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WIW This Month, Plus Some #30wears Numbers

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

We've been having some more reasonable summer/transitional weather recently. Instead of highs in the upper 90s, they've been in the 80s, with 50s early in the morning. It's a welcome relief, but I'll be even happier when it cools down by another 20 degrees.

All of these WIWs from the past couple of weeks are a mix of old and new. I like seeing them all together like this, because I can see easily see my favorites and get a feel for what's working and what's not. I make no claims to these all being great outfits. Some worked better than others, and my wardrobe is still a work-in-progress.

Those of you who don't like numbers can stop right here and just feel free to comment on what you think works best.

***

For those who find numbers as useful as I do, I compiled some info on my spring/summer 2017 purchases (collection page). My goal is to wear all of these at least 10 times in the first year. I'm not there on all of them, but there are still warm days and layering opportunities to come.

I've noticed that I have the hardest time getting wears on my white/ivory items. I think this is a laundry issue. I don't have a lot of light clothing, so it takes longer to gather a load. More time between washes=fewer wears.

Here are the counts:

crochet-top black tee - 13 wears
crochet-top ivory tee - 6 wears
boxy striped tee - 8 wears
black silk tank - 20 wears
black linen tank - 9 wears

bf jeans - 10 wears
olive twill pants - 26 wears
linen slouchy pants - 15 wears

EF dress - 10 wears

leather Chuck Taylors - 44 wears
Sevilla Smith flats - 17 wears
Allbirds walking shoes (gear) - 47 wears

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27 replies

Latest reply was from Brooklyn

Sal

Veteran

You look great - I so love the plaid dress!!! And this is from a non-plaid lover. I also really like 7&9. I am on the look out for a top shaped like 9 in cotton ideally, very fine, to wear with denim shorts or floral shorts or genie pants for sports activities. Not as easy to find as you might think.

You are doing well with your wears - anything wearing out/falling apart? I have the same issue with whites - I do not let my sons near anything white (of course they prefer the white towels...)and there can be a delay washing them so they can sit in the basket for 5-6 days.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Sal, 7 is one of my favorites too. I am wearing #9 today just for work-at-home, but I'm thinking I vastly prefer this top with jeans or something lower-contrast than with black. The top in #9 is silk, from a few years ago. I can see how it would be hard to find the same very fine texture in cotton. It was hard enough in silk. Poly, poly everywhere!

Everything I bought this summer is holding up well! The jeans are the only thing I bought at a particularly low price point, though, so I'd be quite disappointed if something ended up not holding up.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Another fan here of the plaid dress on you! And I especially like outfits 3, 5, and 6. And of all, I think 5 is my very favorite. I think I like any outfit with those pants, and I'm guessing they are the olive twill pants with 26 wears? I think all the outfits look good.
As much as I love your oxfords and how you wear them with skirts and dresses, I think I might prefer them with tights, because in choosing favorites, those two looks didn't stand out to me, compared with the others.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

All fabulous Jenn, but the frock looks are KILLER.

#6 is my fave, Queen Chucks.

Joy

Veteran

I love reading your numbers and that your lovely things are holding up. My favorite outfit is #5, but they are all so wonderful that it is hard to pick.

JAileen

Veteran

I'm so impressed with your wears. It shows you did a good job shopping. I think I like #1 best of all.

kerlyn

Veteran

So many great looks here, Jenn. But I just love the drama of #6! I also really admire how cohesive these looks feel, even though there's a variety of silhouettes. You really understand what colors and shapes work for you.

Aziraphale

Veteran

All of your outfits above look good, Jenn, and I particularly like numbers 1, 2, 5 and 8. As for your comments on number of wears (I'm a numbers gal too!), I agree with you that it's a bit harder to get lots of wear out of light-coloured things. I tend to have the same problem, although in the summer we all have more light-coloured clothing and so I do more light washes than I would in the winter. I also find that I'm more likely to get more than one wear out of a dark-coloured item, because light things get dirt on them (or at least, the dirt shows up so I have to toss them in the wash basket after just one wear!).

I find that summer clothes in general get more washes, actually. I can rarely wear a top more than once in the summer because of the sweatiness factor.

Leather chuck taylors FTW! (your gear shoes don't count!)

Suz

(website)

Veteran

These are all terrific on you and I especially love 2, 5, and 6. Your style is workable, real, and yet never without drama or pizzazz.

I think you're doing really well on your numbers -- and the analysis. I am bowing my head in shame because I haven't been counting this summer -- partly out of guilt! I bought quite a lot at the start of the season, convinced that every item would be a lasting workhorse -- and yet that has manifestly NOT happened!! In particular, I bought 4 Everlane silk tops to replace worn out tops from previous summers. I imagined I would wear them constantly. But no. Why? Well, partly it was a weather issue. We've had a cool and very rainy summer for the most part. But mostly -- they are solid, and it turns out I want to wear patterned tops in summer these days. Who knew? Not me. I bought a couple of cheap polyester placeholders because I was desperate, and wore those nonstop!

Oh well. Live and learn, I guess.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I like all of them, but will pick 3 and 6 as particular favorites. I am not a numbers person, but it looks like you have a fabulous capsule going.

Style Fan

Veteran

These are great looks Jenn. I love the olive pants. Your summer capsule is looking good. Light coloured tops look great but come with laundry issues. I have the same problem.

LaPed

Veteran

I have the same issue with whites in my wardrobe. My new white denim jacket is pretty much only allowed to come out for occasions when I don't have my 3yo with me. It's still been getting one or two wears per week, but still, I have to think before I put it on. Black is my best friend because it hides chocolate smears and coffee spills.

It never would have occurred to me to count my Allbirds as gear -- they're definitely around-town-only shoes for me, due to the lack of tread. No match for the roads and trails near my house. I still love them, but I suspect they would be more versatile if I lived in an urban environment.

kerry

Veteran

You look great in all of these. Your style is so cohesive. I always appreciate your number crunching - good food for thought. I have the same issue with laundering white items.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Firecracker, Angie, kerlyn, Suz, and shevia -- You all managed to pick out my personal favorite of the bunch in #6. This was my eclipse day outfit, and it was perfectly comfortable for the travel, as well as for the chill of the early morning and the eclipse, itself. The sweater came off for the heat of the afternoon, and stayed off for the craziness of school parent night later.

Firecracker -- I agree with you about the oxfords. They don't quite work bare-legged with the dress and skirt. I just get so darn tired of sandals and sneakers by the end of summer, I'm ready for a change. I like my oxfords best with cuffed jeans or trousers. By the way, for both you and Style Fan, the pants in the photos aren't the olive ones. They're mustard(ish) chinos from Loft, bought in 2015. They have 40 wears! The olive ones are from Edde Bauer and not shown, but you saw them in my "utility pretty" post. Finds below.

Joy -- you are one of the forum members who introduced me to Eileen Fisher, so thank you for that. I am loving my pieces from her.

JAileen -- I think this is the first season I've felt like I didn't make any big shopping mistakes, although the SS flats haven't been as versatile as I hoped, but will still have some longevity. Everything is getting worn and holding up, so that's a very good thing.

Aziraphale -- Your comments on the issues with white are insightful. You're right. Tops tend to get thrown in the wash every wear during the summer, but I can occasionally get more than one out of a black linen or silk top. Never with the white.

Suz -- As I told JAileen, this is the first season I feel like I haven't made any huge mistakes. Any chance you'll be able to wear the Everlane tanks as layering pieces later in the year? I love the feel of silk under a wool sweater.

La Pedestrienne -- If I were doing trail or sidewalk/street running, I don't think I'd be able to wear the Allbirds for gear either. When I did that, I had a pair of Nike trail runners. Now, I tend to work out at the local rec center, so I wear the Allbirds on the stationary bikes and the indoor track. They're great for that.

kerry -- I'm always glad when someone says they find the numbers interesting!

Women's Kick Back Twill Pants

View Info

Top Pick

5

Skinny Cropped Chinos in Julie Fit

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Top Pick

4

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Jenn, I might wear the tanks in the fall...but probably not, since they are sleeveless. We have another month of (possible) summery weather here so they might come into play during September. Or next year. We'll see. I feel as if my spring/summer closet did not come together this year for reasons I haven't yet been able to articulate, apart from the weird weather. Something is "off" in there and I'm not sure what! I found myself staring at my clothes and wondering what to put on more than I would like -- or, alternatively, just wearing the same FB outfits again and again to the point of boredom. And certain beloved items (still beloved, yes!) went entirely unworn. I think it was a combination of weird weather, a dearth of dressier opportunities, a TON of travel by car (when I typically travel by train or air).

frannieb

Veteran

I love all your outfits. I'm a big fan of 6 and 9.
I love your thoughtfulness about clothing and keeping track of you number of wears.

Anonymous

I LOVE these posts. You ALWAYS challenge me to improve myself. I will be back later with my own numeric evaluation.

In the meantime, I adored your outfits. I can't pick a favorite. That does happen on occasion, but it is rare.

Shout out to Jenni NZ who always gently reminds me of my stated goals and then positively reinforces them.

Anonymous

I evidently was on a spending spree in 2017. Absolutely no regrets!!!!!! I tried a seasonal shop (which I still absolutely believe in, but I will need to fine-tune the technique in the future).

I did the vast amount of my buying in March and April in advance of a trip out west. There were a lot of things I needed for the trip and I budgeted for them in March. I did the second major buying spurge in June and July after a 30 x 30 challenge in which I identified holes in my wardrobe. I immediately started addressing what I considered to be wardrobe holes. I spent a lot of my clothing budget in June/July. I hadn't budgeted for this. But again, no regrets.

I am sure you are not interested in what I bought in March/April for my trip. NOT one single item bought for the trip achieved a > 30 wears. BUT each piece was needed and I was really grateful I had it with me. I will say that perhaps duplication was not necessary, but I didn't know the laundry situation so I made the decision to duplicate because I couldn't wear "dirty" clothes. I will also say that everything I bought will be part of my Fall/Winter wardrobe so the number of wears will increase as soon as cooler weather prevails.

Listing the actual item/count would be so embarrassing. Let's start with BOTTOMS. Not one single bottom achieved > 30 wears. Work-related bottoms all achieved less than 10 wears on an individual basis (but I intend to keep them for at least three years!!). Casual bottoms did a lot better with numbers that ranged from 11 to 28. I obviously wear casual bottoms a lot more frequently!!!

Sigh. I bought a lot of tops. A LOT of TOPS. With three exceptions, ALL of them were worn less than 10 times. The longer the top was in my wardrobe, the more it was worn. So it is clear that I am wearing all of my tops.

I think I bought really, really well this year. It is my hope that each of these items will be around for a long time to come. I fully anticipate the numbers of wears to increase dramatically. The key is NOT to keep buying. IF you keep buying, you end up wearing the new clothes while the older clothes sit idle. I am striving to undo this.

I know my primary season .... finally. I have been actively buying for the primary season.

Thank you, Jenn. I hope I did not hijack your post. But you aways give me food for thought.

rachylou

Veteran

You know, I really like your almost all black outfits... but if you became a PIB (person in black), then I probably wouldn't...

...yes, just hanging out here in the peanut gallery, lol...

skylurker

Veteran

I love the combo of mustard chinos and toffee chucks ; the narrow, deep v necks of #1 and #9, and the chic simplicity of #3.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Suz, I have to think this season was a fluke, because you're always thoughtful about your wardrobe. You tend to analyze carefully and are usually in tune with your current wants and needs, both physical and emotional. I bet you'll be right back on course come fall.

frannieb, thank you! I use an app to track wears, so it's an easy process. I probably spend less than 30 seconds a day on it, but the results are so worthwhile!

rachylou and skylurker, you two are the only ones to comment on the all-black outfit! One thing I've discovered this summer is that I really don't feel all that fab in black bottoms, so I'll try to remember that when shopping in the future. I do like the simplicity of the black linen ensemble, although you'll note I put on the red lipstick that day to balance it out.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Sterling, I so liked reading your analysis. Not a hijack at all...I'm always interested in #30wears conversations.

In most cases, I don't think it's realistic to expect 30 wears out of an item in one season, unless it's a trend piece you want to wear the heck out of while it lasts, or an essential in very heavy rotation. Otherwise, I think purchasing and planning for a life expectancy of 2-3 years is realistic. You said something that that really spoke to me:

The key is NOT to keep buying. IF you keep buying, you end up wearing the new clothes while the older clothes sit idle. I am striving to undo this.

Yes! I still need to figure out my sustainable buying level. If I were to replace a third of my wardrobe (including shoes, but not gear) a year, that would be about 30-35 new items each year. Many items should last more than three years, though, so I'm thinking closer to 25 items a year, which fits with the 12 I bought for spring/summer. Will that put most pieces at 30+ wears before I'm ready to recycle or pass them on? I don't know. It's definitely an ongoing learning process. I think I need to look at the wears on my current winter items before I start ordering for fall/winter.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

I love that #2 plaid dress and that dress would transition well into the the Fall. I love an all black look and that outfit is so mod. Love it. I used to be the queen of black but kind of have downplayed black throughout the summer.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

citygirldc -- I always think of your style as sort of retro-modern, so the all-black fits right in with that. Classic. The plaid dress in #2 is much more a fall/spring dress than a summer one, as it's made of a heavy flannel. I usually only wear it on cool summer or transitional days, and often with a sweater.

Brooklyn

Veteran

No 2 and 6 are outstanding. I really like 6 in particular. Maxi dress with maxi cardigan - dramatic and beautiful. No 3 is very chic and dramatic too. Personally I would like to add a bit of light - like a white pendant or bangle. But I am just imposing my own style preferences of course! Of the more casual looks, my favourite is 7.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Brooklyn, though I probably wouldn't add white, I would definitely add cognac or brass accessories to #3 if I were going out. I'm wearing my house slippers in the photo because that was a work-at-home day. Pretty much just put on lipstick for the photo.

Brooklyn

Veteran

Those are house slippers? Pretty nice!