The constant change in fashion can make shopping exhausting and frustrating. However, a straightforward yet fashionable wardrobe can be put together quickly with some planning.
Why Do You Need to Plan Your Wardrobe?
Have you ever found yourself saying, “there’s nothing I can wear”? How did you act? Accept wearing something that only sort of worked but didn’t make you feel confident or at ease.
Maybe you even came up with an explanation and decided not to go out at all. In either case, we imagine you were very critical of yourself!
Do you want those moments to stop happening? You’ll find that you have something appropriate to wear for every occasion once you know what you need in your wardrobe and how to organize it.
What is Precisely Wardrobe Planning?
The goal of wardrobe planning is to choose good-looking clothing and basic design so that it can be worn now and in a few years. To achieve the highest level of satisfaction, one must adopt good dressing habits.
The knowledge of wise clothing choices and the possession of an adequate wardrobe suitable for various occasions all contribute to good dressing habits. The main ones are:
- A variety of factors affect wardrobe planning. The most prevalent ones are those related to aesthetics, psychology, society, and the economy.
- The family members’ ages, sexes, and professions.
- Individual preferences, social context, and family finances.
- The environment, a person’s activities, and their health.
- The ability to last, the caliber of the clothing, the cost, the look, and the ease of maintenance.
- Fashion and way of life.
Which Signs Show that You Need to Plan Your Wardrobe?
Planning your wardrobe is necessary if you believe any of the following describes you:
- Choosing an outfit from your wardrobe is difficult when you’re in a hurry.
- No outfit makes you feel your best.
- You don’t wear half of your wardrobe.
- You don’t have a clean, organized wardrobe.
- Because of how disorganized your wardrobe appears, you have no idea how to put together different looks using the items you already own.
- You don’t stick to a clothing budget and never keep a list of things you need to buy.
Are these things true for you? If so, let’s introduce you to wardrobe planning and its advantages.
What are the Benefits of Wardrobe Planning?
Making a well-planned wardrobe is the first step in wardrobe planning. It assists you in making decisions about the clothing you require, evaluates what you want based on what you already own, and identifies the items missing from your wardrobe.
The process of planning a wardrobe has several benefits. Some of them are as follows:
- You can better define your style and have more options by organizing your wardrobe.
- You don’t need to take more time looking, buying, and bringing something back.
- It assists you in choosing clothing, accessories, and shoes appropriate for any situation, lifestyle, requirements, and preference.
- You can save money because you know what you want to buy. You avoid purchasing duplicates of items that don’t match the style of your current wardrobe.
- Because you need fewer things, you can spend more on high-quality items. The best clothing will last longer and cost less.
- By buying and returning fewer items and wearing your clothes for longer, you support slow fashion and the environment.
- You can instantly dress for any occasion without struggling to find the right outfit in your wardrobe.
Steps for Basic Wardrobe Planning
You should think about your look before you start shopping, even if you’ve started a new job or your entire wardrobe is only suitable for textile recycling and needs to be replaced.
- Determine your wardrobe’s requirements
Think about your routine and answer some questions below. What you require for your wardrobe will depend on the following:
- Your way of life
What do you do in your free time? Are you commuting to work? Do you work from home? Are you retired now? Do you raise your children at home? What do you do for fun? What notable occasions do you have coming up?
- Your physical appearance
What shape is your body? What hues and patterns suit your body type the best?
- Preferences you have
Which principles guide you? What fashion statements do you want to make? Do you need or want a lot of outfits?
- Your surroundings
What kind of weather can we expect? How formal or informal do you need to dress?
- Understand the fundamental components of style
The fundamentals are understanding how to flatter your coloring, proportions, and personality. Knowing your style criteria makes it much simpler to go through your wardrobe, buy clothes you like, and assemble outfits.
- Choose a time frame for planning
Planning for a specific time frame is the simplest option. Planning your wardrobe is simplest right before or at the start of a season when it’s normal to start thinking about updating your wardrobe. Early in the season, there is also a complete range of sizes available in the stores.
If you live somewhere with four clearly defined seasons, you may prefer to do your planning every three months according to autumn, winter, spring, and summer.
- Make a list of your activities
Your lifestyle should be reflected in your wardrobe. You might find it easier to remember everything you do if you consider the roles you play in your life and the tasks each role entails. If not, list all the things likely to happen during your planning period.
- Decide what you need
Certain activities will call for the same attire, and it might be possible to wear the same outfit.
For instance, you might need casual clothing for both relaxing at home and running errands and be content to wear the same outfits in both settings; some of your more casual work attire might also serve as casual or smart casual outwear, or you might prefer to keep your work and non-work clothing entirely separate. Determine your needs.
Additionally, some basic clothing pieces that you typically use for layering or as an outer layer, like camisoles, long-sleeve tees, raincoats, and so forth, may look good across various formality levels.
- Take a look at what you already have
Examine the attire you have in your closet that is appropriate for the season of the planning period. Now, dress up and put together outfits based on the needs listed on your planning list.
Planning entire outfits is essential to avoid ruining an otherwise fantastic ensemble with the incorrect accessory or outer layer. So don’t forget to try your outerwear, jewelry, bags, and shoes.
Every time you discover you already own a suitable outfit in your wardrobe, update your wardrobe plan. Likewise, make a list of the clothing you favor.
As you go through your wardrobe to put together outfits, you might discover almost worn-out items or an ensemble that requires a new bottom, top, or accessory. Make a note of those items to start a shopping list.
- Make a shopping list
With this knowledge, you can estimate how many outfits you will need overall for your anticipated activities and events over the coming few months. You are also familiar with the clothing you already own. You are aware of the number of additional outfits you require or desire. You can proceed to make your shopping wish list using this information.
For instance, you might want to make another three smart-casual outfits with pants. If you already own two decent pairs of pants, consider adding a third pair as well as one to three tops that complement at least two of the pants to your shopping list.
Prioritize the items on your shopping list. If, for instance, you have an upcoming special event and nothing is already in your wardrobe, make this a top priority.
Keep your shopping list close at hand. It’s easiest to keep it in a phone note. If you know what kinds of items you need to fill out your wardrobe in advance, you’ll be prepared to shop if the opportunity arises.
- Combine different styles
When you have all the necessary components, you can suddenly create a month’s worth of outfits by mixing and matching them. The basic idea is to create a system that makes mixing and matching items simple so you can put together stunning outfits with little effort.
It’s crucial to plan your wardrobe. You can reduce the time and effort required for outfit searching by having a well-planned wardrobe. Additionally, you support promoting sustainability by reusing clothing as much as you can. You are now ready to go shopping.
This shopping experience may be different from others you’ve had. You will now shop with purpose. To ensure your wardrobe is an inspiring space, use your shopping list as you build and maintain it.