Bijou, I haven't bothered tracking accessories because I don't buy many of them (one pair of sunnies, plus my older pair as back-up, one tote bag, one crossbody). I could track scarves and hats, but most of them were handmade by my mum and have been in my closet for a very, very long time. If I ever reach a point where I'm "collecting" a certain type of accessory, then I'll start tracking it. But I just don't shop for accessories the way I do apparel; with the exception of bags and sunglasses, my accessories don't really wear out. I agree that my sunglasses probably have the lowest CPW of anything I own, and perhaps the highest joy-per-wear!
Jenni, I struggled with how to incorporate my older clothes into my wear-tracking too, but ultimately decided not to sweat over estimating previous wears. I figure if something has been in my closet for a long time, making the cut through several cross-country moves it's usually because I do wear it! Anyway, my real interest is in what I'm reaching for now. I do have a column in my spreadsheet to indicate Purchase Year, and another for whether something was bought new or secondhand, so those give me some more insight into longevity. Oldest items are from 2002 and both from J Crew: duffel coat and a boiled wool hoodie that need repairs before I wear them again, but I haven't found a good tailor in my area whom I trust to put a new lining in a coat that has a lot of sentimental value... ""Tasselectomy" -- hah! I have performed a few rufflectomies myself.
Jussie, pants are the hardest thing, next to shoes, for me to find. It's the only category of clothes where I'm a heavy duplicator because when I find something that fits I do feel I ought to stock up. I have three pairs of Levi's 501s in different washes, two pairs of Boden Richmonds pants in different colours, etc. Also, like Sal, I'm very hard on my pants compared to the rest of my clothes (excepting, again, shoes). My #1 favourite olive pants have bleach stains on them, and I still wear them because they fit better than any other pants I've ever had. I do wonder if I ought to try dying over the bleach spots, but I might just make it worse.
Gigi, your budget thresholds are very similar to mine. Pants and tops up to $100 (really for tops I'm trying to not buy at all, and when I do they're usually under $50), up to $200 for shoes and outerwear, although I would be willing to go higher for something exceptional in either of those categories, because they are reliably high-wear categories.
Smittie, my husband is the same as you with his work shoes; he only wears them in an office setting and they seem to last forever. I say wear the Burberry! Good coats are hard to damage. It really will last forever even if you're wearing it on a regular basis (see above with my J Crew duffle coat -- the wool outer is still in great shape; the lining is shot but should be replaceable). I'm impressed that you have just 5 pairs of pants in rotation -- a couple years ago I had about that many, and I felt like I was perpetually cleaning or mending them. Having a few more options is a great sanity-saver for me, and I still feel like I'm always shopping for something to replace a worn-out pair (right now it's black jeans); I just can't stay ahead of my pants...
Efbgen, I haven't yet put away my winter clothes. We're supposed to get more snow this week! However, I didn't put away my summer clothes last year til the end of October because the fall was so unseasonably warm where I am. The seasons have been very erratic -- makes it hard to plan!
Sterling -- it's so worth it! Tracking gives me a real sense of being "in control" of my wardrobe if that makes sense.
Greyscale, that's a great idea. Maybe once I have a year's worth of data I'll think about graphing too. I think the wears are in part a reflection of a very long, gruelling winter in the northeast. I'm really pushing myself to wear my "transitional" clothes before we slingshot right into summer weather, but it's so chilly/grey/windy/snowy I really just want to keep wearing my deep winter stuff.
Jenn, those are good percentages to keep in my mind. I'll be really curious to see what my numbers look like after I've tracked a full four seasons. I'm still trying to figure out what my "seasonal" pieces are. I have a cotton cardigan that I think of as a warm-weather piece, but I've worn it 11 times this year, so I guess it's really a year-round garment.
