Determining Your Clothing Needs

It may seem daunting to determine your clothing needs when you look in your closet.

Like most, we have a mix, as we purchase clothing over time without an overall plan of

what we’re buying. An easier way to decide what you need is by outlining how you

spend your time throughout a normal week.

We’re awake approximately 16 hours a day, during which time we: work (what

type/location); attend school; are at home (chores, care giving, etc); have hobbies;

attend church and/or community activities; are dining out/entertaining; and participate in

family recreation and/or athletic events.

Make a list of how many hours a week you spend doing the above, calculating the

percentages, creating a pie chart, or a “wardrobe wheel”. For those that are “type A”

personalities, you can make this exercise more precise by counting the actual items in

your closet and doing the math from there.

Overall, an effective wardrobe should reflect the relative time you spend doing each

activity. Though logical, most of our wheel’s percentages don’t align with our closet

because that’s not how we shop. It is, however, why we frequently say we have

“nothing to wear” with a closet full of clothes.

In the end, correcting the imbalances are a longer-term effort and may take some

planning to achieve, so be patient. Your plan should consider any lifestyle changes, like

moving from a cold climate to a warm one, or returning to the workforce.

Tammy’s Truism: Using this practical approach, you can determine your wardrobe

needs, reducing the emotional factor that often comes with clothing.