And here we are, this is the third step of wardrobe planning, which is to clarify what we need, already have, and what we desire. From my experience, this step is the most challenging. Our goal is to create a comprehensive wardrobe planning list, based on an inventory of our existing clothes, and a wishlist. Since this involves a few action steps that aren’t so easy to explain, I decided to use a simple example to guide you through.
But first, let’s quickly recap the three wardrobe planning steps.
How to Plan Your Wardrobe in 3 Steps
- Step 1: Consider Your Environment – Where you live determines what kind of clothes, shoes, and accessories you need.
- Step 2: Review Your Lifestyle – How you live determines what types of clothes, shoes, and accessories you need.
- Step 3: Clarify Your Needs – Your environment, personal preferences, and lifestyle decide which and how many outfits (clothes, shoes, accessories) you need.
And here is what to do to clarify your needs, haves, and wants – which is wardrobe planning step 3.
Determine the Outfits You Need for Your Lifestyle
In step 2 of wardrobe planning, you’ve compiled a complete list of activities and occasions you’re involved in. You also have an idea of how regularly you pursue these activities and how frequently certain occasions occur. Now you need to decide what you want to wear. Always think in complete outfits! Start with the things you do daily. Once you’ve figured out what you need for the major part of your life, look at vacations, special occasions, and everything else.
What Is a Complete Outfit?
A complete outfit covers everything you want to wear for a specific activity or occasion – clothes, shoes, and accessories. It also includes outerwear. If there are particular demands, undies too (e.g., when you need a strapless bra for an off-shoulder dress).
Example ‘Daily Run’
Let’s say you go for a run daily. This is a regular activity for which you need a complete outfit. Your basic running gear consists of these items:
- Clothes: leggings, t-shirt, light-weight jacket, sports bra, socks
- Shoes: trainers
- Accessories: baseball cap
Add Seasonal Items
Once you’ve matched activities/occasions with complete, basic outfits, consider seasons and weather conditions. Go back to step 1 of wardrobe planning, if unsure.
Example ‘Daily Run’
You know what outfit you usually wear. But, the winters where you live can get very cold. Thus, you have to add a few seasonal items:
- Clothes (seasonal): long-sleeve shirt, warmer jacket
- Shoes (seasonal): –
- Accessories (seasonal): Woolen headband
Consider Your Laundry Schedule
I’m stunned how minimalists get on with their tiny wardrobes. I couldn’t live with just a couple of t-shirts. And this not only but also because I don’t manage to do my laundry that often. That’s why I always recommend taking the laundry schedule into consideration when planning your wardrobe.
Example ‘Daily Run’
Let’s take a look at the basic outfit and decide how long we could wear each item. Assuming that you run every day and do your laundry once a week, you’ll need:
- Socks (change daily) = 7-8 pairs of socks
- T-shirt (change every other day) = 3-4 shirts
- Leggings (wear for 3 days) = 2-3 leggings
If in doubt, go for a lower number first. You can always add to your wardrobe later on.
Find Overlaps in Your Outfit Planning
To think in complete outfits for planning purposes doesn’t mean that you can’t wear the same item for another activity or occasion. On the contrary, I’d recommend investing quite a bit of time trying to find overlaps. Because the more outfits share the same items, the fewer clothes you’ll need in total.
Example ‘Daily Run’
Leggings and sports bra work for your yoga classes too. And you could possibly wear the same trainers, jacket, and baseball cap for running errands.
Assess What You Already Have
Naturally, a wardrobe inventory is much easier prepared when you have a clear overview of your existing wardrobe. Hence, it’s the perfect time to declutter your closet. I’ve listed some posts to help you with this often challenging task.
- Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Pros and Cons
- Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned
- The KonMari Method: All You Need to Know + Printable Guide
Assessing every single item you own is an invaluable opportunity to discover which clothes appeal to you, what you hate, and what has piled up without being worn. Wardrobe decluttering is a great prep when you aim for a well-curated wardrobe. Because reflecting on your possessions will certainly help you with finding your style, color palette, preferred silhouettes and cuts, most-loved fabrics, and more.
Finalize Your Wardrobe Planning List
I’m sure you’ve made a lot of notes along the way. If you like, prepare a final wardrobe planning list to have everything in one place. Here is the template I’ve used. It also comes with my wardrobe planning worksheet collection.
To finalize your list, ask yourself …
- Do I have at least one complete outfit for every activity and occasion I identified?
- Are there sufficient items for daily/regular activities, considering my laundry schedule?
- Do they work for all seasons? What do I have to add?
- What works for several outfits (activities, occasions)?
- Can I instantly put together complete outfits from my existing wardrobe, or is there anything essential missing?
Draft Your Wardrobe Wishlist
Take your wardrobe planning list and mark what’s missing. Meaning, the items you think you need but don’t have in your current wardrobe. This is the first draft of your wardrobe wishlist. But before you rush out and shop, ask yourself …
- Do I really need these items, or can I condense the list further?
- How much do I want to spend in total and on each of these items?
- Do I exactly know what I want, recognizing my style and preferences in terms of silhouette, color, and fabric?
Probably, you can’t answer the above questions right away. This is because your wishlist is only a draft and needs refinement. If you’re like me, you want to be more thoughtful and conscientious about what you buy. I’ve created another post that dives deeper into how to create and maintain a comprehensive wishlist:
How Much Is Enough?
Planning your wardrobe helps you buy (and keep) the right amount of the right clothes, shoes, and accessories. But what does ‘right amount’ mean?
The answer is it depends on who you are and what you want. Ultimately, you have to feel comfortable and happy with your clothes. Thus, no arbitrary number of outfits/items will ever be right or wrong. By the way, the pronounced focus on numbers is also the reason I’m not an unconditional supporter of certain types of capsule wardrobes.
So, don’t worry so much about the lengths of your wardrobe planning list. It’s entirely up to you to remove items. Or add some, because you love fashion and feel better with more choices (or because you’re, like me, just lazy with your laundry). The key is to love and regularly wear all the things you own. Your clothes should add value to your life and not gather dust in a forgotten corner of your closet.
And there you have it – step 3 of wardrobe planning. You’ve come a long way. The whole process definitely is an effort. However, the reward is that there will never again be a time when you say: “I have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear”.
Wardrobe Planning Worksheet Collection
Plan and create a wardrobe full of clothes you love to wear!
More Tips and Inspirations
Here’s where you find all of my wardrobe planning articles:
I’d always recommend decluttering your wardrobe as part of the planning process. Thereby, you’ll get a much better idea of what to keep and what to discard.
- Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Pros and Cons
- Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned
A well-planned and well-curated wardrobe help you transition into slow fashion. I’ve listed a range of attainable steps for creating a ‘slow wardrobe’.
I’m sure you want your carefully selected clothes to last longer. My series of wardrobe maintenance articles provide tips on how to take good care of your clothes and extend their lifespan.
- 7 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Clothes
- How to Take Care of Luxury Fabrics
- Laundry Symbols Explained
If you like the ‘less, but luxe’ idea, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more tips and inspirations. And don’t forget to join my email list to receive weekly updates plus content that’s exclusively available to my readers.
Thanks for sharing this post and your thoughts!
I’d love to read about your experiences with wardrobe planning. Have you gone through all steps? What does your final wardrobe planning list look like? Are you happy with what you already own, or have you identified big ‘holes’ in your wardrobe?
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