Tracking My cost-per-wear with a Wardrobe Inventory Spreadsheet

If you guys have been following me on Instagram and Youtube Channel, then you know that I’ve been actively trying to whittle down my wardrobe to only my favourite items….the pieces that I reach for all the time, that I feel my best in.

After all the closet delcutters on my minimalist journey, I admit I still have a lot of clothes. During the declutters, and when I’m feeling a little less ruthless, I often find myself grapping with holding onto things. This ultimately leads me to ending up with a big pile of “Maybe” items that I THINK I’m wearing, but I’m not actually sure.

To get a better sense of my “maybe” pile AND of my favourite items…and because I’m a nerd, I decided to TRACK IT. I created a downloadable excel spreadsheet to TRACK EVERY TIME YOU WEAR AN ITEM in your closet.

TIP: To stay consistent with this, I’ve made it a habit to open up my spreadsheet everyday after lunch, and I just add another tally to when I’ve worn an item.

I’m tracking each piece on a monthly basis, and with this, I can really see the cost-per-wear (if you calculate the cost) of the time, or at the every least, how much you’re wearing something vs. not. It’s a great tool to figure out what wardrobe items you love, which ones you thought you wore a lot but didn’t, and it can really help you better define your personal style. After all, your style is what you wear most often.

Cost-per-wear is a great metric to get a sense if you REALLY got your money’s worth. If an item was expensive but you wear it all the time, you’re getting great value for your money. But if it was expensive and the piece is just sitting there in your closet, then you might not be getting such a great deal. Determining CPW and tracking it also really just helps figure out what it is you’re actually wearing, and what it is you’re not.

cost-per-wear (cpw) = total $ cost of item / number of times worn

why SHOULD YOU KEEP TRACK OF YOUR WARDROBE?

to figure out what is it you love in your wardrobe

to see if you’re getting your money’s worth by tracking CPW
to make decluttering your “maybe” pile easier
to better define your personal style
to minimize the size of your wardrobe
to see if your’e actually using something vs. ASSUMING how much you use it
to keep track of the motivations of why you bought and motivations to buy in the future
the data never lies

**CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WARDROBE TRACKING SPREADSHEET**

WARDROBE INVENTORY SPREADSHEET

How to use your wardrobe spreadsheet

Below is an example of what the spreadsheet looks like with some simple instructions on how to use it and track your wears.

Each row is divided into a different clothing category like T-shirts, Jeans, Blouses, Trousers, Athletic wear and more (you can broaden these or make them more specific for you, as needed). I’ve uploaded my spreadsheet to Google Drive, so I can access it anytime, anywhere.

I like to organize by brand, and enter in the item details like COLOR, SIZE & COST (enter a rough estimate if you can’t remember - knowing how much you paid for an item is critical in determining the COST-PER-WEAR of your item, and if you’re getting your money’s worth!)

I also added “nice to know”’s like if the item was purchased new, or secondhand (or gifted). And since I’m really trying to develop a better relationship with stuff, I also ask and write down WHY I want to buy something.

I’ve added A REASON category to the spreadsheet. This is a particularly helpful column, since it gives the opportunity to do a little self-reflecting, and see if your motivations to buy the thing are coming from a healthy and compassionate place vs an impulsive one. This “why” section also really helps me check in with previous shopping motivations, and can help me prevent making those emotional impulse buys in the future by acting as a quick reminder.

The spreadsheet is completely customizable, so feel free to change the colors, categories etc as needed. I’ve been thinking to add “WISHLIST” section so you can also keep track of your wants, and see if you forgot about them and do some reflecting on the item before purchasing.

OTHER WAYS TO TRACK YOUR COST-PER-WEAR

Since I know this spreadsheet won’t be for everyone, and can look a little overwhelming, I wanted to provide you with a few alternatives for wardrobe-tracking that i’ll also be trying out myself.

The ‘hanger’ trick

A simple, instant and visual alternative to the spreadsheet is to use the Hanger Trick. Simply flip all your hangers in your closet backwards, and when you choose to wear an item that day, flip the hanger back around. At the end of your “wardrobe-tracking period” (I’d recommend 1-3 months, or per season if where you live gets those…), you’ll get a really clear visual of what you wore and what you didn’t. Anything with the hanger still flipped = an easy declutter.

THE STYLEBOOK APP

There are a few digital closet apps out there, but the one that’s been recommended to me the most is the Stylebook app. It’s a paid app available for iOS (only, I believe…sorry Android users!) With this app, you can take photos of your entire closet and digitally curate your wardrobe. It even helps you put outfits together using your OWN items, which is about as custom as it gets. You can also import photos of your items straight from retailer websites if your piece is still current.It has a tracking calendar, a packing list feature, and will even help you put brand new outfits together. Taking the photos of all your items will take time, but I’m told it’s SO worth it once it’s done. So consider taking a weekend, caffeinate , and give it a go.

TAKE A SELFIE

If you didn’t take a photo, did it even really happen? Another simple way to keep track of your wears is by simply snapping a quick #OOTD on your phone everyday before you head out the door. Cher Horowitz never relied on mirrors, and neither should you. Polaroids only. Or selfies. Whatever.