As a follow up to the 12 month clothes shopping ban experiment I felt like further dissecting my wardrobe to reveal more learnings.
I counted up all clothes, pairs of shoes, bags, belts, hats, scarves, swimwear and gym wear. I didn’t include underwear or sleepwear in my tally.
Total count = 208 items
That’s not really a big wardrobe to start with…right? I’d hazard a guess, a lot less than other people have. It’s certainly a lot less than I thought I had given that it was spread across two wardrobes!
I then divided that number by 4 to give an average count per season. Melbourne has four distinct seasons…even though they do have a reputation for all appearing in one day! This would give me an available average of 53 items per season.
I then counted up what I did actually wear during the 12 month shopping ban. Only 157 of the 208. That left 54 items completely unworn for the year. Bit if a waste? My Husband quipped that he knew that already from what goes through the wash! Ok, I admit he does more of the laundry.
That got me thinking…did I accidentally have a capsule wardrobe? 39.25 items on average were worn per season. That’s almost within the range without being strategic. If you want to know more check out Courtney Carver’s Project 333.
Could I do a capsule wardrobe? This would be a challenge. I’d have to get more organised with a routine for washing & ironing…yep, in case you haven’t guessed, I’m not naturally organised and I like to dress to suit my mood. I’d also have to invest in a more colour coordinated wardrobe and refine my style. It a bit mish mash….corporate hippy is a thing ok!
Anyway that is a thought for another day. Back to the audit & what I discovered. I don’t want to bore you with the exact stats…I may have done some analysis in a spreadsheet!
So here is a summary of my findings:
- I live in jeans whenever I can
- I love my jackets…I’m bottom heavy and they even me out
- The swimwear & gym wear didn’t get as much use as my body probably would have liked
- Some things I really like didn’t really get worn because they don’t go with much else
- I’ve got things in my wardrobe that don’t fit….in the hope I’ll get back into them
- I’ve got stuff I’ll probably never wear again…yep, those sentimental items
- I’ve got colours and styles that just don’t suit me
- I’ve got shoes that never fail to give me blisters and my bad back just won’t let me wear heels anymore
- I realised comfort is massively important to me, I’m not a fan of tailored or fitted… tight feels like a cast
- I love my layers
- I love colour…I want less black and more happy brightness
- I’ve got more dry clean only items than I’d like…I prefer easy care launder at home with eco friendly detergents
Ultimately I’ve got some work to do!
So here are my next steps:
- Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit
- Get rid of anything that is in poor condition
- Get rid of things that are uncomfortable…navy blue pumps I’m looking at you!
- Take a trip to the Op Shop and donate anything that is in good nick
- Make a list of all the kinds of clothing and accessories I like to wear and look good in by colour and cut….vow to never buy anything that doesn’t fit that criteria
- Make a list of things of basics I need to replace and find good quality options and don’t settle for bargain bin crap!
- Do not buy anything new that does not go with at least 3 other items in my wardrobe
- Try not to buy anything that is Dry clean only unless it is freaking fantabulous and is replacing a like for like item that has worn out
- Tally up all the things that I’m getting rid of and only re-introduce up to that number…adhere to the ‘1 out, 1 in rule’
As I post this, I’ve worked through steps 1 to 4 and have a pile of 23 items to donate and I broke the drought with 4 carefully selected items that adhere to steps 5 through 9.
My shopping trip was very different from any previous ventures. I’ve become very discerning. It may sound rigid and unadventurous to some of you, but I’ve found the process freeing and empowering.
Anyone else ever consider or attempt to analyse their wardrobe in a spreadsheet? Let me know in the comments.
From my heart to yours,
Kirsten x
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