How to plan your shopping (like a boss) in 5 steps.

Jan 24, 2018 | 3 comments

So after publishing my shopping video on Youtube today, I thought I wanted to make a post to go with that video as well. Just so the ones of you who prefer the combination of images and text over videos of some person rambling on about something, have the opportunity to get the info here instead. Every 3rd month I like to exchange my seasonal items in my wardrobe with other items I might have stored away from last year, or I might even purchase a few new things (in my case I prefer to buy secondhand most times). That’s kind of the essence of my capsule wardrobes. My seasonals are the only thing I alter from season to season, and the 80% of my wardrobe that counts as my all-year basics always remain the same (pretty much). The last 20% which counts as the seasonals are what keeps my wardrobe fresh and suitable for the season’s weather and temperatures. So with the capsule method fresh in our memories, let’s go through the steps I do whenever I want to plan new purchases for my wardrobe. Oh, and have a notebook ready.

I forlængelse af den youtube video jeg i dag har delt med jer, så kommer her en version i tekst/billede format, både til de af jer der foretrækker disse men også så jer der har set videoen, kan bruge dette indlæg som et hurtigt opslagsværk. Hver 3. måned skifter jeg nogle af mine sæsonbaserede items i min garderobe ud med nogle andre, som jeg har gemt væk fra tidligere sæsoner eller måske tilføjer jeg lidt nye køb (og helst brugte ting i dette tilfælde). Det er ligesom essensen af min capsule wardrobe. Mine sæsonbaserede items er derfor de eneste jeg rører ved når sæsonerne skifter, og således er de 80% af min garderobe som er basis produkter mere statiske hele året igennem. De sidste 20% sørger for, at holde den resterende af min garderobe frisk og passende til årstiden. Så med metoden opfrisket, så synes jeg vi skal tage et kig på de steps jeg går igennem, når jeg skal planlægge eventuelle nye køb til min garderobe. Åh, og inden du starter så hav en notesbog eller lignende klar.

1)

Have a look at your current capsule/wardrobe situation

There’s especially four questions I like to ask myself, but feel free to add more yourself:

  • Does this style fit the coming season and it’s temperatures?
  • Did I use this enough, and more importantly; WHY not? Is it time to let it go?
  • Is there something that need to be repaired?
  • Is there something I’ve been generally missing?

Gather up the items that fit into the same category. Plan a day where you can deal with repairs like taking a pair of shoes to the cobblers, gather the things that you want to sell/donate and note down the things you’ve been missing in your notebook. When you note down these things like that, you can always go back and look at wishes from previous seasons. In this way you’ll constantly reconsider these wishes, and maybe you’ll find that there are things you never purchased and that you in fact no longer find that you need anyway. The things you still love and want to keep for next year or another season should be stored away. In that way you’ll get to “shop” your own closet later on!

Tag et kig på din nuværende capsule/garderobe situation

Her er der især fire spørgsmål jeg gerne stille mig selv, men find gerne selv på flere:

  • Vil denne style passe til den kommende sæsons vejr/temperaturer?
  • Brugte jeg denne nok, og vigtigst af alt; hvorfor ikke? Er det måske på tide at give slip på den?
  • Er der noget som har brug for at blive repareret før det kan tages i brug igen?
  • Er der generelt noget jeg virkelig har savnet?

Saml de items der passer indenfor de ovennævnte kategorier. Planlæg en dag hvor du kan tage til skomageren med sko der skal omsåles, saml de ting der skal sættes til salg eller doneres og notér de ting du har manglet ned i en notesbog. Når du noterer dine tanker hver sæson på denne måde, så kan du altid gå tilbage og se på fx ønsker fra sidste år som du måske aldrig fik købt. På den måde kan du hele tiden spørge dig selv, om du nu virkelig også har brug for det pågældende nye køb. De ting du stadig elsker og gerne vil gemme til næste sæson eller næste år pakker du væk. På den måde får du på et senere tidspunkt mulighed for, at “shoppe” din egen garderobe.

 

2)

Choose a colourtheme/mood

A great way to get some new life into your wardrobe, is by adding a few things within for example a specifik colour theme. For spring I’m loving the combination of red, blush and beige at the moment (every spring to be honest). By limiting the amount of colours like this; I personally find it easier to combine them with my neutral basics, but that’s a personal matter. You can totally pull of the capsule wardrobe system with way more colours too. I already know that I have items stored away from last year that fit within the before mentioned colour theme, so I can’t wait to bring these items back out. I use Pinterest a lot for gathering up inspiration for colours, looks and items in general and I make a new board at the beginning at every season, to help me plan my coming capsule. Searching for specifik looks is especially helpful since I can pinpoint the exact styles I’m lusting for better. 

Vælg et farvetema/mood

En måde at puste nyt liv i din basisgarderobe er ved, at tilføje et par items inden for fx et bestemt farvetema. Jeg er selv helt vild med farverne rød, sart rosa og beige og er det stort set hvert forår. Ved at begrænse mængden af farver til min lille sæsonbaserede capsule, så synes jeg det er nemmere at styre, og jeg ved de passer til alt jeg har i min basisgarderobe. Men det er bare min stil – du kan sagtens have en capsule wardrobe, som er meget mere farverig og sprælsk end min. Jeg ved allerede nu, at jeg har produkter fra sidste år gemt væk der passer indenfor denne kategori, så dem glæder jeg mig til at finde frem igen. Jeg bruger Pinterest rigtig meget, til at søge efter farvetemaer, looks og produkter generelt og laver hver sæson en opslagstavle til den kommende sæson. Det kunne også være en bestemt stilart du gerne vil bevæge dig indenfor. Især det med at søge efter konkrete looks er rigtig behjælpeligt, da jeg på den måde nemt kan pinpointe hvad det er for eventuelle nye køb jeg drømmer om.

 

3)

Note down your wishes

This year I have around 6 items on my wishlist for the coming spring season (including a few pieces of jewellery), but I’d also like to highlight that I might save some of the wishes for next year. For example I’ve been wanting a tan/beige suede biker for the past two years but I’ve just never gotten around to actually purchasing one. I rarely add more products to my list once I’ve settled in on which items I’m gonna go for, but as I said I might save some or maybe delete them. If I don’t like the way a certain item makes me feel once I’m trying it on in the shop, I wont buy it. Before writing a wish on you list, ask yourself if you see yourself wearing this items at least 30 times. It may seem a bit exaggerated but it’s a good lesson to learn. If it’s a clear ‘no’ that item might not be worth the cost for you (or the environment). I will say though, that if you’re good a purchasing items secondhand or swapping with friends and family, you can go softer on yourself with this rule. More frequent replacements can be done like this, but it’s definitely an art you need to learn to master so you wont end up having to start all over with your capsule wardrobe.

Notér dine ønsker

I år har jeg hele 6 ønsker stående på min ønskeliste for den kommende forårs sæson (inkl. nogle smykker/accessories), men det skal lige siges at jeg ofte gemmer nogle af disse ønsker til året efter. Fx har jeg de sidste to forår ønsket mig en lys ruskindsbiker, men har bare ikke prioriteret den. Jeg tilføjer sjældent flere ønsker til min liste når jeg først har besluttet mig, men som sagt kan det være jeg gemmer nogle til andre sæsoner eller måske fortryder jeg alligevel når først jeg står i butikken og prøver et produkt på, hvis ikke jeg føler mig godt tilpas. Inden du skriver et ønske på sedlen, så kan du også øve dig i følgende scenarie: spørg dig selv, om du kan se dig selv bruge dette item mindst 30 gange. Det er lidt overdrevet men alligevel en god lærestreg, at give sig selv. Hvis det er et klart nej, så er det højst sandsynligt ikke dine penge (og miljøets ressourcer) værd. Denne regel kan dog bøjes en smule, hvis du er en genbrugshaj eller hvis du er god til, at bytte tøj med dine veninder i stedet. Hyppigere udskiftninger kan nydes med lidt bedre samvittighed på denne måde, men det er helt klart en balance du skal øve dig i at mestre, så du ikke ender med at skulle starte helt forfra med, at opbygge din garderobe.

4)

Put together some looks

Another thing I thing is really fun and addictive but also a great lesson to learn in this proces, is to put my wishes into my virtual wardrobe. I use the Cladwell app for this for the first time this season (read more here), but I’ve been using polyvore.com up until now as well, which is super easy and free as well (watch my guide on that here). In that way I can see how the new things will look together with the rest of my wardrobe, I can combine them into different looks and in this way make my shoppinglist even more specifik. 

Sammensæt looks

En ting jeg både synes er sjov og hyggelig, men også en lærerig del af denne proces er, at plotte mine ønsker ind i min virtuelle garderobe. Jeg bruger Cladwell app’en til dette for første gang i år (læs mere her), men har indtil nu brugt Polyvore.com, som er gratis og nemt at bruge (se min guide her). På den måde kan jeg se hvordan de ting jeg ønsker mig vil hænge sammen med resten af min garderobe, kombinere looks med dem og på den måde gøre min endelige liste endnu mere skarp.

5)

The actual shopping

Sometimes I like to write my wishes down in a note on my phone, but if you write them down in your notebook you can of course also just bring this with you on your shopping. It may seem silly to bring a list with you like this, like as if you where grocery shopping. But exactly like when you go grocery shopping having a list is pretty useful so you wont end up bringing home a lot of things you didn’t need in the first place. Stick to the list and remember the “30 wear” rule, especially when you try on products. Personally I shop most of my clothes online, but that’s also because I know the brands I prefer and their sizing so well by know. I also really like shopping the oldschool way in physical shops, especially when it comes to vintage shopping (well that one is a favourite both online and offline). If you want my full shopping guide (brands, what to be aware of etc.) you can read it HERE. In general there are some sustainable brands that I like to support, but at the same time I also believe that the world has enough clothing already to satisfy my inner fashionista. That’s why I mostly like to go for secondhand options, whenever I add “new” things to my wardrobe.

Shopping-delen

Nogle gange skriver jeg mine ønsker ned i en note på min telefon, men hvis du skriver dem ned i din notesbog kan du selvfølgelig også bare medbringe denne. Det kan virke fjollet at tage en liste med sig på denne måde, som om man var på madindkøb. Men præcis ligesom når du skal handle mad ind til ugen, så er det nyttigt at have en liste at holde sig til, så man undgår fristelser (og unyttigt spild). Hold dig til listen og husk igen “30 wear” reglen, især når du prøver produkterne på hvis du handler i en fysisk butik. Personligt shopper jeg mest online, men det er fordi jeg efterhånden kender de mærker jeg går efter og deres størrelser så godt . Selv størstedelen af mine genbrugskøb foretager jeg online, og har aldrig haft en dårlig oplevelse med det. Jeg kan dog også rigtig godt lide at shoppe på den helt gammeldags manér i fysiske butikker, og især vintagebutikkerne er min favorit. Du kan læse min fulde shopping guide (mine favorit brands, hvad du skal være opmærksom på etc.) lige HER. Generelt er der nogle helt bestemte bæredygtige mærker jeg rigtig godt kan lide at støtte, men jeg er samtidig også af den overbevisning, at der findes SÅ meget tøj derude som allerede er produceret, som sagtens kan tilfredsstille min indre fashionista. Derfor foretrækker jeg som sagt for det meste, at købe brugt når jeg køber “nyt”.

Now this may all seem rather rigid to approach shopping like this, but to me this is just as fund (more actually) as spending the entire time running around like a headless chicken in the stores and bring home lots of things you’re not sure of, or that “you just had to have because”. This is just another way of prioritising sure; but it’s not any less fun to plan you shopping like this. In fact I find my wardrobe more fun and inspiring in the long run, than if I didn’t do all this groundwork. In this way I’ll feel great every day, and then I can keep my focus elsewhere.

Det kan virke helt vildt rigidt og kedeligt at gribe sin shopping an på denne måde, men jeg synes det her er ligeså sjovt (hvis ikke sjovere), som at bruge alt tiden på, at rende butikkerne tyndt og hive alt muligt med sig som man ikke er helt sikker på man får brugt, eller “bare fordi man var nødt til at have dén der med hjem”. Det er en anden måde at prioritere, ja; men det er bestemt ikke mindre sjovt af den grund. Jeg har oplevet at min garderobe er “sjov” og inspirerende i længere tid, end hvis jeg ikke gjorde mig de samme overvejelser, og det er så sandelig også værd at tage med. Så kan jeg føle mig godt tilpas hver eneste dag, og fokusere mere på, at være tilstede i andre (vigtigere) ting.

3 Comments

  1. Natalia

    Signe, this is simple and genius! I’m glad you wrote this post! I’ll do as you wrote – I’ll do a current wardrobe research, inspire and do a must have list! I know what I’ll be doing this weekend 🙂
    But for me a bigger issue is with donating/selling clothes which I don’t wear, but still like them. I of course got rid of clothes which I don’t use anymore, but I still have them too much…

    Reply
    • signeh24

      Thank you so much! <3 SO glad you liked this post! I hold on to clothes I still like for around 2 years. If I still don't feel like wearing them, then I donate them or sell them. 🙂 I have 3 boxes in the other part of my wardrobe, containing seasonal clothing, that I'll look through every 3 months. Then I can shop my own wardrobe when the seasons change. The essence of a capsule wardrobe :-* xx

      Reply
  2. Lisset

    Excellent post. Thanks for the tips Signe!

    Reply

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