When I was teaching a class on stylistics in a model school, this topic caused a particular reaction. My young listeners sat after the lesson with wistful faces. It was great to cause a flow of thoughts from the young generation, the girls who are far more interested in makeup, fashion and boys, not in digging in themselves.

In the previous publication about the basic wardrobe https://www.livemaster.com/topic/2967433-a-basic-wardrobe-part-1-why we found out our life priorities, understood for whom and why we choose clothes in the morning, what problems with your appearance you want to solve. Today I would like to offer you another test, more simple and less philosophical, but also very interesting.

So, the essence of the exercise in the following. Draw a circle on paper. On the side of the circle write down all the places/things/categories that occupy our lives. It is unlikely that you will be limited to only one type of categorization, it is quite difficult. Therefore, they can be mixed. For example, I go to work and communicate with colleagues. Separately I would like to highlight a meeting with the board of directors at work. There is a different audience, I look and behave in a different way. I also walk a lot with my child, take him to classes. I try to go somewhere together with my husband: cafes, cinema, theatre. I communicate with friends. I have friends who are also moms, we meet in a cafe with kids after their classes, we send them to a playroom so that we can have a little chat. And there is a friend who has no children. I go with her to exhibitions and drink wine in a restaurant once a month.

So here is a hypothetical example.

But still there is a thing you should not forget. There are 24 hours in a day. What do we do a quarter-third of our life? We sleep. You need a certain clothes for this too. It matters how we feel about ourselves and how we look like during the third part of our life. And we spend an hour or two or three or more at home. Every day. Maybe more on the weekends. When you are at home you also need a certain wardrobe which is beautiful and convenient. If your witnesses at home are children of the same age — it is one thing. And if your friends can come by any moment without notice — this is a different story.

Well, let's draw. The photos are examples from my boring life :)

By the way, do not think for more than three months in advance. This task only works for small periods of time, because everything in life is changing pretty quickly. Today you go to school, but it will end in June. You will spend a half of August on vacation on the beach, and in September meetings at work are waiting for you. This exercise will show the current situation only for a short distance. Even the season makes the difference. In winter we dress strictly and cautiously to work, and in summer we allow ourselves more relaxation.

All written categories need to be described as a percentage. How many percent a day/week I spend on a particular activity? For example, a third of the time I sleep. Another third of the time I divide between ordinary office work and meetings with management. The remaining third I spend at home, have fun with my husband, girlfriends, walk with children, visit my parents, go to the gym.

In accordance with the percentage transfer this information to the circle. Now it becomes clear.

I failed to break the circle when I first draw it, I did a lot of doodling :) I made an additional category for the time spent at home. I work, do chores, and just mess around at home.

And then weigh it up. How many sets of clothes do I need to feel comfortable performing this activity and so that I always have something to wear?

Here are some interesting things. Young girls realize that their wardrobe is packed with dresses for clubs and partying, although almost all their life is spent sleeping, at home and in university. For example, I can buy the tenth yoga jumpsuit, although I spend on it max 2 hours a week out of 168! This is 1.2% of the time. I even forgot to include yoga in this task. I forgot to mention that I don't have even a dozen of nightgowns though I spend in bed more than a third of life. This task helps to identify these inconsistencies. You know it's time to stop buying sports clothes, until sport comes into your life on a daily basis. One dress is enough for visiting exhibitions once a month. You can complement it with different accessories, shoes and outerwear that you are including to work every day and it will be fine. Maybe it is worth to afford a silk nightgown and a robe, unlike an expensive silk dress that you will wear to a friend's wedding once.

How do you like this task? Have you discovered something new? Do you want another way to structure your wardrobe? Was there a revaluation of priorities?

I'm glad I wrote this article now. In the near future I plan to move to another city for six months. It is worth to do this task estimating the future. I'm sure it will help me to take exactly what I need. There won't be many things, but I will have everything I need, and I will feel alright.

It is also great to do this task before going on vacation, considering this time interval. Do you plan to lie on the beach, to go on one tour and in the best case go couple of times out and party? Take three swimsuits and consider carefully the shoes for them, covers, capes. Let your shorts and shirts perfectly complement a bathing suit, but do not bother much about evening dresses. Do you plan to go to the beach once and go all over the country for the rest of time? First, think about the universal sets for hot and sudden nasty weather, consider how you will close your feet in a temple, when it is +40 in the street, what shoes will be comfortable enough to walk all day and feel beautiful and fashionable. You can take only one beautiful swimsuit which looks like a beautiful top with shorts or a skirt, so that you can swim without changing while on a tour to waterfalls. In short, this exercise helps to prioritize limited space or budget.

New job? New city or country? The new status of a wife or a mother on maternity leave? It is time to analyze and optimize your wardrobe.

Thank you very much for your attention, I hope that this information was useful. In next articles we will delve into the details and draw our system.