimes an item doesn’t work well with what I have, but is so great that I keep it. In that case I will bring it with me when I shop bricks and mortar, or shop online after researching possible combinations via Pinterest of other sources. The garment I have to work harder with might just be the catalyst for a new style direction.

Joy

Veteran

What Runcarla said. I do the same thing. If I can’t style it a couple of ways, I don’t buy it. Unless I really love it. If it calls for a topper, I make sure I have something appropriate for the season, even dresses. But that is only something I want, not everyone feels that way.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Interesting! I consider wardrobe creation me treat time and fit them in when I have nothing else I need to be doing, and can be undisturbed for a couple of hours. Regarding makeup, I use Bijou's scarf trick, but actually try to not have any makeup on. But I have a very large and very churning wardrobe, love to try experimental pieces I thrift before I move them on, and am doing this for fun and a creative outlet. So probably not the typical situation!

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