Now that my 2010 shopping ban is over, I came up with the idea of cataloguing my clothing onto my iPod Touch for easy access.
Before I started the process, I didn’t realize how many grey sweaters I had until I did this.
To be fair, I feel like each grey sweater is a different shade, serves a purpose, style and whatever else, but I was still surprised at the final number.
Why am I cataloguing my clothing?
- I would know how many grey sweaters I have 😛
- It would deter me from buying duplicates/similar pieces
- I would look at the pieces and be instantly demotivated to shop
- I’d know what I have so I can dream up ideas for mixing/matching
- It’s kind of cool for any clotheshorse to be able to say: Oh I can match it with this
I have a real problem with duplicates, which stands to reason. I like the same style of clothing, I know what works on me and what doesn’t, and even what colours.
So is it any wonder that my wardrobe has a lot of teal, magenta, purple and grey? 🙂
How I am catalouging my clothing:
- Take photos (lay out clothes, hang them, wear them)
- Organize it into categories
- Upload to iPod Touch
- Review
1. TAKE PHOTOS
Lay out the clothes on the floor
The first (and laziest), is to lay out every piece on the floor, hope you have a good angle and good lighting, and snap a shot.
I’ve actually completed this for every piece in my wardrobe, but I hate the results. I wish I hadn’t taken the lazy route.
As a perfectionist, I hate that I can’t see how it looks on me (its owner), and all of my shots either have a shadow where I held the camera over the piece, or is on a weird angle.
I present you: Exhibit A – A gorgeous Japanese-Paper like dress my mom bought me from Spain, laid out on the floor.
See? No likey. It looks blah, weird. I know it’s silly, because I know that piece of clothing, how it feels, how it fits and what it looks like, but it isn’t exactly what I want.
Hang it up and photograph it
Better, but I still don’t like it for items like sweaters or things that cannot be hung easily.
Exhibit B: Same dress, on a hanger
Wear it and take a photograph *DING DING DING*
This is what I’m working towards.
Wearing each and every piece of clothing and taking a picture of myself in it.
It makes a girl want to get rid of everything, so it becomes easier 😛
Here is Exhibit C: Wearing the piece and accessorizing it. I am going to embark on a long process to complete this.
Here, I can mark that I have 2 items: magenta sash and strapless dress (above) The shoes and necklace, I’d have to photograph separately because you can’t really see it.
2. ORGANIZE IT INTO CATEGORIES
You can combine the categories as you see fit, but I like everything REALLY separated because it just makes it difficult to scroll through everything and keep it all in mind.
I made folders on my iPod Touch in the following:
- Dresses
- Sweaters
- Long-Sleeved Tops
- Blouses
- Tank Tops
- T-Shirts
- Pants
- Skirts
- Suits
- Sleepwear/Lingerie — Update: Clarifying that I am taking a picture of these, not wearing them & taking a pic 😛
- Shoes/Boots/Sandals
- Necklaces — I have a separate category for this, because I have a lot
- All other Jewellery
- Belts and Scarves
- Winter Accessories
- Other Accessories — whatever doesn’t fit into the rest of the categories
3. UPLOAD TO IPOD TOUCH
I organize all the photos by folders on my computer and then I upload it all to my iPod Touch.
4. REVIEW
I now go through each category on a regular basis, and I start mentally removing items as I see that they don’t fit into my wardrobe, or I think are not needed any more.
See all my old outfits and combinations from my old style blog.
I’m still in the process of going through and naming everything, but most of the images are there.
It is also not my entire wardrobe. I never got around to photographing or cataloging everything, but that’s something on my To Do list for 2011.
It will be a slow but fruitful process.
The good thing about all of this, is I will have to go through every piece in my wardrobe to photograph it which means I will donate/toss each time I think it doesn’t look good any more.
So what do you think? Am I crazy? 🙂
Would you do something like this to help you shop smarter and to shop less?
N.B.: To the reader who called me “vain for posting photos when it’s really just for myself“:
1) You’re right. How did you know? The blog is all about me. ME ME ME ME ME ME MEEEEEEEEEE!!!
It’s why it’s called a lifestyle blog with a hint of money talk. All I do is talk about myself. My money, my finances, my thoughts. This is because I’m a selfish, narcissistic beast.
2) I had a style blog before, and these are all my old photos I had originally posted on there.
By calling me “vain” for posting photos, you’re really insulting every style/fashion blogger friend out there as well.
3) I’m going to assume you are quite unhappy with something in your life to be so negative. Or maybe you just had a bad muffin this morning.
So I’ll pass along good thoughts and hope you will choose a better muffin to eat tomorrow.
P.S. I marked you as spam and deleted your comment for your own karmic good.
I like this idea and it would help me in not buying duplicates. I don’t use iPod, but I would use it in my iPhone ( when I get one ) and iPad which I have….. It will definitely help me be a better shopper! Thanks for this wonderful idea.
i love this idea!!!!!
genius!! i just wished i had the time to do it and that there was a program like so u could just mix and match pieces so you could cut down on pics and mix outfits 🙂
I love this idea. I’ve thought of something similar (hasn’t anyone who’s seen Clueless?), but never thought of putting it on my smart phone. Cool.
What I’ve done before is kept a list of the things I wish I had available when I’m putting together my outfit for the day. A white, light-weight sweater (I have a cream sweater) that I can wear over my colored button-down blouses or to tone down my red with white-polkadot drop-waist dress. A pair of black clogs that I can wear with my black and grey trousers. A pair of brown trousers to wear with the one or two items in my wardrobe that would look better with brown than with black.
I think in a different post you called these Wardrobe Gaps (or maybe that was someone else, I can’t be sure), but that’s the biggest thing I’ve been tracking. Having a handy picture list of what items I currently own will make that gap list that much easier to buy for.
Thanks!
I love this idea and have attempted it before on my laptop (as I don’t have a smartphone) and was looking into software (not too many options for all the things I wanted it to do).
I got the idea from a show now long since cancelled (Priviledged).
Wow! This is such a great idea! Thank you! It will take me ages but I wil definitely do that 🙂
FABULOUS!!! i have been talking about doing this for a good 10 yrs and finally started this week. I found your blog when looking for cataloging techniques…WOW i did not realize how long it took to photograph EVERYTHING i own (ps i have also done this for my house as well) (Im a little OCD!!!) Keep it up and i cant wait to check back in to see your progress. I am doing a bit old school by using 4 x 6 prints and a binder with sections for everything. I also use the old school sticky/peel back photo album insert pages to collage outfits together (so I dont loose anything) You rock sista!!
It takes a seriously long time 🙂 I’ve finally catalogued everything, but I haven’t photographed everything on my body yet!
It’s so much easier now to browse through my necklaces and all my things without thinking — don’t I own something like that already?
Thank you!
What an awesome idea. I’ve thought about doing something similar to help me on those extra-tired mornings when I can’t figure out what the heck to wear. Next laundry day I’m doing a solo fashion-shoot (fan optional). Frugal and fashionable FTW!
I’m actually making sure this week that I photograph everything (Even if I
don’t wear it)
I’ve come up with 5 new outfits already!!!
After seeing your post and pictures, I’ve just started a spreadsheet with all my clothes grouped by pants/skirts/cardigans/skirts/dresses/winter coats/spring-fall jacket etc.. And have marked which needs alteration in grey color. It helped me realize that I do have a good collection, and where my gaps are. Love it! Thanks for the idea.
The spreadsheet was my other idea to catch the gaps, but I *know* I don’t
have gaps in my wardrobe. I just know. 😛
But when I shop for extra “statement” pieces it’s so much easier to see
pictures to convince me NOT to shop 😛
That’s such a good idea! It’d take me forever to finish it but I constantly find that I forget I own things, and buy new stuff all of the time that I really don’t need.
Lol @ your comment to the rude commentor. You are hilarious. I love this idea. I wish I had the patience to do this. My ADD is so bad I jump projects so quickly. I lack focus. ;?(
Focus is hard, but .. if you work at it, it will become easier. 🙂 Good luck!
This is an awesome idea! I have the messiest closet in the world and have been procrastinating for years cleaning it out. This idea has motivated me to take action. I only want to have what I truly love in my closet. I need to get rid of lots of stuff, plus I like the idea of having it all photographed and catalogued. Genius!
Thank you!
You\’re welcome. I\’m loving my whole set up right now. I feel like when I go and think about buying something, I have to catalogue it and go through what I already own!
I think you are my long lost twin when it comes to cataloguing one’s entire wardrobe. I am obsessive about it! I look at my list everyday to see what else I can get rid of. I haven’t gone as far as photographing every piece only because I’m too lazy but I’ve fantasized about doing it many times.
Do you have a ‘goal number’ of pieces you aim to have, an ‘X’ number of pieces for each category or total number for your entire wardrobe? For example, I aim to own 100 pieces for my entire wardrobe, including shoes, bags and jackets. I’m still fiddling around with the number of pieces in each category for the perfect balance and it’s been a bit of a struggle.
Wonderful post, excited to read more!
*gasp* WARDROBE TWIN!! 🙂
I don\’t have a goal number of pieces, I am just logging everything so I don\’t buy duplicates or basically realize I have too many grey sweaters for instance 🙂
Perhaps I should think of a goal for things. Like 1 perfect sweater in grey, one in perfect black..
Or just too many clothes in general. Thanks for commenting!