Tag: project 333

clothes statistics

~ Gillie ~ Leave a comment

It’s end of the month time,  those of you with a mathematical bent will be longing for this post.  This is the sequel to the statistic in the wardrobe,  today you are getting another rip-roaring romp through my wardrobe.

This is the basis of my wardrobe for the next three months.  I can, and no doubt will add and subtract here and there.  But after two months of clothes analysis I think this is the core.

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This is how they look hanging up.

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Including what I am wearing today that makes 27 items.  I have not included shoes because for the most part I wear the same fit flops or Toms all summer.

This is how I got there.

This month I have worn more of my wardrobe, a total of 48 items compared to 40 last  month, but blue has been toppled by gray.

I wore:

  • 11 tops 18 times
  • 8 bottoms 20 times
  • 8 dresses 12 times
  • 6 cardigans 13 times
  • 5 scarves 9 times
  • 10 pairs of shoes 23 times

I must have forgotten to record some shoes because though I do spend most of my day barefoot, I do usually put something on my feet when I walk out of the house!

The colour analysis is dominated by gray, but I have managed to inject a little more colour this month

  • Gray 22
  • Blue 18
  • Red 11
  • Green 5
  • Purple 4
  • White 4
  • Cream 1
  • Pink 1
  • Brown 1

But by far the most interesting figures are the comparison between one month and the next.  As the weather has been pretty consistent they should be fairly comparable

I wore 5 tops, 5 bottoms, 5 dresses and 3 cardigans both months.  Those items were worn a whopping 84 times over the past two months with the highest wearage going to an ancient pale blue jersey wrap which was worn 12 times during April and May.

So isolating the clothes I wore most and adding in those I know go with the core items and I love (no good if I don’t love them, I won’t wear them and they should be on the way out anyway)  I have my reverse approach to Project 333.

 

the statistic in the wardrobe

~ Gillie ~ 10 Comments

When I was at university (back in the Dark Ages) I had to take a statistics course.  I knew it wouldn’t go well and it didn’t.  I had a book by Derek Rowntree called Statistics without Tears.  I remember throwing it across the room and crying “You lied!” You can still get the book, it is actually very good and as I had a  maths A-level under my belt you would have thought I would be have been fine with stats.

I now realise it wasn’t the stats that were the problem but the subject matter.  If there was less talk of X and Y and more of skirts and dresses, or curly kale and sprouting broccoli I would have been top of the class.  So today I bring you wardrobe statistics where SD stands for Silk Dress not Standard Deviation and Chance Variation refers to the oppotune discovery that the pink scarf looks fantastic with the lime green jacket 🙂

You may remember that I took up the challenge of Project 333 last summer.  This year I have decided to reverse the project.  I am keeping a tally of the clothes I wear over a three  month period and then restricting myself to those clothes only for the rest of the summer (I am optomistic that it will be a blazing hot day on St Swithun’s day).

At the end of month one there is a definite trend appearing.  I am wearing almost entirely jersey (bamboo and cotton) and the colours are generally muted with bright accessories.  I am wearing more earrings (I used to just put a pair in and leave them) and have discovered I rather like big dangley ones.  I rarely wear trousers other than leggings with tunics and I almost  never wear a coat.  I am usually barefoot or wear Toms or Fitflops.  This a big reveal as although I have culled my shoe collection quite severely I still  never wear many of them.  Regardless of the weather I tend to wear summery light clothes and just layer up if it gets cold.  I haven’t worn socks or tights all month.

For those of you who would like the figures they are as follows.

  • Tops:  I have worn 10 different tops 16 times in total
  • Bottoms: I have worn 6 bottoms a total of 15 times.
  • Dresses: I have worn 7 dresses a total of 15 times
  • Cardigans:  I have worn 6 cardianas a total of 16 times
  • Scarves:  I have worn 5 scarves a total of 15 times
  • Shoes:  I have worn 6 shoes a total of 30 times, the fitflops 18 times!
  • Coats/Jackets:  I have worn one coat twice and one jacket once.

Colours are very blue heavy.

  • Blues: 27
  • Pinks: 12
  • Grey: 11
  • Neutrals: 9
  • Teal: 8
  • Purple: 7
  • Black: 2
  • Green: 1

I recently had my colours done and I think I am pretty okay with the ones I am wearing but apparently should be wearing more yellow and orange.  I hate both of them on me so I can’t see that happening soon.

In the meantime it has been an interesting look at how I use my wardrobe and you will be delighted to know you will be getting another update at the end of May.  Bet you can’t wait 🙂

 

colours and shapes and things that go bump around the hips

~ Gillie ~ 3 Comments

I was due to have my “colours done” on Monday, for a variety of reasons Monday turned out not to be good for Alana or I so we have rescheduled for next week.  A few days is not a long time to wait since I first made contact with Alana way back in June.  I spent some time researching who I wanted to see and Alana hit all the boxes.  Unfortunately she was in Nova Scotia until September.  Aagh.  After all my research I wanted them done now.  But I wanted Alana to do them more so I waited.

Why was Alana different?  Have a look at her website and tell me what you think.  Dress Up Cycle.  Quite apart from the name, read the first sentance…. slow fashion. Not throw away high volume fashion.  Not quick make me feel better purchases that hide in the wardrobe.  Slow fashion like slow food appeals.  Fashion magazines have banged on about capsule wardrobes for decades, but they still promote the latest trends and must have items for your wardrobe several times a year.  Apparently one must have item is a pink coat.  Were I in the market for a coat I might consider pink, I have always preferred coats to be, like my handbags, a little distinctive and different.  The only black coat I have ever owned was ankle length, double breasted, fitted at the waist with a HUGE fake astrakan collar.  I wore it to death.  However, I am not in the market for a coat so why would I want to buy a pink one just because it is pretty and on trend.

SInce I did Project 333 I have been much more conscious about my clothes and what I wear.  I had always thought I was relatively discerning but as I filled bag after bag I realised that I had accumulated a load of clothes from skirts and dresses to shirts and cardigans that I liked the look of, but crucially, not on me.  By the time I had pared down my wardrobe I discovered that I wore a few types of clothes a lot, not only that they went together well, fitted my lifestyle were relatively multipurpose and were a capsule wardrobe.

Bottoms:

  • Linen trousers in white, black and navy
  • leggings in black, navy and dark grey
  • Full circle skirts
  • straight skirts that come just above or just on the knee

Tops:

  • plain cashmere jumpers (I have a bit of a thing for cashmere)
  • button back cardigan tops
  • plain white t shirts
  • matelot tee shirts
  • long white shirts
  • tunic tops
  • Long cardigans

Accessories:

  • Silk squares
  • wool (or preferably cashmere!) wraps/big scarves
  • Broaches
  • Big necklaces/pendants
  • Statement ring (one plus my wedding/engagement ring)

Dresses:

  • Shift, from cocktail to beach

 

I have plenty of jackets but apart from a few occasions I just don’t wear them, likewise jeans are worn only for gardening.  Fitted shirts, however smart never make it out of my wardrobe.  I went through a jersey wrap dress phase but I never felt comfortable so out they went too.

Even if you don’t stick to something like Project 333 forever, just trying it out for three or even six months gives you a valuable lesson in wardrobe and body awareness.  I have a much better idea of the kind of clothes I feel comfortable in.  I have some idea of the colours that suit me and now I can’t wait for Alana to give me her advice and then perhaps if Father Christmas is looking kindly upo me she may be able to come back next year and look at my wardrobe as well.