HOW TO MATCH YOUR WARDROBE TO YOUR LIFESTYLE

CHAPTERS:
00:00 → INTRO
01:14 → WHY I MADE THIS VIDEO
03:28 → STEP ONE: LIST YOUR RECURRING LIFE SITUATIONS
05:08 → STEP TWO: HOW MANY TIMES PER MONTH?
07:11 → LEVELS OF FORMALITY
10:27 → STEP THREE: ASSIGN LEVELS
12:55 → STEP FOUR: MAGICAL FASHION MATH
14:13 → STEP FIVE: ANALYZE & DRAW CONCLUSIONS
20:09 → STEP SIX: MAKE AN ACTIONABLE LIST
20:49 → FINAL THOUGHTS

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THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND BEING WONDERFUL!!!

[HannahLouisePoston]

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST MAKE YOUR OWN CLOTHES?”

THE SHORT ANSWER: I still have the knowledge, but I no longer have the space, time, or resources.

THE LONGER ANSWER: It takes an immense amount of infrastructure and labor to make clothes (fast fashion has made them so cheap that we’ve developed a kind of societal blind spot around this). When I ran a clothing business, I had all of that infrastructure in place—machines, materials, tools, workspace, industry connections, patterns—and I was in my studio for hours every day, so it was easy to just stay after work and make myself a dress. At that time, I did make most of my own dance clothes.

But that's not my life anymore! If I wanted to make a dress now, I’d have to unpack all of my machines and have them serviced (they’ve been in storage for years) and then I’d have to find a fabric source in my current town. For a good quality jersey knit, I would likely pay a premium (it costs a lot more per yard to buy a few yards of fabric at a hobby shop than to buy an entire bolt of the same fabric at a warehouse in the Los Angeles garment district, where I used to source my materials). By the time I had enough fabric for some trial-and-error and the necessary machines functioning, I would have already spent a lot of money—like, possibly two or three hundred dollars—and, more importantly, a great deal of time. Then I’d have to take over our dining room to do the project, which would be inconvenient because that’s where we eat our meals.

Finally, there is no guarantee that the dress would come out particularly well, especially not the first time, because I haven’t sewn a garment in years. It would probably take a couple of tries to get it right, and that would eat up more fabric and more time.

So yes, it could be done because I know how to do it. But it wouldn’t be efficient—I would spend way more time, money, and labor getting to the finished product than I will spend shopping for and buying a dress. If someday we live somewhere with space for me to sew regularly, I’ll likely get the machines back out, start a small fabric collection, and work towards a setup which will allow me to make clothes again in an economical and enjoyable way. But because doing it right now would be exhausting and expensive, it's not actually an appealing prospect. Instead, I’ll go to a consignment shop or thrift shop and find something secondhand that works for dance, and I’ll enjoy the hour or two that I spend there, which is a very appealing prospect :)

THE METAPHORICAL ANSWER: I’m like someone who owned a sushi restaurant five years ago when she lived near the coast. Now I’ve sold the restaurant and I live inland. If it was 6pm and we were hungry and I wanted to go out to eat at a sushi place, and you said to me, “Why not just make your own sushi?” I would say, “But it would take days for me to prepare my kitchen to make sushi, and I’d have to buy a whole bag of sushi rice, whole jars of ginger and wasabi...just to make one meal? And where would I get the sushi-grade fish?”

THANK U FOR COMING TO MY 3-PART TED TALK

[boatsagainst]

Thank you for the diversity in the examples! As a fat woman I rarely see myself represented in videos like these, and it honestly makes my brain go "oh this advice is not for me" even if I know that that's an irrational thought 😅. Representation is so important! 🙏❤️

[katasticone]

This is freaking brilliant. I may actually start organizing my closet into these categories. I think it would greatly simplify life to ask "what level of dress do I need for what I'm doing" and head to that area. Honestly, all capsule wardrobes should include your methodology. This is probably why most of us have fallen down with that.

[ekaterinal]

An important category for me to consider is clothes for my period. I know there’s certain things I can’t wear if I don’t want any accidents, and having designated undies for that too. But even just clothes where I know I’m gonna be bloated and if I’m going out I need to accommodate that.

Love how DETAILED this is, this is so helpful

[lucy-janewalsh]

I’m glad you mentioned it’s subjective because I find myself so much more formal than the majority of people. I just feel better put together and I don’t even realise that I’m a formal dresser until people point it out. And I’ve definitely met others who are so comfortable with casual clothes in formal settings. I love them for it too. We are all so different

[sueraikow]

This is a useful tool to quantify reality vs fantasy closets. I have a hunch that my wardrobe is skewed toward the fantasy and my reality closet should get more love. Thank you for grounding your thought process in hard data. Now I’m off to crunch some numbers. 😀

[Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

My closet is mostly a curated level 5. It's been that way since when I was young. In my school years, I weathered the "she's weird". In my college years, I weathered the "you look so nice, do you have a job interview today", on any given normal class day. In my adult life, it's served me well. Counter-intuitively, it's simpler this way. I love clothes, but hate getting dressed. I put on one outfit and do everything in it, with a few exceptions. I do chores around the house (while wearing an apron to protect my clothes), go to work, run errands. Because I wear them all day long and do most everything in them, I am comfortable in my outfits. My heels don't hurt my feet, because they must be wearable enough to run around a grocery store. This choice of lifestyle originates with my mother. She was from a country, social class, and era when people owned very few clothes. There were only two wardrobes. The warm weather wardrobe, and the cold weather wardrobe. One can go grocery shopping in a level 5 outfit, but it's more difficult to take a level 3 outfit to work or to a number of social situations.

[julieg]

I am 54 and have never done an exercise like this. I just always felt that vauge "I have nothing to wear" feeling. I realized that I spend most of my time at home or running errands. It has totally changed the way I am looking at my clothes. I plan to set up my closets (empty nester, so I get guest rooms too, lol) so my lounge/sleepwear is together, and my garden/paint/sew wear is together, and my "leave the house and fancy stuff" is together! What a game changer...thank you!

[cbeghin]

Thank you for intellectualizing the way we experience fashion and consumption! Truly the only fashion content I don’t mentally tune out after the first 3 minutes. ✨

[rebeccajordan]

I would add a sub-level — i was missing this in my own wardrobe until I recognized how much I needed it a few years ago, and having this little module of clothes and shoes for all seasons has been a game changer! So my level -1 is “Dirty Deeds.” For things like yard work and gardening and painting and other various chores that get dirty. I’ll go to goodwill every so often and pick up a t-shirt or sweatpants or sneakers and I have a whole drawer dedicated to these things. Not glamorous or sexy, but I end up wearing them almost every day. I’m wearing some now! 😆

[ClodofEarth]

I never put it into words before, but this video made me realize I actually organize my closet by levels of formality (office appropriate, varying levels of casual, home) as opposed to by type (dresses, tops) or color. I watch a lot of organization content and have never seen anyone else organize their clothes the same way I do, but now it makes sense why I find it so much easier to get dressed this way (I highly recommend). Ha, thanks for helping me understand myself better!

[LovetoLearn]

I’m obsessed! I’m only 6 minutes into the video and I had to stop to let you know this is EXACTLY the type of fashion content I’ve been needing. Your previous video talking about personal style was also so helpful and I hope you are able to make more videos like this to help people contextualize how to responsibly build our wardrobes.

[karissamccoy]

I always appreciate the inclusivity of size - and also ethnicity and gender - you show when pulling examples for these videos. Many people wouldn't think about it, and I love that you do. Deep thanks for that.

[emilybreslin]

I am out here living a Level 2 life with a Level 4 closet. The pandemic really changed a lot. I have to adjust. Thank you for this insight!

[maerihedstrom]

Can we just talk about the fabulous examples of formality levels?! I love all of these and their style AND inclusivity <3 🌈

[stephaniec]

As someone who went from working in the financial core of a major city to pregnancy, to young motherhood, to pandemic, to being a stay at home mom I’ve had to completely rearrange and come to a new understanding of what my wardrobe needs to offer me. This video helps to break it down so clearly, will be making my own chart. Many thanks!!

[patriciainportland]

I did an exercise like this after realizing I was shopping for my "fantasy self, " a gal who appeared not need sensible shoes (Why? She would never walk!), and not my real life. Sadly, I learned I needed way more comfortable shoes and casual outfits instead of clothes that were useful for nightclubing and concert going. I also realized how often I am in "house clothes, " and with that knowledge, I invested in better quality PJs and lay around outfits (hello, cashmere!). I would encourage everyone to audit their lives and the clothes for those lives, and, armed with that knowledge, proceed accordingly with their hard earned shopping dollars.

[ink_puke_]

hannah, my dear, you're absolutely FEEDING US with excellent content lately. thank you so much. you are a breath of fresh air in this fast fashion-dominated field.

[brideath]

Can i just take a moment to appreciate the diversity of the models for your examples? So effortlessly inclusive. 🎉

[merandasomnolentgamer]

I have a somewhat unusual lifestyle as a person with chronic illness and have found it so impossible to figure out how to build a wardrobe. This video is exactly what I've been looking for, literally for years. THANK YOU!