Closet Inventory #4 (Fall 2017)
It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since my last closet inventory update (and it's crazy that this is the 4th update!). I honestly wasn't sure if I'd be doing an update this year, but I'm going through a transitional time in my life and figured it would be a good idea to take a look at where my closet stands now that I have a "real" post-graduate job. (I think it will be even more interesting to see how it will change over the next year, too.)
TOPS: 96
Sleeveless: 8
Tees (all sleeve lengths): 19
Blouses: 11
Collared button-up shirts: 16
Cardigans: 10
Sweaters: 27
Sweatshirts: 5
BOTTOMS: 37
Shorts: 7
Skirts: 16
Pants: 4
Jeans: 10
DRESSES: 13
OUTERWEAR: 18
Vests: 4
Blazers: 3
Jackets: 6
Coats: 5
SHOES: 47
Sandals: 9
Sneakers: 4
Flats: 13
Heels: 4
Boots: 17
I'm at a total of 211 items, which is four more than last year...so, not bad! I'm definitely feeling like 200 is a good number for me (my past inventories ranged from about 190 up to 211 this year). Every time I add new items, I think of a couple of items that can be sold or donated. I want to be in a place where I wear everything regularly, but I think that might be slightly difficult now that I can't wear my shorts, most skirts, and dresses to work... As always, this count doesn't include utilitarian coats, lounge/pj clothes, workout clothes, and anything I currently have listed on Poshmark.
My shoes section saw the biggest increase—up 8 from last year. That's mostly due to my continuing collaborations with Earth brand every season. I will likely let go of a couple pairs of (non-Earth brand) shoes this fall that just haven't gotten the wear I thought they would or that don't fit quite right. I also added six items to my outerwear section, not surprisingly. What is surprising is that I'm down six items in my tops section. I'm sure I'll be adding even more since I'd like more sleeveless tops and layering pieces for work. I added three new pairs of jeans but slimmed down other areas to keep my bottoms number the same, and my dresses section continues to decrease; I'm down four dresses from last year. I'd love to add more work-appropriate dresses but haven't found the right ones yet!
As in the past, my inventory doesn't include my jewelry or accessories. I currently have 13 pairs of earrings, 15 necklaces, and 11 scarves in my Stylebook app. I also have three hats (one warm-weather and two cool-weather), some tights, and a few belts.
My closet looks a little different this year because I moved in with my boyfriend a couple of months ago! We have a large walk-in closet attached to the master, so we can easily share it (though I honestly think my boyfriend has more clothes since I have a whole section empty, haha). All of my hanging clothes are on the bottom while his stuff is on the top. We share a section that houses my dresses and his dress clothes. My shoes live underneath the back wall under the empty rod and the dresses section. I added more shelf space with my hanging shelves, and right now they're fairly empty but I think it'll be nice to have a place to put worn-but-not-quite-dirty sweaters this fall and winter.
My organization remains basically the same as it has always been. My hanging items are ordered by type and then by color from sleeveless tops to cardigans/sweaters/blazers. My short skirts are at the end. I keep my wool and cashmere sweaters in sweater boxes above the dresses section. My other sweaters, shorts, and jeans/pants are folded and kept on shelves at the front of the closet. Most of my shoes live on the shoe racks, with the taller shoes (boots, mainly) on the top row and flats, sandals, and sneakers on the lower racks. All of my Poshmark stuff, coats, and utilitarian coats/jackets are in closets in the other bedrooms. I do have a bamboo clothing rack that I use for wardrobe challenges, packing, and when I decide to plan out outfits (either for the blog or not).
To be completely honest, I'm still not totally unpacked... I know, I know! Because of that, right now my jewelry is all scattered around and most of it is still packed away. I hope that changes soon. I plan to do the same thing with my jewelry organization as I did before: earrings on a holder on or next to my vanity, necklaces on corkboards. I just need to figure out where to hang the corkboards...
Probably my favorite part of doing these inventories every year is when I take a look at how my style stats have changed. The stats are my favorite part of the Stylebook app because I'm a nerd. ;)
It's interesting that the items I've worn the most continue to be basically the same items year after year. It helps that these are some of the oldest items in my closet; obviously it'll take a long time until a newer item makes its way to the top. I don't think that'll happen until the older items start to die (which I hope doesn't happen anytime soon!). The top 25 most worn is made up of four jackets/coats, eight jeans/pants, seven pairs of shoes, three bags, one necklace, and two pairs of earrings. Last year, shorts made the top 25, and this year, they seem to have been replaced by pants—likely due to my wardrobe change when I started my job.
My items with the best cost-per-wear look a little bit different this year, and it's because I decided to change how I use that stat. I used to be obsessed with wearing items nonstop so that I could see the cost-per-wear decreasing to pocket change, but it also wasn't very helpful to see the same items (and usually jewelry items) month after month. I decided to instead remove the price from an item when it reaches $1 cost per wear, which is always my goal when I buy something (though this isn't always realistic). Removing the price removes the item from the cost-per-wear stats. Now I can focus on the items that are close to that $1 mark and make sure I'm getting wear out of all the items in my closet. I absolutely love seeing the more expensive items (like jeans, pants, and shoes) make it down to $1 cost per wear! Most of the items on the most worn list have been removed from the cost-per-wear stat because I've worn them so much.
