The Pie Chart
I’m re-running this, one of my very early posts, because I think the concept is basic. Whether you have a mental pie chart or actually use one of the links here to build one, you need to know how much of your life you spend in which kinds of clothes.
Recently the trend in fashion advice books has been to draw yourself a pie chart, based on some form of lifestyle segmentation, in order to visualize the level of need in each category. What I found for you: a web-site that will do your pie chart for free. You can even choose the colors! I also found a web-site where you can download applets to make pie charts and graphs for use on your site.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to build your own pie chart, based on your own lifestyle. Decide first whether you need to split any of my suggested categories into two or more; say, if your office has Casual Friday every week and you want to add a business casual segment. For the value of each segment, enter the number of times per week you dress for that lifestyle. I mean, each time you get dressed (every time the baby spits up or … ). That’s really all there is to it!
I do this with my clients - it’s a great exercise in working out what you need in your wardrobe today, not 5 years ago - as your lifestyle changes as time moves on.
For example, many women who used to have office jobs, and have had kids, and won’t be going back to work for 5 years, hang on to their suits and office attire thinking that they’ll need it again one day, when in fact, by the time they go back to work it’ll be out of date probably won’t fit any more anyway and they’ll have to buy new clothes (plus the office might not be so suity anymore as times change). So my advice is to work out your lifestyle, get rid of anything that no longer fits into your lifestyle, as wardrobe space is real estate, and real estate is expensive. A cleared out wardrobe lets you see what you really have, then you can work on the segments of the pie that are lacking in your wardrobe.
So if you’jre 50% time at work, then you wardrobe needs to be 50% work clothes ….
Simple, but effective.
Yes. When I was first at home all I had was suits … and “grunge” (it was 1992!). I was afraid if I didn’t get some more appropriate clothes I was going to end up gardening in my suits. lol
The last one I finally got rid of a few years ago, and I really wish I could find one very similar to replace it, was a beautiful sage green classic suit with a collarless jacket. The problem with it was, while my size hadn’t changed, my “eye” had. Simply put, the jacket was huge! What had looked exactly right in years past, now made me look like a little girl playing dress up! lol
Oh well!
This concept finally clicked for me this year. I re-did your categories for my own use:
1. Just Get Dressed. This is the daily life of a SAHM–how I dress at home. 6 x/wk
2. Smart Casual. This is to go shopping, date nights, appointments, Bible study, etc 2x/wk.
3. Sundays. This is for church. 1x/wk.
4. Fitness. Even though I run 3x/wk, I don’t need many pieces of clothing. 3x/wk.
5. Social. 1x/year at most. Only updated when an event is on the horizon.
This way I saw where my true needs were (primarily in the Smart Casual area). And, I could let my “Just Get Dressed” clothes go a little longer before buying, because they mostly stay at home.
I also came up with a template for each one. I’m going to go w/dresses for 2 & 3 because they are one piece. Separates are starting to drive me batty (The Smart Casual skirt only has one top that goes with it this week and I wore it yesterday when I was Just Getting Dressed…)
I’m liking shortish dresses with leggings for #2 and hope to add a couple this fall. Actually they’re sitting in fabric form on my sewing table and I’m waiting for some little mice to come sew them up in the night.
Moving from going to an office in a warm climate to telecommuting really shifts the slices around. For upcoming move to Minnesota:
1. Just Get Dressed (telecommuter time!): 7x week, figuring that’s also the weekend fall-back position. I’m under-stocked here, particularly with the change in climate.
2. Smart Casual (dinner out, church, better shopping): 3x week. I’m overstocked here but not getting rid of things, as telecommuting arrangement could fall through and send me back into the job market. Also, my estimate may be wrong: the Twin Cities are a LOT more formal than Arizona. Men still wear jackets and ties to work.
3. Business Formal (conferences, high-end dinner, non-telecommute): 0.25x month. Good thing I never got around to restocking here!
4. Dressy (charity events, corporate parties, opera): 0.25x-0.5x month. Some clothing items overlap with Smart Casual or Business Formal.
5. Exercise: 3x week, but I only need one outfit.
Oops — and the fractions on #3 and #4 are per WEEK, not per month. Changed my mind about my approach halfway through…
Nicely done, ladies! You are an analytical inspiration.
Jennifer - I know what you mean about dresses vs separates. Dresses really simplify things and being able to sew them yourself removes most of the reasons not to go that way.
Wende - I think I may be a little understocked in Just Get Dressed clothes too, but my problem occurs during the transitional seasons. In summer and winter, I generally get stocked up on what I need, but somehow fall and especially spring are more challenging for me (probably because the clearance seasons are less intense).
And how nice for you that you have some opportunities to dress up!
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