What I learned from keeping a “Wardrobe Tracker” for almost 10 years

Hello! Welcome to Ode, a newsletter about shopping with intention. For my very first post, I wanted to share something that’s perhaps the oldest and most consistent pillar of my intentional shopping practice so far: an 11-tab Google spreadsheet called “Wardrobe Tracker.” 

The file will turn 10 years old next year, which means there’s actually a substantial volume of personal shopping data to indulge in and analyze — and that’s what I’ll be doing here.

Note: I’m a true petite at 5’0”, which significantly affects my clothes shopping perspective and experiences. 

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First things first — what exactly did the tracker track? 

As shown in the screenshot below, each year has its own tab and each tab has the following columns, all of which are filled out whenever I make a purchase in the wardrobe category (clothing, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories):  

• Date

• Brand/Store

• Item

• Price 

• Notes (on discounts/rewards, sizing, whether something was returned, etc.) 

When I first started this tracker in 2013, my main priority was to tally how much I was spending on building a wardrobe. As I collected more information over the years, it also became interesting for me to reflect on some bigger picture trends, like: Which stores do I tend to buy multiple items at a time from? What kind of items do I keep having trouble with (and end up returning)? What are the general ebbs and flows of my shopping activity throughout the year? I’ll share some of those observations below. 

Currently, I have nine yearly tabs from 2013 to 2022 (2013 and 2014 were combined into one), plus two additional tabs:

• A “Poshmark” tab for keeping track of items I’ve listed and sold. 

• A “Planning” tab for jotting down bigger wardrobe purchases that I’m mulling over or might want to come back to later. 

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My Wardrobe Tracker observations  

1. The awkward, impulsive post-college “I need work clothes” shopping spree was real — and a bit misguided.

In 2013 and 2014, I bought dozens of items to “stock up” on my work wardrobe, mostly at Gap/Banana Republic/Loft because I have a Gap card (semi-accidentally opened in college) and these stores all have petite sizing. Worst buy: two pant suits from Macy’s for a total of $240…great price! But I never wore either of them. Best buy: A Gap denim jacket (pictured below) that’s still my one and only denim jacket — purchased for virtually nothing because I bought three items that day (all of which I still wear) for $20 after using $60 in rewards. Looking back, I would have told my younger self to feel a little less urgency about preparing a “full work wardrobe” (whatever that means), to focus on fit first and foremost, and to not buy things just because it fits and it’s on sale.

2. It’s possible to find long-lasting gems at fast fashion stores.

I’m personally surprised that I still wear a bunch of items purchased from H&M, Zara, Forever 21, and Uniqlo at least five years ago (a few even from over 10 years ago). What these pieces have in common are durable fabric (usually cotton) and a simple print or pattern (solids, stripes, polka dots, etc.) — like the Forever 21 pullover and H&M shorts below.

3. Classic New Balances (501, 574) are dependable.

I’ve purchased New Balances three times over the last seven years (two 501s, and one 574 most recently) as my main sneakers. They’re extremely comfortable and continually come in fun color schemes, so that helps me feel like I’m always getting something new. Other shoe brands I find myself happily repurchasing from: Timberland, Cole Haan, and Camper. I’d say the common thread here is maximum comfort. 

4. A Q1 shopping hibernation feels natural.

In the last several years, I generally didn’t buy clothes/shoes between January and March, probably because 1) it felt like my wallet could use a recovery period after holiday gift shopping 2) it’s annoying to peel off winter layers to try stuff on 3) it’s not until spring that I experience an urge for the fresh and the new. This feels like an organic rhythm to jive with.

5. Opting to buy clothes in person can help with buying fewer clothes.

Scrolling through pages of clothing items online does very little for me both in terms of temptation and practicality. I’m most attracted to pieces when I see the colors/textures/vibe in person. And, as a petite, I can only really confirm things will fit well in person. These preferences mean I’ve mostly been buying clothes in person. One big reason why I think buying clothes in person can lead to buying fewer clothes is just some level of defense against the extreme pervasiveness of sales/discounts advertised online. For one, I’ll only be tempted by sale prices if I actually make time to go into a store versus always being a click away from discounts constantly being promoted through email, social media, website banners, podcasts, and more.

6. The pandemic showed me how little new stuff I needed.

I bought a total of 12 items across clothing/shoes in 2020 and 2021, half of which were PJs/loungewear purchased online. This has not had a meaningful negative effect on my life especially since I quarantined pretty hard. But I do expect to begin noticing gaps in my wardrobe (from both a functional and aspirational standpoint) this year. 

On that note, I look forward to filling in those gaps intentionally and will share my experiences here on Wardrobe Stories. 

Do you track your clothing purchases? What’s your system?

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