The Wardrobe List

It's happened. I've reached my mid-twenties. I've decided that instead of having the mythical quarter-life crisis that I've long joked about, I would re-evaluate my goals. Part of this involved losing weight and aiming for a healthier me, but that is not the point of this post. However, because of my weight loss, I realized that I was going to need a new wardrobe.

None of my old clothes fit. Now, a lot of you may be saying, "awesome" or "good job", but from my perspective, I started to panic. I've been spending years building up my wardrobe with a mix of timeless and fad styles in a mix of price ranges, and now I was starting from scratch. While hauling bags and bags of clothing to the Goodwill was cathartic and my closets have never been more organized, I knew I was at a very real turning point. This was my chance to cut the clothes clutter for good, and decide what type of style I want to have as a young adult.

So, like most everything I do, I made a list. Call me crazy, but it worked. I sat down with my pen and a piece of graph paper and thought long and hard about my clothing priorities. What do I really need? It's going to take while to slowly build my wardrobe back to where I have options for every occasion and season, so I needed to make sure I was spending my money where it counts.

This is what I came up with. Click here for a full size printable version. At first, it seems like a lot of clothes. It is, and it is going to take forever for me to make the money to purchase all of this stuff (and lots of bargain shopping). But then, you see that I have created limits for each type of clothing. For example, personally, I am more likely to purchase a decorative top, even if it doesn't match anything I have and I actually need something else. It's prettier, and so my crazy subconscious tells me I NEED it. I own so many things covered in sequins for this very reason. However, I am less likely to wear that decorative top as often as I would a solid top, because people will remember the decorative top more, and because I often layer my clothing.

Another example: when I was cleaning out my "fat clothes", I found six gray sweatshirts that all look similar. I guess I really like gray sweatshirts, but do I need six? How often do I even wear sweatshirts anyway? Having the list gives me a quota of sorts to focus on what I need instead of impulse buying. And if I really feel like I need that decorative top, I have to be willing to get rid of something else in my closet that I won't use as often. This will reduce clutter, save you money, and simplify my life and my wardrobe. This way, everything in your closet is something you love and will use.

The list is a working one, so if you realize you forgot something or underestimate/overestimate your use of an item, change it. Be sure that you aren't changing it just because you want something that you see on a whim. And, my list is likely to be different than yours. I often wear dresses and really like shoes, and my list reflects that. You may want more or less shoes, t-shirts, or sweaters than I have listed, depending on your personal style, career, hobbies, children, etc. I also live in a temperate climate, which means we need to be prepared for all types of weather. If you live somewhere sunny, I am so jealous, and you probably don't want all the winter coat and shoe options I have listed.

Spend a few minutes thinking about your own closet and what types of clothing are really important to your lifestyle. Maybe you'll get inspired to donate a few things or pass them along to a friend. What's on your list?