This is by far my favorite step of this whole process. It is my favorite because you really get a birds-eye view of your day-to-day style habits.

First, take the page of the capsule wardrobe planner that says “Chart Out Your Lifestyle” it has the circle with the dot in the middle. (If you haven’t downloaded the planner you can do so by clicking here). This circle represents your day-to-day life and the different ways you dress and where you spend the most time. Start by making two lists. One for weekdays and one for weekends. Although you’ll spend more time focusing on the weekday list. Write out the way you spend your days and what you usually wear during these time frames.

Example:

Weekday
7 am – 9 am: Pajamas
9 am – 5 pm: Business casual attire
5 pm – 7 pm: Gym/workout
7 pm – 10 pm: Pajamas

Weekend
7 am – 9 am: Gym/workout
9 am – 5 pm: Jeans and a t-shirt/fun top
5 pm – 10 pm: Evening wear

Or maybe your day looks something more like mine. I work in a home office so there are days when I pretty much wear my pajamas (on some days) until 5 pm – but I want to get better at actually getting ready in the morning, so I’m going to plan for success and at least wear jeans and a t-shirt from 12 pm – 7 pm.

Weekdays
6 am – 12 pm: Gym clothes/pajamas
12 pm – 7 pm: Jeans and a t-shirt/fun top
7 pm – 10 pm: Pajamas

Weekend
6 am – 12 pm: Pajamas
12 pm – 8 pm: Jeans and a t-shirt/fun top
8 pm – 10 pm: Evening wear (on occasion) otherwise back to pajamas

It’s safe to say…as a mom and someone who works from a home office, I spend a good chunk of my day and time in comfy clothing. Therefore, I’m going to invest in pieces that are good quality and make me feel my best even if it’s yoga pants and a sweatshirt! I think the part that many people get caught up in when they do a capsule wardrobe is that it’s supposed to “revamp their style”…when in reality…it’s meant to help streamline and identify what you feel best and most comfortable wearing. This isn’t a “stylist” session…or process…however, the results of it should help you do a better job of figuring out what works for you, thus, allowing you to better mix and match pieces and know what to shop for moving forward.

I digress…

OK, once you’ve identified how your lifestyle connects to the amount of time spent in certain types of clothing…now chart that out in your diagram. See below for details and examples (I like visuals)! Seeing your time factored out in a pie chart helps you see how you spend your day from an “aerial view.” Charting things out gives you a visual of you spend your days and how wearing specific clothing plays into your lifestyle. Now that you see the visual – shade in the two sections that take up the MOST time.

I personally had never really given the way I spend my time and wear clothes during the day much thought…now that I see how I mostly spend my time, I now have a focus for my wardrobe. Long story short….I need to invest in really good yoga pants, comfy t-shirts, and great stretchy jeans 🙂

Applying the Chart to Your Piles & Categories
Next, go and look at your favorites pile and your established themes – what clothes accommodate the sections you’ve identified? You’ll start to see how you can mix and match and pair things based on your lifestyle and the pie-chart you created…you’ll see where you’re lacking quality items and what pieces you could invest in. For example…if you’re like me…and spend a good chunk of your time in comfy clothes but don’t have a really good pair of comfy leggings you love to wear….this might be an area you need to invest in. Or, if you spend a lot of your time working and wearing business casual clothing but can’t figure out how to pair that blue button down shirt you bought with any of the bottoms you have…maybe it’s time to find something to coordinate with them!

Investing in Quality
I’ve been hearing how simplifying can also be easier to achieve when you buy pieces that won’t deteriorate so quickly. Sure a deal and a bargain are great…but if your items are weathering and feeling frumpy after only a few washes you may not be investing in quality items. This is especially important if these items are considered “go-to” items.

By now things should start feeling more clear and less overwhelming. You’re feeling inspired and ready to tackle step 4, Identifying Brands and Favorite Pieces!

Other Posts in This Series:
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
Step 1: Organize & Purge
Step 2: Find Common Themes