Alright guys, I’m about to nerd out on my closet. If that’s not your thing, I totally get it, no worries, I’ll catch you on the next post. Today I’m going to get into the weeds about what I’ve been wearing. I’m going to talk about:
1) My wear counts for Q1 (aka: Jan.-Mar.), what was popular, and what was not.
2) What I got rid of and why.
3) What I bought.
4) Where this all leaves me in terms of my closet.
WEAR COUNTS
Whew, tracking what I wore turned into a much harder project than I expected. I decided to do it digitally, since that seemed like the simplest form of tracking, but in the end my spreadsheet just got too big and a little complicated to manage. I made a column for each day, and 90 columns later… it was getting hard to keep good visual tabs on everything. If I continue to track my wears I will maybe make the switch to analog (like Paige and Lee).
Overall, I’m not sure how ‘telling’ wear counts really were for me. A lot of my stuff got worn about the same amount of times. Though, in most categories, there were clear winners and non-winners.
Most Popular:
Sweaters:
I spent the majority of my winter in sweaters, instead of the shirts in my closet. When it’s cold, I definitely favor sweaters over all else.
Waffle Knit Sweater, c/o Everlane, sold out, (8 wears) – I found myself reaching for this sweater all winter long, not for its looks, but for the way it feels. It’s waffle-knit cashmere and it’s about twice as thick as a regular cashmere sweater, which means it’s crazy-soft and extra warm. The crew neckline isn’t the most flattering on me, but it worked well to keep the winter air out.
Oatmeal Cardigan (M/L) Cuyana (8 wears) – This cashmere sweater isn’t nearly as thick or warm, but the fit, color and shape of it work really well with almost my whole wardrobe. It’s fitted through the shoulders, so when I wear it with wide leg pants, the look is still balanced. It’s starting to pill a bit, which kind of bums me out.
Claude Cardigan (S/M), L’envers (9 wears) – This cardigan was a winter workhorse! It was such a great purchase, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. It feels very old world European to me, and I love that (I’m a day dreamer). This style of sweater is so classic, it will probably never go out of style. I’ll probably have to fight my daughters off when they’re teenagers!
Tops:
There were lots of 1’s and 2’s in my shirt category because I favored sweaters. At first I was a little surprised, but then I realized why, and it made sense. Many of my tops were worn as undershirts, but never saw the light of day. For that reason I didn’t track them, but it might have been more accurate if I did. Shirts that did make the light of day on repeat…
White Cotton Turtleneck, Splendid (5 wears) – The quintessential layering piece for the wintertime. And fun to use under dresses too.
Striped Tee, thrifted Ralph Lauren (very similar) (5 wears) – A simple, wardrobe basic. Though most of the winter was too cold for just a tee, this layered well under jackets and my charcoal cardigan.
British Tee, c/o Zappos (6 wears) – It feels like I wore this way more than six times. It’s another, basic layering item that looks great tucked into vintage jeans, and high waisted pants.
Cardiff Work Jacket in Camel, OS Regular, c/o Only Child (12 wears) – Not pictured, but I was impressed with how many times I layered and wore this light jacket during the winter months. Once I realized I could layer it under another coat, it was game on! The color I chose is really bold, and I do wonder if a more neutral shade might have been even more successful.
Bottoms:
Jeans, Vintage Levi 501’s (similar) (18 wears) – No surprise here. These pants lead the way in my closet, I favor them over every other pair. It took me a long time to find my favorite vintage jeans (years!) but I’m so glad I never gave up. I found these at a local shop a little over a year ago, and yes, they seemed like ugly, old man jeans at first, but with a little vision and styling, they became my favorite pair! I also had them hemmed up a few inches, and that made a big difference.
Jeans, vintage Levi’s 505’s, Etsy (10 wears) – I love my vintage denim! These are bit looser, and a lot wider at the bottom. I ended up having these taken in at the waist to get the best fit, and it was worth every dollar (only 15 of them!). Vintage denim adds so much character to an outfit!
Black Denim, c/o Everlane (9 wears) – These are the Modern Boyfriend fit by Everlane, sized down 1x. I like these pants, but I don’t love them. The fit is still a bit awkward. They can get baggy in the knee and crotch area a little too fast with wear. Everlane’s soon to-be-released, high rise straight leg denim (which will include black) might be a better option.
Shoes:
Clog Boots, No.6 (34 wears) – Wow! I knew I wore these a ton over the winter, but this number nearly tripled the wear counts of everything else in my closet. Safe to say, they were an excellent purchase.
Isa Boot, c/o Nisolo (12 wears) – This is a new style of shoe for me, and is more ‘chukka’ than I’d typically wear, but it’s been a great option when I wanted color in the middle of the winter. They are leather lined, and nubuck on the exterior, so they’ve been warm, and have held up really well. I’m so glad I learned about the difference between suede and nubuck, the latter is far more superior. Suede comes from split leather and is often thinner, while nubuck is still full grain, but buffed to get that suede-like texture.
Least Popular:
For me, this was the most interesting part of my first quarter clothing-tracking experiment. It was easy to know what was going have a high wear count because I wore it all the time. But the zeroes and ones are a little more telling.
– Black and white cocoon cardigan, old from Nordstrom Rack (see it styled here) (1 wear) – This is a sweater that I wore a ton in the first years I had, but now, I rarely reach for it. I don’t think it’s my style anymore. However, because I loved it so much at one point, it’s not getting purged anytime soon. Perhaps my love will reignite at a later season.
– The Oversized Sweater, c/o Vetta – (1 wear) – I was naive to think this sweater would be a staple for me over the winter. It’s super cute and I’m attracted to the multi-functionality of it, but it didn’t incorporate well into my wardrobe because I rarely wear skinny jeans. The volume of the top just doesn’t work well with the types of bottoms I typically wear. I haven’t parted ways with it yet, but I have a friend in mind who I might pass it on to.
– Black Merino Turtleneck, thrifted – (1 wear) – This wear count surprised me a lot. In the past, I’ve worn this a lot more, but this year I didn’t reach for it.
– Clyde Work Pant, olive in cotton twill, Elizabeth Suzann (similar in cotton canvas) – (1 wear) – This wear count pretty much shocked me, as I really like these pants. They are unconventional in shape, which is great, but if I’m feeling particularly bloated on any given day, they really emphasize it. I didn’t consciously reject the pants because of that, but I might have on a subconscious level. Hoping to get lots of wear out of these over spring!
– Wide Leg Crop Pant, Everlane (1 wear) – These pants are not typically winter pants for me (too short), so I’m not surprised at the low wear count. But after the last time I wore them, I decided it was time to stop trying to make myself love them. For high waisted pants to work on my body shape, I need structure in the fabric, and the fabric on these is too stretchy for me. These pants are great on lots of people, but sadly, not me.
WHAT I GOT RID OF:
// Wide Leg Crop Pant, Everlane – See above.
// Modern BF Jean in Mid Blue – After several low-scoring outfits, I decided to put this in the ‘purgatory’ section of my closet. There are too many other pants I’d rather wear. However, technically I didn’t ‘get rid’ of them, I moved them to my short stack of ‘camping clothes’ instead.
// Black Crewneck Cardigan (S), Everlane – Unfortunately, I bought this in the wrong size. It would have been so much cuter if I bought it in my true size (M) or even sized up, and styled it like a pullover.
// First Rite Ribbed Tee, This was one of the very few impulse purchases I made this year, and it was a major fail. The crewneck was too high (hello football shoulders) and the color was too close to my skintone. Lesson learned.
// Only Child Bolinas Vest, c/o Only Child – I was overly optimistic about my desire to wear vests. I love vests on other people, but they are hard to incorporate into my lifestyle, which consists of mostly being at home, or being out, but with a rain jacket on. It was hard for me to let this one go.
// Modern Oxfords, c/o Everlane – I LOVE the way these shoes look, on me and everyone else, particularly in this blush color. But ultimately, they were just too narrow for my feet. I even had them stretched at the cobbler, and they still never got comfortable for me. I’m still bummed about it.
WHAT I BOUGHT:
I made 11 purchases in the first quarter of the year, and it feels like a lot when I look at it all at once. However, four items were accessories (2 purses, a belt and a hat) so I feel like I didn’t inflate my closet too much. Where is gets tricky is when I add gifted or ‘care of’ items to my closet as well. Most of these come from brand partnerships, which are often hard to complete without sharing the products. However, last month when I partnered with Nisolo for my In My City, In My Nisolos I optioned out of adding new shoes for that campaign, and I think it worked well. However, the majority of the time, that is not at option. Even with brand partnerships, I still work hard to be incredibly mindful about adding new items to my closet, gifted or purchased.
JAN:
1-Black Relaxed Silk Shirt (6), Everlane – A simple basic, that I like to wear when dressing up.
2-White, Modern BF Jeans (28, with altered waist), Everlane – An excellent option for brightening up my winter closet.
3-First Rite Ribbed top – oops! (see above)
4-Day Heel (10.5), Everlane – These are not practical for my daily life, but they are oh-so pretty. Love them for date nights or anytime I’m dressing up.
FEB:
1-Luke Fedora in Gray, via Animal Traffic – The hero of my bad hair days.
2-Simple Black Belt (SSENSE)
3-Black Bucket Bag, the Stowe – I bought mine on sale for $207, but the current price is much higher. It’s sleek, and a great ‘mom-bag’ because it holds A LOT of stuff.
MARCH:
1-Cream Waffle Knit Sweater (M), Everlane – I debated on this one for a long time, and finally pulled the trigger when I decided it was different enough from my beloved T Sweater (it’s chunkier and warmer, with a different overall shape).
2-Sneakers (41), Veja – I am so thrilled by these shoes! They are way more comfortable than my first pair of Veja’s and they truly go with everything (and they’re warm and water resistant!)
3-Classic Shoulder Bag, Cuyana – I felt a little silly buying two bags back-to-back, but the reality is, in the last year I sold off three of my black staple bags, because they weren’t working for me. This bag is the structured, rectangular number I’ve been trying to buy for the last few years, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it!
4-Dark Denim (28), Imogene + Willie – These are a bit of an off-season purchase, but I+W has been out of my size for months, so I jumped on them when I found my size on Garmentory.
What’s On My List for SS18
Not a lot! Spring and summer is not typically a big buying season for me. I have a hard time investing in clothing that I only wear for a few months out of the year.
Kamm Pants in Skintone 34 – I love that I can wear these pants year round, I love the way they make me feel, and I love this shade of brown. A hint: if you’re looking for Kamm’s and can’t find them second-hand, try stalking out their stockists, and see when those stores have a coupon code. It’s a great way to shave some $$ off the price.
White Petra Crop, Elizabeth Suzann – I wanted this top last year, but the wait times were killing me. Probably going to order it soon!
Ella Slip Tank in Moss, Elizabeth Suzann – I’m swooning over this mossy brown lately! I think this would layer well over summer dresses. Love that ES silk is washable.
WHAT THIS MEANS ABOUT MY CLOSET
Despite my best efforts, I still have a lot of clothes. And I still have a bit of a revolving door in my closet. No matter how hard I try, this is just the truth about my closet, and as long as I’m a style blogger, it probably always will be so. My goal is to continue doing it in the most responsible way possible: mindfully and minimally. Around December and January I toyed a lot with the idea of bringing my purchases and gifted items near zero, and even held out for awhile on making any purchases. But eventually, it got boring. If I were to write a blog featuring the same clothing and outfits all the time, I would be totally bored with it, and the quality of my content would reflect that. I write this blog for you guys, but I also write it for myself and I need to be passionate and excited about what I’m creating.
Making select purchases and accepting gifted items from brands allows me to flex my creative wings, experiment with new shapes, and bring you guys detailed, inside information on seasonal releases from our favorite brands and designers. That’s the kind of blog I’d like to read, so that’s the kind of content I create.
And this concludes your very detailed look inside my closet. I apologize for how lengthy this got! If you have any follow up questions, let me know in the comments below!
Love this post and love your use of metrics! I also keep a cost per wear count for everything in my closet and have found it so useful in determining future buys and what to phase out of my closet. I use a different digital format than you described and would love to pass it along to you if you are interested! I use the item, initial cost, number of wears, fomula calculating cost per wear, season of puchase, and finally type of garment to help when filtering and sorting. It helps ease the pain of big purchases – for example, I felt ridiculous buying a $230 sweater from Jamie and the Jones until I realized I had worn it 30 times in less than six months!
Ultimately, keeping up with my closet metrics helps me realize and appreciate all of the fun and reliable clothes that I am fortunate enough to have. Any excercise that helps us experinece contentment is useful!
Hi Meredith! I am all ears to hear more! And you touched on something important I neglected to mention in this post – CONTENTMENT. That is perhaps the #1 benefit of wardrobe tracking. It reinforces how much we already own, and makes appreciate it! Thank you for bringing that up!!
I love this honest look inside your closet, and especially how open you are about mistakes/what didn’t work for you!
(Also, if you are ever interested in selling that vetta sweater…..pick me! )
Hi Brooke, thank you for the feedback! I am glad this post was so well-received, I will try to keep up with sharing this type of info in the future. And I’ll keep you in mind for the sweater!
I find Stylebook app a really easy way to keep track of wears-per-season. And you can make outfits on it, which is fun! Apparently, Caldwell does the same, but I think you have to pay per quarter.
As someone who lives in a cool (British) climate, i’ve stopped counting long sleeve t shirts in my capsule, as like you say, nobody sees them for most of the year. To me, they’re a base layer to add warmth and stop sweaters itching. I like them to be nice enough to be seen if I get hot indoors & peel off a layer, but they’re not statement pieces to me or included in my seasonal pick: just part of my year-round underwear collection.
I find these kind of in-depth posts fun (and instructive) btw!
Yes, exactly! That is such a great way of putting it! And ‘nice enough to be seen’ is critical, for sure, ha!
Great post! I started keeping track of my wear count with a spreadsheet similar, I think, to what you were working with. It is a lot to take in, but I’ve found that ‘hiding’ columns for days that have already passed, and rows for items that are out of season keeps it from getting overwhelming. I added in a column at the end with formulas to calculate the total wears for me, so once the tally is in, that’s all I need to look at. I’ll be interested to hear if you end up going analog and if that works better! I totally commiserated with your post about your First Rite tee. I impulsively snagged a Two Fold Krissy tee in blush – partially because it looks so fantastic on Paige – but after trying it twice it was just all wrong for me. Thank you for sharing so much!
Gahhh, this is so helpful! I just went in a cleaned up my spreadsheet. I didn’t know how to hide my columns (nor did I think about it), and it looks A LOT easier to manage now. You’ve re-inspired me to keep this going, thank you!!! And yes, I do have my little formulas at the end, and that is indeed very helpful.
Ugh, it’s so hard when ordering online to know if something is going to be the right fit, I feel ya! I hope you were able to sell your top!
This is my favorite kind of post, because it’s easy to compare what is/isn’t working between closets, and it’s so interesting to me. I am finally fully back in pre-baby(ies) clothing and just starting to capsule and track again. I was struck by three things while reading:
1. Cocoon and waterfall cardigans are still in my closet and I’m out of love lately too. I think (like shiplap, haha) they were just EVERYWHERE, so, despite my fondness for them, I just don’t want to wear them right now. They are so practical and work with so many shapes and necklines so I’m also reluctant to purge. Will see how I’m feeling next fall.
2. I think Clydes look best with ankle/foot showing and a thinner top to offset the volume and thickness of the material. I think it would be a hard pant to wear often in sock and sweater season!
3. I’ve accepted that it’s not possible to
A. Care what I wear
B. Dress the body I have AND
C. Completely avoid the rotating closet door.
I aim for mindfulness and shop secondhand whenever appropriate.
This is so good Rebecca! First of all, congrats on making it back to pre-baby. I remember the days when that felt like it would never happen! Yes, to exactly what you said about cocoon and waterfall cardigans (I didn’t even know they were called that)!! Your comment about the Clydes makes me feel better too, you’re spot on. And lastly, agreed, it is a lot of components to keep in mind. But I think being mindful is half the battle, so yay to that!!
I actually love seeing what people have added to their closets, their thoughts on what they own and what they are getting rid of and why. It is super interesting because we all have our own preferences and climates we live in. For me, I actually have to invest a lot more in warm weather clothes since we are pretty hot in Texas 8 months of the year. It is SOO hard because I actually love cooler weather (minus the snow) and layering so I have had a hard time paring down my winter wardrobe (it just doesn’t make sense to own 10 sweaters for me!). When creating my summer wish list, I had to take a step back and really think about what I enjoy wearing to work (which is pretty causal) and what makes sense in 100+ degree weather. In the past, I pretty much wore jeans to the office despite the heat, but I’ve added a linen dress and plan on purchasing the ES linen Flos. I think being smart will help me be happier and more satisfied with what I own and wear for most of the year.
I have also been keeping track of cost per wear using the Stylebook app on my phone. You can load in all your clothes by category with the price/brand and add them to the calendar when you wear them. When you go into your closet to view the item, it will tell you how many times you have worn it and the cost per wear. It does take some time to set up but it has proven to be very helpful!
I love your approach to planning Christina, it’s super smart, and no doubt will lend you greater success. I’ll be curious to see how you like the linen Flos. I really like those, but just not sure I would get as much wear out of them as I’d hope because so much of the year is cold here.
You’re making me tempted to try the Stylebook app!
Thanks for sharing all these details, I really enjoy this type of post too. I’m not a style blogger, and part of me loves loves the idea of having a small wardrobe of things I’m just crazy about and want to wear all the time. However, in reality, I really don’t have much $$ to spend on clothes, I don’t live somewhere it’s easy to find great second hand stuff (and I’m just not good about consistently going) and I want to work with what I already have as best I can, and find contentment in that, so I struggle to purge a lot of things that aren’t my very favorite things ever, because I really like having variety, and I never know when I legitimately may change my mind about something I’m not currently loving. Whew! All that to say, thanks for being honest about your needs for your closet and blog, and reminding us all that we don’t have to squeeze ourselves into a particular box because it’s what’s others are doing. Keep up the lovely work!
Thank you for this Tori! I struggle with changing my mind often too! It’s a bit frustrating. I neglected to mention it in the post, but tracking my wears brought me a serious amount of contentment, because often times when I though, “I want to buy X” I remembered my wear counts of similar items, and it was a reality check. Best of luck with your closet!
I love the honesty and comprehensiveness of this post!
I’m struggling with the rotating closet door right now too…I can’t figure out if there has been so much turnover in the last few years because I’ve recently discovered my true style (which I think I have) or if I just like new stuff. For me, the path forward right now is slowing down, making minimal and mindful purchases, working with a capsule wardrobe, and tracking what I’m wearing using Stylebook.
Gosh, I can so relate Kristy! For me I think it’s a bit of both (found my style + I like new stuff). Your path forward sounds perfect! How do you keep yourself in check on your mindfulness and minimalness toward purchases? I ask because, often it seems like I haven’t bought much, and then I look back and realized I bought three things in a month…
I suppose I better look into Stylebook!!
Thank you for your transparency about your closet. It’s interesting to see how someone else thinks about adding clothes and decides what works well. I think this came up during your blog survey a few months ago, but I also would appreciate a mention of how you think about the costs of these pieces. Just a casual survey of what you bought in these three months shows several hundred dollars worth just of Everlane clothes. I realize this is your job, and I’m sure you use what you earn on affiliate links for some purchases, but it would be nice to have some acknowledgement of how you are choosing to budget for what you add to your wardrobe.
Hi Jessica, honestly, I am not the best at budgeting. I just try and keep my purchasing to a minimum (even though at times it doesn’t seem like it!). For Everlane stuff, sometimes I use referral credits. I wrote a blog post a few years ago reviewing their t-shirts, and people seem to regularly find it and sign up to Everlane through that. This helps offset the cost of some of the Everlane items I buy.
Thanks for the breakdown Andrea, I love these kinds of posts!! I’m another Stylebook user like other commenters and find it fascinating to get stats on my clothes and also to see my wardrobe in its entirety on the app.
I love most of my clothes and have a small seasonal capsule wardrobe which I really enjoy and helps me to stay focussed on buying the clothes I want to own, both in style and in values. Although there are certainly beautiful temptations out there and fantasy lives I would like to buy for!! It would certainly be harder to do if you are blogging about clothes, so again I appreciate your honesty.
I envy your small seasonal capsule wardrobe, it sounds wonderful! And why is it so temping to want to buy for our fantasy lives?! Thanks for the support Tanias!
Found this post really interesting, I’ve done something similar this winter too and it was revealing.
Please please consider selling me your Vetta sweater if you are getting rid of it. I have been trying to buy one ever since they came out but I keep missing them, even with waiting lists and restocks, I just never manage to make it. It would find a really good home with me as I love sweaters that are versatile. Could you please message me?
Hi Jackie, it’s amazing what we can learn from studying our wardrobes. And I’ll keep you in mind for the sweater!
Hi Andrea, I love geeking out on your closet with you! I’m inspired by how much use you get from those No.6 shearling boots and I’m considering getting a pair for myself. A question though – can you wear them when it’s wet out? My wooden heel clogs seem to come with a warning to keep them indoors when it’s raining. I figure you get your fair share of rain in Portland though, so just figured I’d ask. Thanks so much!
Hi Romy!! I LOVE my clog boots. But they are the regular, not the shearling. And YES, they have a lacquered wood base, so I wear them in the rain all the time. That was the biggest selling point for me when I bought them!! And yes, we gets loads of rain here. :/
Aha! Thank you!
Hi, gorgeous!! You mentioned pilling on one of your favorite sweaters…do you have a sweater stone? If not, you might look into one as natural fibers will pill just like cheap, synthetic ones. Only, poly threads will not break as easily when you try to “shave” them, so they don’t clean up as well. Wool and cashmere are easy to rejuvenate! :) xoxo
I do! I just need to get off my lazy laurels and use it! Thanks dear!
I think it is hard to see much of interest when doing a wardrobe tally when starting in winter. Obviously those sweaters are going to have an unfair advantage or other tops, lol. If you had a glut of sweaters though it may help to thin the herd. Winter outfits I find so difficult even though our winters are fairly mild and don’t involve snow. I found a analog digital hybrid to work well for me. My spreadsheet has columns for items (divided by type), price, and the a column for each month and a column for the seasonal total. At the end I have the grand totals and the cost per wear. All the formulas are in there already and I just take my analog tally sheet at the end of each month and put the numbers in. I get strangely excited to do this each month. Seems to be working well. Hopefully I’ll be able to better assess styles I prefer as you can do so well. Thank you for the update on how this experiment is going for you!
Thank you for the honesty and complexity in this post! I totally understand that because you blog about ethical fashion and style, you receive items. And truthfully, I do love reading the in-depth reviews that occur as a result of these partnerships you build. I would also love to see gifted items in these closet check-ins. Maybe under another category? I think this could add another level of transparency and provide a more accurate glimpse of what goes in and out of the closet, regardless of whether we use our own money. In many ways, the energy you spend blogging is an exchange for some clothing items that fit your mission. I don’t think you need to apologize for that. I am an artist, and when I started out, much of my work was produced through bartering and exchange, as long as it fit under my mission statement and ethics. Looking forward to more of these in-depth posts! I started my own tally system for my closet in January! Hiding columns is the key ;-)
I love reading your posts about your wardrobe — I track mine as well (have for 3 years now!) and it helps me cull so much. I, too, have a bit of a “revolving door” feel to my closet, which I don’t love, but tracking my worn items really helps me home in on what I love.
I’m also super, super interested in that Vetta sweater, if you haven’t given it away or sold it. I’ve been waiting & searching for one for a long time! Would be happy to buy it from you and pay for shipping.
I really enjoyed this post Andrea! I used to do the same thing; count how many times I wore items in my wardrobe, and you know, you’ve really inspired me to pick this back up again (and perhaps consider sharing some wardrobe analytics of my own). I always find it really interesting to see how much you wear something – whether it’s an item that you think is just ‘okay’ versus something that you’re really excited about having in your closet – usually the more practical items win out every single time! Thanks again for sharing xx