Here's How to Use a Spreadsheet to Track and Plan Your Wardrobe
Recently, I found myself in the midst of moving into a new home. Amidst the chaos of packing and organizing, a lightbulb moment struck: Why not take inventory of everything I owned?
This wasn't just about keeping tabs on my belongings; I also wanted to categorize each item based on its style and where it could be worn. With this information in hand, I could make more informed decisions about future purchases and ensure that my wardrobe remained versatile, functional, and fashion-forward.
And so, my Wardrobe Whisperer Complete Wardrobe Management System was born. This digital tool became my secret weapon for organizing my clothes and accessories, enabling me to keep track of each item's style and potential occasions for wear. By cataloging everything from casual tees to glamorous evening gowns, I created a comprehensive overview of my wardrobe that made it easy to mix and match pieces for any event.
Moving into my new home became more than just a fresh start; it was an opportunity to reassess my wardrobe and refine my personal style. This system I created allowed me to identify any gaps in my collection, as well as pinpoint items that weren't getting enough love. This newfound awareness not only helped me make smarter shopping choices but also encouraged me to experiment with different outfit combinations and discover new ways to wear my favorite pieces.
Today inside of this blogpost I’m going to share with you how I use the Wardrdobe Whisperer. And share this powerful tool with you to help you unlock the full potential of your wardrobes. The beauty of a wardrobe inventory spreadsheet lies in its adaptability; it can be customized to suit each individual's unique style and needs. Whether you're a minimalist with a capsule wardrobe or a fashion curator with an extensive collection, a spreadsheet can bring order to the chaos and help you make the most of your clothing investments.
Spreadsheet Overview
The "Wardrobe Whisperer" is a comprehensive wardrobe inventory workbook designed to help you gain a bird’s eye view of your entire wardrobe. This system utilizes a Google Sheets spreadsheet template, making it accessible via the latest version of Chrome, other browsers, or even through mobile apps, ensuring you can manage your wardrobe from anywhere. Below is a detailed explanation of the main sections of the spreadsheet, illustrating how it becomes one of the most useful tools for personal style enhancement and wardrobe tracking.
Categories and Subcategories: Begin by listing every item in your wardrobe, categorizing them under intuitive categories and subcategories to help you organize and pinpoint items quickly. This segmentation also aids in planning outfits by grouping similar items together.
Clothing Item Details: Enter essential details such as Type, Brand, Color, and Size for each clothing item. This section is designed to help you maintain a detailed record of your wardrobe, allowing for easy access to specific pieces when putting together new looks or different outfit combinations.
Tracking New Purchases: Record the Quantity and Unit Cost of each item. This information is critical for calculating the total inventory value, helping you make informed decisions about future purchases based on past spending and wardrobe holes.
Purchase and Condition Details: Note down the Date Purchased and Condition of each item. These details are essential for tracking wear counts and understanding how often you utilize specific items, helping to avoid impulse buys and ensure enough wear.
Suitability (Style, Season, Occasion): Specify the Style, Season, and Occasion for each piece. Whether you have a lot of clothes or prefer a minimalist approach, this system helps you plan outfits for the daily routine and manage seasonal capsule wardrobes efficiently.
Additional Notes: Utilize this section to keep any additional notes, such as care instructions or if you need to repair an item. This feature is crucial for maintaining a well-organized wardrobe and ensuring the longevity of your clothing items.
Wear and Cost Tracking
Outfit Log and Cost Per Wear: For those interested in tracking the cost per wear, our comprehensive "Smart Style Cost Per Wear Tracker" is available for purchase. This additional tool allows you to keep a closer tab on the value you're getting out of each item, transforming your closet into a smart closet. You can purchase this advanced tool here.
Getting Started with the Spreadsheet
Utilizing the "Wardrobe Whisperer" system is designed to be an engaging and insightful process. Here's how you can efficiently start using this powerful tool to organize and understand your wardrobe better.
Allocate Time: If you have a lot of clothes, it’s wise to set aside a weekend or two to thoroughly go through your wardrobe. This ensures that you can focus on the task without rush, allowing you to make accurate entries.
Entering Your Clothing Items Into Your Spreadsheet
Begin with a Blank Spreadsheet: When you start entering your items, your graphs will initially be empty. As you populate the spreadsheet with details about your clothing, you’ll see these graphs start to fill out, offering a visual representation of your wardrobe’s composition.
Filling Out Columns Accurately:
Essential Details: For each clothing item, fill out the columns for Category, Subcategory, Type, Brand, Color, Size, Quantity, and Condition. These details are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of what you own.
Date Purchased and Cost: While it's important to complete all columns as best as you can, don’t worry too much about filling out 'Date Purchased' and 'Cost' unless you find this information directly useful or easy to recall.
Graphs to Understand Your Wardrobe
Automatic Updates: As you enter data, the associated graphs (like those showing the count of category, style, season, and occasion) will update. This visual feedback helps you get a better understanding of your wardrobe’s diversity and style orientation, making it easier to identify what areas might need more variety or which items you favor.
Analyzing Your Data:Use these graphs to:
Spot Trends: Quickly see which categories or styles you lean towards and which are underrepresented in your wardrobe.
Seasonal and Occasional Planning: Evaluate whether your clothing items are aligned with your actual lifestyle needs based on season and occasion.
Tracking and Enhancing Wardrobe Utility
Notes for Future Reference: Utilize the 'Notes' column to mark anything unique about the care or specific use-cases of the item which could influence future outfit choices or purchases.
Cost Per Wear: If interested in understanding the financial efficiency of your wardrobe, consider utilizing our separate spreadsheet designed to calculate cost per wear. This tool can provide deeper insights into the value you're getting from each piece.
Practical Uses of A Wardrobe Spreadsheet
1. Daily Outfit Creation
Outfit Planner Feature: As you populate your main wardrobe inventory, the Outfit Planner page will auto-populate, allowing you to manually generate outfit ideas based on the items you’ve entered. This ensures that every outfit idea is realistic and wearable, tailored to the actual contents of your wardrobe.
Selecting Outfits: Use the dropdown menus in the Outfit Planner to mix and match pieces, creating new combinations or replicating favorite outfits. This feature is particularly useful for visualizing potential outfits without physically trying on every combination.
2. Seasonal Wardrobe Rotation
Organize by Season: The spreadsheet allows you to categorize items by season, making it easy to filter out clothes that are not in season. As seasons change, you can rotate your wardrobe by simply adjusting the visibility of seasonal categories in the spreadsheet.
Planning Ahead: Utilize the Seasonal tabs to pre-plan outfits for upcoming seasons. This proactive approach ensures that you are fully prepared for each season’s weather and events, minimizing last-minute outfit stresses.
3. Budget Management through Cost Tracking
Track Spending: While the main focus of the Wardrobe Whisperer is on organizing and planning, it also allows you to enter the cost of each item. This feature can be used to monitor your spending on new purchases, helping you stay within budget.
Analyzing Investments: Review the cost columns to assess which items represent significant investments and whether they are getting sufficient wear. This analysis can guide future purchasing decisions, ensuring you invest wisely in items that complement your existing wardrobe.
4. Enhanced Features with Smart Cost Per Wear Tracker
This feature is not part of the wardrobe inventory spreadsheet. This would be considered a smart feature and is included inside of the cost per wear tracker found here
Advanced Tracking: For those interested in a more detailed analysis, our Smart Style Cost Per Wear Tracker integrates seamlessly with the Wardrobe Whisperer. This enhanced tracker not only calculates the cost per wear for each item but can also auto-populate photos of your item if you choose to upload them. This visual addition can be invaluable for those who benefit from seeing their wardrobe items while planning outfits.
Purchase the Tracker: To access this advanced feature, visit Smart Style Cost Per Wear Tracker for purchase details.
Disclaimer: this blogpost was published April 11, 2023 but was updated July 17, 2024
