Wardrobe Inventory: Revisited

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Diana

The last time I did a Wardrobe Inventory was back in 2009. Back then, I was only working part time, and still struggling to figure out exactly what I liked. I was beginning to experiment a lot. Some of those experiments were fantastic, others were duds.

My outfits have started to fall into a repetitive rut, so I felt like it was time to take a good look at my wardrobe once again. I counted and photographed pretty much all my clothes. The only stuff I skipped out on: summer clothes (swimsuits, shorts, etc), workout clothes, and pajamas. I didn’t include accessories this time, but I might come back to that later. (Note: Counts are total, some items aren’t pictured)

Casual Tees: 9

Strengths: Several good comfy, interesting tees that are good for weekends.

Weaknesses: Not many solid tees. Need more interesting graphic tees.

Work Tops: 13

I was surprised to see how many work tops I actually have. Most mornings, I have trouble figuring out what to wear for work. This area may need weeding.

Strengths: Lots of great, colorful sleeveless tops

Weaknesses: Need more short sleeve, 3/4 and long sleeve tops. Weed the ones you don’t wear anymore.

Layering Tees: 10, Tanks: 7

I just recently did a lot of thrifting in this area, so I’m doing really good here.

Strengths: Tees and tanks are long enough to be tucked in.

Weaknesses: Get more colors and patterns.

Sweaters: 5, Vests: 5

Strengths: Good weights and fabrics for Florida

Weaknesses: More cashmere. More colors. More handknits. More light cotton sweaters.

Cardigans: 13

You can never have too many cardigans, right? I may need to weed this a bit, but most of these I wear on a regular basis.

Strengths: Lots of lengths, weights and colors

Weakness: More cropped cardis to wear with dresses. More cashmere. Need a cropped white cardigan. More handknits.

Jackets/Coats: 5

Yeah, I’m lacking here. But bear in mind that I live in Florida, so I don’t need a ton of coats and jackets.

Strengths: My red coat is perfect for most of Florida’s winter.

Weaknesses: I’d like a pretty wool coat for when I travel (one day). New hoodie to replace grey one, which has seen better days. Track jacket. Casual, structured jacket. A cropped blazer would be nice too.

Jeans: 4

I don’t need a ton of jeans, in my opinion. I only wear jeans three days a week (Fri, Sat, and Sun).

Strengths: Dark and light washes, good fit (yay for Gap Curvy!)

Weaknesses: I’d like to have a pair of ankle length skinnies in dark denim again. Need to dye my black skinnies – they’re getting faded.

Slacks: 5

The first thing that hits me: they’re all so dark! I need some lighter colors, and also better fits (Gap, why did you stop making Curvy slacks? They were perfect!)

Strengths: Love my grey Gap Curvy slacks.

Weaknesses: Most don’t fit well. Need some khakis, olive drab. Need casual chinos. Another pair of cords would be nice too.

Skirts: 3

This is an area I’ve struggled with in recent years. I have trouble styling skirts, so I tend to not really look for them when I shop. I need to get more intentional about this.

Strengths: Love the print on my green skirt. My pencil skirt fits like a dream.

Weaknesses: Need a colorful pencil skirt. Casual jersey skirt. Denim skirt. Try a maxi. Basically more skirts in general.

Dresses/Tunics: 11

Like cardigans, I also believe that you can never have too many dresses. My collection has improved greatly, but there’s always room for more.

Strengths: Lots of great sleeveless dresses. My navy blue dress and my LBD fit amazingly.

Weaknesses: Need more dresses with sleeves. More solids. Knit a sweater dress. More Boden

Accessories Inventory: Gaps

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Diana

I mentioned a few accessory gaps when I did my wardrobe gaps post, so I’ll try to make this one a bit more focused. These are some areas where I feel I’m really lacking in the accessories realm.

Hats (in general)

1920′s Cloche $65 (Bonnie’s Knitting)

I only own two non-knit hats. I need more of all kinds. Of course, I have to figure out what styles will work best with my hair. I’ve always loved cloches, so I’d like to give them a try.

Statement Rings

Elephant Adjustable Button Ring $8 (ShopKim)

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m seriously lacking in the ring department. I’d love to remedy this by adding some fun and sassy statement rings that I could use as accents in outfits.

Green, blue or purple shoes

Friends Sharon $145 (Fluevog)

In the shoe realm, I’ve got red, orange, yellow, black and brown taken care of. But I don’t have a single pair of green, blue or purple dress shoes. This must change.

A Circle Scarf

Circle Scarf $28 (American Apparel)

I own a lot of scarves, but I don’t have any in jersey, and none that are a circle/cowl style. I really love American Apparel’s version, especially in tri-evergreen and purple.

Headbands

Four Silver Leaves Hand-beaded Headband $30 (QuirkyBeauty)

I really love headbands. They look fantastic with my hairstyle, and I don’t have anywhere near as many as I would like.

Accessories Inventory: My Essentials

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Diana

Like items in my wardrobe, there are certain accessories I own that I couldn’t go without.

A Basic Pearl Necklace (Coryell Design)

I love my pearls. They give any outfit an extra touch of class. And they never, ever go out of style.

Sterling Silver Bangles (Jill Popowich)

I literally wear these almost every day. I love the light, feminine touch that they add. And the pretty sound they make

Black Mary Janes (Clarks Apple Sky)

Okay, so it’s extremely hard to pick just one pair of shoes. But if I had to have only one pair of shoes for work, these would probably be the ones. They look amazing with both pants and dresses. The patent classes them up a notch. They’re reasonably comfortable (although my feet do start to hurt towards the end of the day).

Brown Strappy Sandals (Born Savory)

Okay, so I chose two pairs of shoes. While the previous ones were my work essentials, these are my casual essentials. Since Florida is so warm, it’s possible to wear sandals for most of the year. These lovelies are amazingly comfortable (once broken in) and they look great with everything.

A Colorful Purse (Easy Spirit Outlet)

I love wearing this edamame colored bag to add a pop of color. I’ve worn it so much that I’ve had to do a few repairs to the interior lining. That’s fine with me though, because I love this classy bag.

A Black Leather Hobo (Morelle)

Because it’s classic, because it’s beautiful. and because it goes with everything.

Silver Woven Belt (Thrifted)

I never really thought I needed a silver belt until I bought one. Now, I wear it all the time. I love how it’s unexpected.

Sterling Silver Hoops (Sara Westermark)

Sterling Silver Studs (June Designs)

Again, simple, classic and go with everything.

Scarves and Brooches

Okay, so I’m really cheating here. Scarves and brooches in general are an essential in my wardrobe. There isn’t a specific one that I wear constantly, simply because of the way I utilize them as accents. I love how a scarf or brooch can instantly make an outfit more chic, and it’s impossible to choose just one.

Accessories Inventory: Analyzing what you have

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Diana

Shoes: 23 total (get another view here)

Looking at this image, I’m actually surprised at how few pairs of shoes I have. I’m pretty set in the casual department, mostly from inheriting about five pairs of Chuck Taylors when my boyfriend realized he was wearing the wrong size (which just happened to be mine). I’m doing pretty good with sandals, largely from my Dansko wedge spree this summer. I’d like to get some more boots. I need ballet flat, and more pumps in colors other than black. Really, I need more color in general, specifically green, blue and purple.

Purses: 12

I think I’m doing pretty good in this department, but there’s always room for more. I’d like to have a broader color spectrum, a brown leather purse and a nice leather clutch or two.

Bracelets: 17

Honestly, I think this is the one area I’m basically satisfied with. In general, I wear my silver bangles or silver cuff most days, and I have a pretty good selection of colorful bangles as well. I guess a tennis bracelet with amethysts would be nice.

Scarves: 19 Brooches: 5

I’m doing pretty good for scarves, but I’d love to have more solids and a few cozy jersey scarves. Specifically an American Apparel Circle Scarf.

As far as brooches go, I just need more in general, but I’m finding myself particularly drawn to flower brooches.

(Note: Winter scarves aren’t included here)

Necklaces: 17 Headbands: 2 (Not counting fabric headbands)

I’m doing pretty well in necklaces, but I think this is an area that I would love to grow in. I love how necklaces can completely transform an outfit. My main focuses right now are chunky stone necklaces and statement necklaces, since I have so few. And headbands – well, I just need to get a ton of more headbands in general, because they look awesome with my new hair.

Earrings: 17 Rings: 3

Up until recently, I was a simple studs and hoops girl when it came to earrings. But with my new hair cut, I’ve realized that longer earrings look great as well. I want to add more in this area, and maybe experiement with color. As far as rings, I really don’t wear rings very often. But I’d love to get a few statement/cocktail rings to add occasional accents.

Belts: 11

I’m pretty happy with my belts, but there’s always room for more. Again, I’d like more color. I could use a good black waist-cinching belt. And I want to get an Invisibelt to wear with trousers.

Hats: 2

Well, I think it can be said that I’m not much of a hat person. I really like my hair, so I prefer not to wear anything that obstructs it. Still, I think it would be good to have a few cloches and newsboy hats. I’d love to buy one of Audi’s.

(Note: Winter berets and beanies weren’t included. There’ll be a winter accessories post once it gets cold here)

So that’s the state of my accessories. In general, I would like more color and more variety. Overall, I’m satisfied with my collection, but as I said before, there’s always room for more.

Accessories Inventory: The Raw Numbers

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Diana

My Accessories Spread

I thoroughly enjoyed my wardrobe inventory, and it seems that many of you did too. I’ve decided to go ahead and do a similar inventory of my accessories. I don’t think there will be quite as much purging here though. Since accessories take up much less space than clothes, it’s possible to have a lot more, and it isn’t as bad when something doesn’t get worn constantly. I love using accessories to add a special touch to an outfit, so for the most part, I like to have them in as many varieties as possible. That being said, if something has been sitting in your jewelry box for years without being worn, it needs to go. If it has sentimental value, then store it someplace safe.

This first post is just focusing on raw numbers. In future posts, I’ll go into more analysis of what I have and what I need. I’ll also talk a bit about the importance of keeping your accessories organized and out where you can see them.

Here’s the math:

Scarves:19
Hats: 2
Headbands: 2 (not counting generic fabric headbands)
Belts (waist-cinching): 9
Belts (trouser): 2
Purses: 12
Shoes: 23
Necklaces: 17
Bracelets: 17
Earrings: 15
Brooches: 5
Rings: 3

My Wardrobe Essentials – Clothes

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Diana

Going through my wardrobe inventory challenge has really got me thinking about what my wardrobe essentials are. With a small amount of space for clothes, I find it really important to consider what I love wear and wear frequently, as these items get the most priority. I want items that are versatile and can be used in multiple ways. I want my closet to be well-edited enough that everything isn’t crammed in and difficult to get at.

Here’s some of the items I’ve identified:

My little black dress:

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American Rag Cie Dress, bought used at Revolve

This beautiful black jersey dress is probably one of my absolute favorite items. It’s amazing versatile. The cut of the neckline is too deep to be worn on its on, so it makes for some amazing layering opportunities. In the Winter, I wore it with tights and sweaters layered over it, or wore long sleeves under it. In Spring, I wore it with belted cardigans and sandals. Now in the summer, I’ve tried layering both jersey knit blouses and button-downs underneath it, and felt lovely and comfortable all day. Since it’s a layerable neutral, it lends itself to accessorizing with just about anything I own.

My off-white bolero:

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Ann Taylor LOFT Bolero

When I first bought this piece, I had planned to wear it as a bolero over dresses. Soon after buying it though, I realized that it looks amazing as a draped cardigan. This piece is so much more versatile than I thought it would be, and the thin cotton jersey fabric is perfect for Florida.

The Perfect Jeans:

Express Stella Jeans

I own multiple pairs of Express jeans, but the Stella cut is probably my favorite. They’re the only jeans I’ve found that I consistently like the fit of. Express just recently introduced a new variation of them, the Barely Boot cut, that I’m eager to try.

My Black Capris:

Erik Stewart Capris

I can’t remember if these were gifted or thrifted, but either way they’re second hand. Many style essentials lists contain long black pants as a wardrobe staple, but I find that I rarely wear mine. However, I’m constantly wearing my black capris. These fit wonderfully, have a nice balance between elegant and casual, and have a somewhat European feel to them.

Colorful Cotton Camis

While my camis don’t get their own Flickr set, they are absolutely a wardrobe essential for me. I love them for layering, I love them for adding an extra pop of color or texture. These are something I could not live without. I do want to invest in some better quality ones though.

My favorite skirt?

You may have noticed that none of my skirts are in my wardrobe essentials. That’s because, even though I love the ones I have, I don’t feel that I’ve found that perfect essential yet. Some of my skirts have fit issues, some are too casual for work, while others are too dressy for play. I have a feeling that when I find that perfectly fitting, dark wash denim pencil skirt, it will fast become an essential.

Wardrobe Inventory: My Gaps

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Diana

While spending all this time analyzing my wardrobe, I’ve noticed quite a few gaps. Some are more significant than others; some are ultra specific while others are very general. I’m documenting it here because I want to be more intentional with my shopping. These items really need to be given priority over, say, getting yet another cardigan. This list isn’t my full exhaustive list that I carry around with me. Rather, I decided to keep it to the items that are currently priorities for me. Here we go.

A Classic Ballet Flat

French Sole Sloop $100

Would you believe that with all my shoes and my love of French style, I do not own a single pair of ballet flats? There’s been so many days that I’ve been putting an outfit together and wished that I had a pair. This really needs to be resolved.

A Structured Jacket

Elizabeth and James ‘Panama’ Stretch Woven Jacket $385

I own lots of items with soft lines, but very little with structure. I’ve got tons of cardigans, but only on long sleeve blazer and one short sleeve blazer. I’d love to get some more structured jackets to add polish to outfits. My priorities are short sleeve and three-quarter sleeve jackets.

Summer Shorts

J. Crew 5′ Chino Shorts $29.50 (on sale)

I realize this one is season specific, but Florida stays broiling hot for far too long, and I don’t have any cute short shorts. I would love to get several pairs in a variety of colors, especially white.

Brown Leather Bag

Mini Truffle in Toffee $172

(this one sold awhile ago, but Morelle still has many similar bags)

Maybe this one isn’t quite as urgent, but I’m really feeling the yearning for a quality, brown leather bag. I’ve finally started acquiring some brown shoes that would go with it, and I’d love to have another neutral alternative to black. I’d also love to get a red bag, an aqua bag and a creamy white bag at some point soon. Sigh.

A Denim Skirt

Ann Taylor Dark Wash Denim Skirt $59

I only have one denim skirt right now, and it has fit issues. I’d love to own a few denim skirts, some in dark washes for work and others in lighter washes for the weekend.

A Drapey Vest

Anthropologie Protean Pretty Vest $78

I love the layering possibilities of this style, but I have to be careful with the length. I’ve tried on a few that came down to my upper thigh, and they were not so flattering from the rear view. I’d like to get something a bit shorter, hitting right around or just above my hip.

Wardrobe Inventory: What I’m Ditching

Posted on July 11, 2009 by Diana

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I realize it’s been awhile, but do you remember when I started my wardrobe inventory project back in May? I started out by counting all the different items in my wardrobe, which helped me to see where my strengths and weaknesses were. Then I brought everything out of my closet and photographed it, to get an even better idea of what was lacking. After that, I turned all the hangers around in my closet to see what I was actually wearing for four weeks. I noticed that there were certain wardrobe essentials that I would wear almost every week, while there were other items that languished. Some of these simply weren’t seasonally appropriate: either the colors were a bit too fall/winter, or they were simply too warm to wear in 90 degree temps. Other items though, I simply wasn’t happy with. So here’s a summary of why I ditched what I ditched.

Anything 60% or more polyester:

I didn’t make this a hard and fast rule, but it just naturally happened. I found myself absolutely hating the way anything with a high polyester content felt on my skin, even if the colors and fit were just fine. I didn’t enjoy wearing these items, so out they go. The one somewhat exception is the brown/pink abstract floral dress. I love the cut of this dress on me, so my plan is to find a tailor that can make a copy of it in a fabric that I can enjoy having next to my skin.

Anything in a color or cut that doesn’t flatter

For one, I’ve discovered that I’m not a big fan of pink. I don’t particularly like how it looks on me. So pink items were ditched. As far as fit, anything that makes me look preggo, anything with elastic on the sleeve hems, or anything that just plains looks frumpy, is out.

Anything with negative associations

I didn’t have much in this area, but I have before. Items that you associate with an ex, with the death of a loved one, with a negative period in your life, tend to hold you back. Anything like this is out.

So that’s a general synopsis of what I decided to get rid of. Stay tuned for a look at what I bought during this period and why, as well as what my wardrobe essentials and wardrobe gaps are. And please feel free to follow along with the Wardrobe Inventory. It can really change how you look at your closet.

Wardrobe Inventory: Step 2

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Diana

(Note: I was having some Google Reader issues earlier, so sorry if you’re getting this twice)

So guess what? Today, instead of just getting to see one day’s outfit, you get to see my entire wardrobe. Seriously. As part of my wardrobe inventory project I started about a week ago, I took all my clothes out of my closet, and photographed them in groups. It was a lot of work and took about an hour. I realize that many people have much more clothing than me, so this might not be doable for everyone. But if you can manage it, I found it a really helpful exercise, as it made many of my wardrobe gaps blatantly obvious.

Note: I didn’t include my winter coats or sweaters here, because I only really wear them about two months out of the year. Once it starts to get cold, I’ll probably do a winter wardrobe inventory.

Here’s my plan for my personal wardrobe inventory challenge. Feel free to follow along with your own wardrobe.

Count all wardrobe items
Photograph and analyze each category. Determine wardrobe gaps (that’s what this post is doing)
Reverse hangers in closet and see what you wear for two weeks, four weeks, or whatever amount of time works best for you
Get rid of what doesn’t work for you
Organize closet. Buy new hangers
Buy clothes to fill gaps

So, without further ado, I present to you, my wardrobe!

Button-downs

On me: Express On fence (L to R): Ann Taylor LOFT, Old Navy, Ann Taylor LOFT, Express

# of items: 5

Gaps: Ah, button-downs. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them, but they really do wonders to polish up an outfit. I don’t have any three quarter sleeved button downs. I’d love to have some silk button downs. I’m seriously lacking in diversity here.

Blouses

On me: L8ter? On fence (L to R): Target, Target, Old Navy, Rampage, ??, Forever 21, Old Navy, Target, Old Navy, Apt 9

# of items: 12 (Target blouse not shown)

Gaps: I’m doing pretty well in this area. What I should focus on are flattering cuts, v and scoop necks and more colors.

Tees – Long and Short-Sleeved

On me: Clash shirt On fence (L to R): Magadog shirt, Iggy Pop shirt, Target, AE, Busch Gardens, American Apparel, Target, Apt 9 In hands: Almost all Target, except for top two, which are a Ravelry t-shirt, and Old Navy

# of items: 16

Gaps: I don’t have any v-neck tees. Brighter and lighter colors are needed. I should avoid crew necks, as they don’t flatter me.

Tanks and Camisoles

On me: Old Navy. Everything else is Old Navy except for seafoam tank, Express, lilac cami, American Apparel and beige cami, Ann Taylor LOFT

# of items: 13

Gaps: I’m doing pretty good with this essential item in my wardrobe. What I can focus on is buying better quality, since many of these camis have short life spans .

Jackets and Hoodies

On me: Old Navy On fence (L to R): The Limited, Kohls, Express

# of items: 4

Gaps: All my jackets are casual. I need some dress casual and dressy items. A blazer is absolutely required.

Cardigans

On me: Anthropologie On fence: Everything is Ann Taylor LOFT except for the burgandy, DKNY, and the gray, handknit.

# of items: 7

Gaps: I want more cashmere for winter, more colors and more v-necks.

Dresses

On me: Apostrophe On fence (L to R): Sortie LA, Busch Gardens, Target, Target, Urban Outfitters, American Rag Cie, R&M Richards, Speachless

# of items: 10 (Rampage dress not shown)

Gaps: I need more cotton jersey, more colors, more above the knee, and more solid colored.

Skirts

On me: Lane Bryant (re-conned) On fence (L to R): Ann Taylor LOFT, handmade by me, handmade by me, ??

# of items: 6 (wool skirt not shown)

Gaps: I need more colors, more casual skirts, more work skirts. I’d like to have at least one or two in cotton jersey.

Shorts, Capris, Jeans, Pants

On me: Express On fence (L to R): handmade by me, Ann Taylor LOFT (reconned), Target, Erik Stewart, Lucky Brand, Express, Ann Taylor LOFT, ??, Banana Republic Outlet

# of items: 10

Gaps: This is an area I’m somewhat weak in. I generally just need more items in cuts that flatter. And more khaki and olive green.

Whew! So there you go folks. Now for step 3. I put all of my clothes back into the closet with hangers reversed. After wearing an item, I’ll put it back in the closet with the hanger in the correct direction. After two weeks, I’ll look at what I haven’t worn and ask myself why I didn’t. Then, after four weeks, I’ll seriously reconsider keeping anything that still hasn’t been worn. Of course, anything that’s just impractical for this season (like a wool skirt) won’t be penalized. I’ll let you know how this step goes in a few weeks.

Simple Math: Beginning a Wardrobe Inventory

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Diana

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Current State of My Closet

Inspired by Struggling to be Stylish‘s recent Friday challenge, I decided to count all the clothes in my closet. I figured this could be a useful exercise to find out exactly how much I have. I used similar guidelines to hers, with some slight tweaking.

I made sure to include:

Shoes (count each pair as one item)
Special occasion outfits and evening dresses
Items you can’t wear right now because of weight issues
Things that are resting because it’s the wrong season
Coats

But I excluded

Underwear
Sports gear & sneakers, swim/beach gear (only items used exclusively for these. If you wear a tank top to the gym that you also sometimes wear out, count it)
Pajamas
Clothes that are only worn for yard work
Accessories besides shoes

Also, because I found one category for blouses too broad, I broke it down further. Blouses include button downs, woven blouses, polos and knit tops that are not tees (have embellishment, etc). Tees include long sleeve and short sleeve tees, crew necks, scoop necks, concert tees. Tanks and camis include all my tank tops, camisoles and sleeveless tops.

Here’s my personal closet breakdown:

Shoes: 20
Pants: 3
Jeans: 3
Shorts: 2
Capris: 2
Skirts: 7
Dresses: 11
Blouses: 13
Tees (long and short sleeved): 20
Tanks/Camis: 12
Jackets/Coats: 8
Cardigans: 6

I don’t think that these numbers are perfect, because I likely forgot to count at least something, but they really got me thinking more about my use of wardrobe space. Quantity wise, I own a good amount of clothes. Yet most days, it takes me awhile to put together an outfit. I end up wearing the same pieces over and over again, while other pieces are never worn because I either don’t like them or don’t have the right pieces to wear with them. All of this is leading up to what will be my closet inventory challenge. Over the next few weeks, I want to really analyze what I own – look at what works and what doesn’t. I’m going to photograph the different groups of items that I have. I’m going to deal with the issue of duplicates (how many black tees do I really need?). I’m going to find out which items I wear within a four-week period, then decide if the other items should stay or go. I’m going to revise my wardrobe gaps list and actually make myself shop only for those specific items. I’m going to clean out and organize my closet so I can actually find what I’m looking for.

Am I over-ambitious, trying to do this while finishing my final semester of grad school, hunting for jobs and managing my budget? Maybe. But I think that taking a good hard look at my wardrobe, starting with this inventory, will help me to shop for what I really need and create a wardrobe that I truly love (and that can fit in my limited space)

Stay tuned for more specifics of the wardrobe inventory challenge and feel free to follow along in your own closet.

February 2012
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