“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
My mum used to make my brother and I clothes when we were young (90s) as it could either save money, or you could end up with much nicer things for the same money. The cost of non-wholesale fabric, thread, zips, patterns etc has gone up so much in Australia that unless you can get very lucky at a discount fabric shop (mostly only available in big cities) it becomes very expensive to sew, let alone the time costs. I enjoy sewing but (particularly as a non-expert) it is generally impractical compared to occasional careful new acquisitions and second hand clothing.
Thank you for the long version, my mom (82) always wants to know why I don't sew after 10 years of lessons in my youth. I actually hate it and am terrible, but you've provided a better answer lol! My mom is verrrrrrrry frugal, so she'll understand that part. I'm so bad at sewing, it's a huge waste of money for me to even buy the fabric...even cheaply made clothes are far, far better constructed than my home sewing skills allow. Unless gaping, puckered seams are hot for summer?
Did you just give me permission to stop thinking I'll sew my own clothing?!? I've always altered secondhand items to make them my own but some part of me holds on to the fantasy that I'll pick up a pattern and make myself something from scratch. There are so many garments floating around already, the relative cost to make a new one just can't compare. Not to mention the time and effort to learn those new skills... time to give away the sewing machine and fabric hoard? Something to think about at least.
Hannah, I appreciate your thorough and informative answer. I recently saw a TH-cam vlog on another channel about how people should make their own clothes in their leisure time to be truly sustainable, and I actually disagree. It requires real skill, resources and time to make clothes, as you so clearly explain. It's fine for people who want to make their own clothes to do so. For the rest of us, wouldn't it be better to pay garment workers a living wage (at least) and ensure safe and dignified working conditions?
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
In addition, I find that I mostly feel like shopping right after my period and then I end up with too much level 4 clothes, because it's what I feel like wearing when I'm ovulating. Forgetting that I need that level 3 and below for the rest of my cycle :D Shopping with your period cycle in mind should be a video in itself :)
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! 🙏❤️
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.
I so appreciate hearing this! I live a level 2-3 lifestyle (stay at home mom), but I feel so unlike myself (and sort of down in the dumps) if I dress down too often. I've wound up trying to find ways of making dressy casual work for daily life. The other day a fellow toddler mom asked me if I was going to work after kid activities because I was wearing a blazer over my leggings... I decided to just be okay with that because that type of outfit feels more "me" than being a 100% leggings and sweatshirt kinda gal.
I resonated with this so much! I homeschool my kids during the day but I work in a warehouse a few nights a week so technically speaking I would only need up to a level 3 since I’m home or just running errands for the most part, but I don’t like wearing jeans or athleisure in my daily life. I love fashion and being put together and polished , so almost all of my wardrobe is level 5. Yes, I get some strange looks while I’m playing with my kids on the playground in my dresses, skirts and heels, but that’s my level of comfortable. I would feel out of my element going into target in level 2 attire. lol
This is how it should be. Maybe you should start some videos on how to do this. I never had a mother at home, thank you feminism, so she never taught me anything. People always used to just dress nice all the time. I've been teaching this to my soon to be fifteen year old and he dresses very well and all from a thrift store. He gets all the expensive clothes that most kids don't want to wear, so they're basically all brand new. I think for like 95% of people they act rich with their more, buying tons of clothes. But, most people don't actually wear well made, nice clothes. Most wear fast fashion, trendy, cheap clothes, they toss after wearing them 20-30 times.
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! 😆
Amen!! ❤ Was just having these thoughts as well while watching the vid. I do a lot of renovating our home, and end up turning more lounge-y clothes inside out if I'm painting, for example - but it's so nice to still feel cute (and yes I will still put on eye makeup & plenty of vibrant lipstick while on the 'job'), and therefore to just have a section of wardrobe dedicated to the 'dirty deeds' as you so aptly called them! This also includes a fun apron, of which I have many, both for dirty deeds as well as for cooking! 😁🥰
@@rebeccajordan4491 Yes! Aprons are grand. They really feel like a uniform to me - in the best way. After a decade in art school they are a quintessential tool in any medium! I even get a little dopamine rush when I'm putting one on - knowing I'm about to do something fun 😁🌟✌🏻
Same here…I paint and garden everyday, and have cute outfits for that. Earth colored linen, especially with rougher textures work for me…vests,dresses, flowy pants in cuts that allow free movement are very comfy, and stains either don’t show, actually add the character of the fabric.
One thing I would recommend which no one thinks about until they need it is buy a cute tote and fill it with new and comfy pajamas or leisure, socks, underwear, lotion, dry shampoo, make up, hair ties, toothpaste and toothbrush, mouthwash, hand sanitizer and snacks. This is good if you ever have to take yourself to the hospital or someone else does. It’s a way to take home with you in an uncomfortable environment. ❤
That is a great idea and if its not too insensitive ro say, as we get older. My Mother went into hospital suddenly, and sent me all ober the city looking for her specific nightwear preferences. On top of worrying about her health it was exhausting.
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.
i had the same exact thoughts! and really brought my attention to why capsule wardrobes didn’t make much sense to me. but that system plus this could work pretty well!
Can't someone make it into an app, please? Like, we would take pictures of our clothes and classify them by formality level and when we need outfits for an event, the app would give us inspiration according to the level of formality of the event!
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!
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. ✨
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
I was JUST going to comment the same thing! A new co-worker asked me yesterday „wow, do you always go to work so fancy?“ and I was a bit confused, then thought about it for a second and - I guess I do 🤷🏼♀️😄
Sameee 😭 I’m a stay at home mom but I like wearing dresses/skirts/jumpsuits. I just feel more put together. But I’ve had some comments that make me feel overdressed. I guess because most people around me wear T-shirt and leggings
I feel in the middle ground: I dislike formal wear, specially business attire and blazers, but I don't feel confortable in leggins and sweaters for more than loungewear. My Happy medium is made of jeans, cute dressess, comfy trousers, blouses without collars, nice tops, and lots and Lots of knitted clothes (I just LOVE them). After I realized how it made me unhappy dressing up for work I took the time to really figure iut what I wanted to do with my Life, quitted my job and started a new Carrer. So clothes and lifestyle really matter. I've become a teacher, if tour were wondering
I once showed up for an [oilfield] company conference in KL in my normal simple business dress. The next day, all the junior controllers and accounting managers showed up looking sharp and beaming! Someone commented on my dresses, to which I replied, "What's more comfortable than this?"
So happy to hear from another person who favors a little formality. After retiring I felt lost not dressing for work and adopted "elevated everyday" as a personal style adjective. While more casual than work life, it seems to fit me better than a typical "retiree" wardrobe. Love Hannah's guidance to help people follow their personal style and the approach to finding that style.
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.
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!
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. 😀
Haha so true. I have a huge amount of summer clothes although most of the year its pretty cold where I live. I guess I tried to make summer approach faster by buying the clothes 😅
Very true for me as well. I have WAY too much level 5 clothing when I spend most of my days in level 3/4. I am a magpie for silk tops and dresses when my reality is I’m the mum of an 18-month-old and I spend most of my days on the floor. I am going to crunch my numbers as well and report back. I also have been trying to break out of my comfort zone with my every day clothes and trying not to treat some items as “too precious” to wear when I’m caring for my daughter. On Monday I wore a checkered blazer that has a vintage 90s vibe over my tee and jeans and felt amazing, even though I spent the day at home with my wee’an and going to Target! :)
@@Ophelia441 😊Encourage you to keep experimenting with your wardrobe. Maybe avoid wearing anything too precious when finger painting 🎨, rolling around the floor, or other messy activities with 🤍daughter. Instead flirt with your level of formality when heading out to run errands, visit the library, go to a museum, walk at the park, tea party, whatever. Your adding a much loved blazer to such a casual, simple tee & jean could instantly add a 🧂 dash of glamour to the everyday. You're deciding you're worth it. So play with your finery. See if there's a realistic way to enjoy these pieces today rather than saving for your fantasy life. Even a small addition will put a spring in your step. 👀Others will take notice of your delight too. Am a person who doesn't wear jeans, but will wear ✂️ cut-offs to hike or do my household chores. 😬While comfy, I know this garment doesn't put me at my personal best. Last week, I tried out some neglected dresses & a skirt sitting in my closet in a new manner that brought unexpected compliments😮. Tested out: (1) a bold floral tea length cotton skirt w/a solid tank top, matching sneakers, & a contrasting sweater from print over my shoulders as a scarf. Also (2) a body-con black tee & bike shorts under a short med. blue linen jumper dress that I unbuttoned from the bottom to the empire waist. It showed only a glimpse of slimmer legs & proportions below. Lastly, (3) belted a fuscia t-shirt dress (to remove some of the volume & length) over gray bike shorts & matching sneakers.🧢Added a coordinating cap too in each look as 🌞sun protection. In every outfit, I felt comfy, casual, yet wholly feminine🎉. 🤫 The late 👑Queen Elizabeth's "at home" attire is giving me 🪄 inspo. Although she too had actual utility fabrics & wellies for mucking about the horses or dogs in inclement weather🌧. She also wore darling earthy toned tartan skirts, cashmere twinsets, & ordinary oxfords for pulling her grandkids about on the ponies or walking the grounds. As someone who prefers skirts〰️ but not heels or silk〰️I admired how ⚜️Her Majesty wore feminine & formal silhouettes in a wholly unfussy manner to do her ordinary everyday casual country pursuits. 🤔I have perfect plaid & pencil skirts that deserve airing. Decided I'm going to adopt more of her ✨️ regal style for myself. Just need a touch of edge or rebellion to keep me being too precious or from 🤶frumpy town. 💚Bridget from Cali☘️ (using my pal's YT acct)
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!
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.
Bingo! Shopping for my Fantasy Self, as well…. especially with makeup, shoes and jewelry 🤑, but my Real Self is binging TH-cam, Netflix, etc. and walking the pups! Learning=Winning!!
Oh, yeah 😅 or sometimes you just exaggerate a certain part of your life. For example, as a social dancer, just like the author of the video, I know way too well that many dancers are guilty of having 90% of their wardrobe for dance events and only 10% for "real life" 😂 like, who needs comfortable pants for errands when you can buy one more sequin dress.
Second time watching this video and I still think "How so helpful this is!" Fashion is usually aspirational but this makes it very real, without taking away the glamorous vibe that draws me to following it. That's a gift you have. Practical doesn't have to equal unglamourous and boring
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.
It's worth to note that most of the time during history women had outfit expeditions for a lot of occasions, and if you dive into 18th century for example or even to the 50s and 60s you would see how much of a woman's life is devoted to fashion and changing clothes to match the occasion, especially if she is in upper echelons of society. Society as well had more defined dress codes. If you travel to less developed countries or especially countries with different structures that don't have late capitalism and insane consumerism, where symbolism bears a great role you can still observe this. This is why when foreign students arrive in the US, one of the first cultural shocks (yes, they even learn for this prior going to the US) is seeing stained and greasy-haired college students attending university (a renowned institution) in pajamas, ripped t-shirts and flip-flops, yet over-consuming so much just to rarely use it, unless it's filled with sugar. 😅
I've never been big into fashion because I don't find it very intuitive, but the way you approach fashion in a way that breaks it down is so helpful to me!! I've been thoroughly enjoying your fashion content
So sensible! And no shaming of loungewear works for me! I’m in my “pjs” until 2 in the afternoon. I’ve GOT to be able to answer the door in them, so they all look more or less like level 2 but I can sleep in them. Many thanks for this.
Just discovered this video. Same here! PJs = loungewear = household chores and pottering. Sometimes its a rush to throw a bra on to answer the door though 😂
You have no idea how happy you’ve made me. You’ve just helped me realize there is a REASON why I am always looking for the perfect hoodie and track pants. I have been that person who just transfers worn out, stained clothes into my “lounging around the house” part of my wardrobe because it seems to me like a waste of money to spend on really good quality options when I don’t “need” them, but, I legitimately DO NEED some!! We do a lot of camping and hiking and I, too, prefer to change out of my clothes from the day for resting or puttering around the house in the evening. And I only have ONE pair of sweats that aren’t full of holes and stains and such. I have ONE hoodie that is good quality and that I actually like. I, too, was kinda shook when I looked at my numbers and realized “Oh, DUH! There is a REASON why you practically drool every time you see someone wearing a really fantastic sweat pant and/or hoodie/sweatshirt.” Also, I have no robes. None. How did that happen? Hahaha. I love this approach to thinking about our wardrobe and figuring out what we ACTUALLY need in it. Thank you 😊❤
I got some nice Oakley and Under Armour clothing from our thrift stores. In summer, I mountain bike or play pickle ball every day, and I can’t wear the same clothes for lounging (too sweaty and gross). I need at least 7 outfits. And towels that can travel to the bike park.
At last someone on the internet speaking about fashion and style not in a cheap home-made influencer manner, but in a fantastic, rich, clever and professional way. Your vocabulary and professionalism is tremendous, Hannah, I am very happy to have found your videos.
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.
love the video! the only thing I feel you missed when talking about how much more often you need level 2 and 3 clothing than level 4 is that the higher the category the higher the attention to outfits (wearing the same outfit in a formal situation is uncommon whereas wearing the same two outfits to the gym for weeks is normal) so I do believe that the felt need for more level 4 clothing than level 2 and 3 makes sense and is reasonable :)
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!!
Going through this also! My comfort zone is business casual but my life running after toddlers and having long mornings and evenings tells me I need to head into a different direction😂
Oh wow. This was the content I didn’t know I needed. You have such a way of breaking down these things and making them approachable. Your fashion videos are just so helpful and give me those lightbulb moments all the time! Amazing!! Also-a deeply felt and sincere thank you for being so inclusive with the photos you use to illustrate your points. It made me tear up. Seeing different sizes, ages, gender expressions, and physical abilities represented when talking about fashion is important. People underestimate how impactful it is to feel included and a part of the conversation. 😊
I watched these two videos twice, went through the whole process, and was actually shocked to find that not only does my wardrobe match my lifestyle constraints, but in proportion to each level of formality and how often I wear it. I didn't really realize how often I actually wear each piece of my wardrobe, but it makes much more sense now
I love how you’ve analyzed this! I too have a similar problem where I buy too many level 4/5 and don’t acknowledge or realize my non insignificant need for level three clothes. I’m definitely shopping for polished casual lunch with friends and never acknowledging the fact that I spend most of my days cleaning my house and covered in cat hair.
This is so helpful. I am a fashionable 70 year old who retired last year and have been struggling with adjusting my wardrobe to my more casual lifestyle because I do like to dress up. I will definitely do this and get back to you about the results. Thanks so much.
I have NEVER left a comment on youtube in over 10 years but I just had to for this video. I have been working on my capsule wardrobe for a while but struggling to turn the general advice into a personalised plan that works for different my areas of my life. Your structured approach is honestly game-changing - THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! ☺
This is such a great way to view it! I live mostly in level 4.5 - as a freelance photographer who also gives tours and courses at a local contemporary art gallery, I get to dress however I want, and I love being fancy and well put together. I have always gravitated towards to dressy clothes, but used to think I had to "save" those pieces for occasions, but now I'm like "every day is an occasion to have fun with my appearance". I don't wear jeans or tshirts or sneakers, I don't feel at home in them. A cool thing about living my life at level four is that I don't need to change clothes from day to evening - most of my outfits are dinner plans appropriate, but also very comfortable to me, because I wear them day in day out. After living like this for a few years, I'm waaaay happier like this than in the jeans and hoodies I thought I had to wear daily.
As a middle-aged nurse who moved on from scrubs and now has to wear business casual, my level of comfort-dressy is Ina Garten. I have a variety of button down shirts and black pull-on pants. Makes getting dressed in the morning super simple, and I only struggle when I deviate from my "uniform." I have had to let go of my fantasy self, who clutters up my closet with "maybe someday I will have occasion to wear this," when my real self is a hermit.
Same here. I need to keep a few fantasy self pieces so that there's some hope, fun, and whimsy, but I seriously had to add a LOT of pieces that weren't scrubs. I don't have the energy or abilities I once did (I used to USE the fantasy clothes!) and now I just need to be comfortable and also not look like I'm in PJs.
It opens the door for allowing u the space and prioritization to buy "reality" clothes that are fun and cute when I know at least for me i was hesitant to spend on stuff that wasn't 'for' dressing up. Now for me there's time and space and mental power (and money) that going to go towards making the more casual stuff like sleepwear or loungewear fun.
Hannah, I would love it if you'd do a video on how to shop to find what you want. For someone who knows what she needs but doesn't...at all...enjoy the hunt, what I do is this: become aware of a need, look online at retailers I know of, not find anything, give up. Rinse, repeat! You never mention those well-known retailers. You have so much knowledge of what seems like unique, hidden gem kinds of resources. You are always mentioning brands I've never heard of. How did you find these designers and sources that so align with your style? I know you enjoy the hunt a lot more than I do, but maybe you could share a shopping-learning process? Or how an average shopper could find some less common places to shop?
Not Hannah but I have worked in retail fashion for a long time and part of my job was to be a buyer for my store. I know that where you live and also your body size or shape can be very important factors but I would 100% recommended looking into second hand to discover new brands and styles. Shopping in person would be ideal for you to get the best idea for the shapes and textures a brand has to offer but even online retailers can give you inspiration and ideas. Once you finds items you like, you can set up alerts on different sites for when they become available in your size or in the colour you want. I know it is a long process but so is building a wardrobe unless you live in a major capital and have access to unlimited funds.
Such a terrific video, thank you so much for putting it together. I am a(n almost) 60-year-old man who retired three years ago and moved from the USA to southern Spain. I finally have the time to think about a personal style and the clothes I wear and want to wear. I recently discovered this and your other videos and they are helping me immensely. ...even with super basic concepts like putting words to how I want to dress, I love “polished casual”. I also love that the way you present your ideas and concepts they can be applied to both women's and men's (and gender neutral) styles. ...and it is about style and not just fashion. Thank you again for your videos.
Yes, this. I like in jumpers, jeans and T-shirts. I can’t ever seem to elevate that look. No amount of tucking, accessories or footwear helps. So I assume it’s the cut, colour, fabric and style choices I’m making a long with my body shape that makes me look frumpy at 38 🤦♀️
@@sarahp3984 This is something I’ve also been struggling with. I like dressing up to a level 4, but I live in jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters. Something I’ve been trying lately is playing with layering. A collared shirt under my sweater elevates the sweater and jeans. A cardigan over a tank top and jeans with a pair of cute ankle boots was my go to look this past fall. A tank top under a sweater helped it lay right when tucking it into my skirt. This can also help you use your more spring/summer items in the winter. I have a cute romper that is sleeveless and calf length. I put a sweater under it and paired it with knee high socks. It was super cute and I wasn’t cold!
This sounds like old advice but you may want to check out your kibbe type or more straightforward often if youre a curvy woman who wears boxy unisex minimalist items we tend to associate w polished casual they may be making you feel frumpy because they dont flatter your shape
I find this really helpful. One thing about higher formality clothes, for me, is that I tend to not want to repeat them as much. Making me want more variety for 5's than I do for 1's. Also, living in Minnesota, we see extreme differences in how we spend time in summer versus winter. That's another thing to consider.
Yes! That's the case for me as well. That might also explain why she had fewer level 3 clothes than her usage suggested. Things we wear to knock around the house aren't really seen by others, so repetition isn't a consideration.
Agreed! I love the concept of the statistics and wonder if it could be taken a step further by applying some multipliers to represent the need for more variety in some levels than others. If one were using these numbers as guidelines to how many outfits to own, for example, then we might apply a multiplier of 0.5 or even 0.25 to the number of uses in a month to determine our needs for Level One pieces, assuming these are normally worn at home and alone. On the other end, Level 4/5 items (ie tango clothing) would need a 1.0 or 1.25 multiplier, assuming one would not want to repeat the tango outfit in the same month.
The inclusive models make me feel so warm n fuzzy! Clicking on any fashion video and seeing a fellow fat woman as an example is so uncommon and joyful.
I normally never post a comment but this has got to be the most insightful and helpful video I’ve seen in AGES! I transitioned from a full time working mom to a stay at home mom and I often look in my closet and “have nothing to wear”! I am going to do this today and see what conclusions I can draw. THANK YOU!!! ❤
This is random but I have a request for a video if you feel comfortable with this prompt: could you do a video on how your parents raised you in the sense of fostering your creativity and sense of self? I’m raising two girls and when you mentioned hanging out with your sister I realized how badly I want to get things “right” enough that they have a good relationship with each other, and think for themselves and move through the world creatively as you do. I know everyone is unique, but do you have any tips from your own liver experience that you would give to a parent looking for that kind of advice?
I saw this video when it came out and have had it in mind the last two months; just formally went through this exercise and it was actually quite revealing. I’m one of those people who always feels underdressed. I definitely default to level 1 or 2 for most situations, including for work, because it’s so comfortable and it’s most of my wardrobe. This exercise gave me some more acceptance for it being most of my wardrobe, as I do require level 1 formality 38x a month! But I also require level 4 formality 14x a month for days working in the office and social situations, however, I don’t have a single complete level 4 outfit that meets my practical constraints. This has given me a clear intention to seek more polished clothes!
What a fabulous explanation ❤❤❤I haven’t officially gone through the steps for my own lifestyle but I can say off the cuff that I work from home and typically spend the day in loungewear. However when I shop, I find myself desperately drawn to polished casual pieces. If I end up buying them, I rarely wear them. So the initial takeaway for my lifestyle is to invest in beautiful loungewear pieces, which I would never have thought of!!!! I always just thought that wearing old, ripped stained castoff clothes was the thing to do. But honestly it doesn’t make me feel my best, and if I end up needing to run out, I often have to change or feel slightly embarrassed that I’m in the clothes I’m in. EPIPHANY: buy nicer lounging pieces because that’s what I spend the vast majority of my time in. I might as well feel good!!!
This just blew my mind. I always felt like I had too much loungewear when it was all put away in my drawers, but I was wearing it all constantly (and wearing it out) and never felt like I had enough. Think I’m definitely going to arrange my drawers and wardrobe into the categories so it’s easier to pick out outfits that suit the occasions
I'll definitely need to formally go through this exercise because even just watching your breakdown made me realize that despite wanting to buy more loungewear and activewear, for some reason I feel bad about it because I think "well I'll just be shlepping around in it, it's not fancy enough to bring me joy" when in reality, I should just find more lounge/activewear that is as exciting as the casual/dressy things I don't wear nearly as often.
Thank you! It is the best video I know of on this topic. I often shop for clothes that satisfy my fantasies about my lifestyle, and after spending all the money and energy on finding and buying stuff I just put those beautiful and expensive clothes in my closet because I have no weddings, cruises and business meetings coming up. My lifestyle is very basic; sleep, lounge/sport/work, work/grocery shopping, going for a nature walk/beach on the weekends. The contents of my closet do not support my lifestyle at all. I am unhappy with how I dress daily, because all I wear are plain grey t-shirts and something like sleep-sport-bike-winter underwear shorts, replacing this with sweatpants and a hoodie during the winter. Everything is grey and black ;( I was going to write a short comment… it turns out I am writing a “poor me” essay 😂. Thank you again. I am going back to finding “MY” style.
Gosh this makes so much sense, and now I understand why I struggle so much with feeling like I have nothing to wear in daily life. I very much tend toward buying polished and fancy clothing and aspire to dress that way...but the truth is, I'm a stay at home mom of two littles under 5 and I need clothes that I feel comfortable in, can get up and down off the floor easily, aren't too difficult to clean, and just don't require much fuss in the maintenance department. This is pushing me to think about where I can indulge that desire to be polished and fancy (makeup/headbands/jewelry/etc) while keeping the actual clothes on my body practical for my real life. Thank you!!!!
level 0 formality: clothes that are worn in the workshop, gardening, for fixing the car, painting, maybe heavy cleaning. Old, maybe ripped shirts, and pants (can go from jeans to leggings), and shoes you won't be sorry to throw out.
I feel like my lifestyle shifted so drastically in a couple years that my brain didn’t get the memo. I have so many cute tops and skirts and no where to wear them anymore as a SAH mom + ceramicist, who also lifts weights 3 days a week. I’ve been working on shifting my wardrobe to clothes that can get dirty but still make me feel feminine and put together and this video has helped tremendously! Thank you Hannah, you gem, reading our collective minds before we even know what’s up. ❤
Same here! The pandemic dovetailed with four years as a full time elder caregiver for my folks, and a career change to a surprisingly more casual environment (I had no idea how "down" museum personnel dress, outside the fancy museums ofc). Work fashion has also changed dramatically where I live, and I've been struggling to find the right kind of polished casual (10 yrs ago I wore trousers & power dresses, now jeans are considered appropriate 90% of the time). I was listening to this earlier while getting dressed & realized I've discovered an outfit formula that I feel incredible in, but it's more casual than I'm used to, so I end up putting the outfit back. I wore the look to work today (the midi sheath skirt silhouette from the 1950s paired with sneakers or lace up unisex shoes), and every time I moved around, I felt so confident and ME. I still feel weird wearing things like a skirt with sneakers lol, but also just feel so great whenever I do. I do get compliments from younger ppl at work tho, it's really helped me start to adjust my mind and realize that casual shoes and skirts aren't necessarily frumpy or tacky. The men and snooty women in the 80s and 90s were always complaining about us who wore skirt suits w/ running shoes on public transit, saying we looked gross and slovenly, and it stuck with me more than I realized
PS I have found farm supply and outdoor gear stores have some really nice looking, affordable, functional clothes that might fit your lifestyle. I recently got some really cute olive green utility pants that look sleek & polished, but also have plenty of non-poufy pockets that actually hold things securely. The range of motion in these type of pants is insane, they clean like a dream, and look fantastic with moto (or other flat, ass-kicking type) boots if you like that look. They are much more trouser-like than utility pants of yore lol...
“Feminine but can get dirty” is this toddler mom’s most essential shopping parameter! I realized several months after my son was born why I was feeling so down about myself and it was that I prefer a level 4 or 3 formality, but was finding myself dressing in level 1-2 clothes most of the time for practicality’s sake. I try to make an effort every day to curate an outfit that makes me feel self-confident, but a lot of the time it doesn’t happen because life demands yard work or trips to the park or cleaning the house. This video made me realize how having good quality, beautiful level 1 and 2 pieces is more important for my lifestyle than I previously thought.
@@agentcallisto Same here! (don't have a kid but the same dressing down applied to me during the protests, WFH & then a global pandemic, lol)... I've found that the most important things for me to feel feminine whilst still being practical are: ~ A) a cohesive colour scheme (no more throwing black on with anything), & ~ B) cohesive third pieces (doesn't have to be traditional accessories if your toddler is the grabby kind, lol). E.g. I bought myself a couple of robes/ toppers (like Hannah mentioned) in colours/ prints that easily mix & match with my lounging clothes (that's olive/ ecru/ chocolate + teal/ plum/ orange for me), to nudge them into unpolished casualwear territory. I also have some (machine washable!) silk scarves & lightweight toppers (e.g. cropped cardigans & open weave jumpers) in these colours, so that I can throw those on top *instead* if I need to elevate my loungewear to polished casual in a hurry. One of the biggest investments I made after that was a waterproof work-appropriate watch & matching durable jewellery that looks a little more dressy (like acetate tortoiseshell studs or a wooden laser cut necklace, instead of clanky big plastic beads/ slabs in loud colours). Now I can just add one of these on top of my existing outfit & instantly look like I'm 'going somewhere' (or just for a Zoom call, lol ...) The game changer for me has been slipshorts underneath skirts/ dresses OR bandalettes with skimpier underwear (to avoid chub rub whilst still not overheating). For someone in a cooler climate though, I'm sure you could use socks, coats & blanket scarves instead of my lighterweight items. Hope at least some of those suggestions help you 😃
@@JBUHJBUH Wow, these are fantastic tips! Without having a clear overall plan, I’ve been working for a year or two to get a cohesive color scheme together. It’s quite a work in progress because my personal taste has changed in recent years. I’m getting closer to where I want to be there, so first step is almost taken care of. I can definitely use your suggestions to come up with more of a plan for the rest of it! Thank you so much!
okay, this video was SO helpful. I’m super organized and tend to categorize and curate everything in my life, and never considered approaching my wardrobe like this. I love that you included a category that was specific to you (tango) because I have some pretty unique categories in my life (cosplay, bowhunting, burlesque) and this method is going to revolutionize how I acquire new pieces and make sure I have day-to-day clothes that suit what I’m actually doing.
Hannah, this is the video I didn’t know I needed! The way you broke down the levels of fashion and how often we wear them was brilliant. This helps me to access the appropriate proportions I need in my own wardrobe.
This is an awesome system! It's really helpful for those of us in our mid-late twenties or early 30s making that transition from young person clothing (extended adolescence type stuff) to like, professional adult clothing. Most fast fashion right now is in the level 3 category, maybe 3.5, (like clubwear or party/weekend wear) but we may not need it as much as we are led to beieve, because they are so situation specific.
Absolutely ADORE your content, Hannah. An idea, if I may? Would you recreate this video after your wee bean is born and you’ve had a few months (or more, lol), to reflect on how being a mum has or hasn’t changed any of the aspects of your own wardrobe that you have discussed here? I have really struggled with my sense of style since becoming a relatively new mum and it would be so helpful to see how others process the sartorial changes in their lives once they become parents. Cheers!
YES, having a baby really is such a break - not only regarding your style and the situations you experience, but also with your body changing as it does... My kid is two now and e.g. I have forgone most dressy shoes. I just don't wear them, as I pick my kid up directly after work, and we might just stop by the playground etc... ah, and my outerwear definitely changed - getting a waterproof coat that is long enough to sit on at the playground was a priority this winter ;) I think, for most people having kids means that their style will change more towards the comfortably and workable, so incorporate more of level 2 and 3 clothes... (and lots of level 1 at the beginning; ) )
This video had a deep impact on my life! I realized a) I spend a lot of time in my pyjamas and lounge wear as well. So I invested in two robes, one out of very lightweight cotton for summer and one out of heavy waffle pique for winter. I wear one of them daily! b) I had NOTHING office appropriate and felt out of place, like an imposter. Now I bought a number of items that are my style, fit my personal constraints and make me feel so great and empowered. These thoughtful purchases filled holes in my wardrobe that I didn't realise existed. Now my wardrobe feels more complete and I don't have the urge to buy and buy. Thank you for sharing your thought processes with us.
This is SO interesting. Made me realize that I think of myself as someone who dresses casually, but it's actually more often formal casual (even for errands, just like you) than I thought.
Great. I am newly retired. Having worked with children and spent a lot of my time on the flor and with paint, glue and so on. I dressed very low casual. But now I need to dress differently . You gave me really useful advice to build a new warddrobe. Thank you.
Love this so much! This method is pretty much exactly what Daria Andronescu teaches in her Wonder Wardrobe course, and it’s seriously such a game changer. I feel like this kind of wardrobe math is what really fights that “I have nothing to wear” feeling that we get, even when we have a wardrobe stuffed to the gills. Loving all of your fashion content these days!
Oh wow! Excellent. I’m recently retired and hang around the house a lot. Lots of Level Four. Almost zero loungewear. I’m definitely doing this exercise. I also appreciate that you didn’t do a huge build-up with music and intro graphics. You just started right in. Thank you.
This was honestly sooo helpful. I’ve always been someone who always love to dress up for every situation, and this video made me understand that it’s fine if my level 3 or 4 is a little but dressier. Watching this videos as well as the one about finding your personal style, helped me realize why I don’t wear some of my clothing , and now o know how to fix the issue, and work towards a wardrobe that feels less overwhelming and not me. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the first time “ how to find you style” or “why you don’t like your wardrobe videos actually help me, and motivate me to take real action.
counterpoint to your fashion math: just because you wear level 1, 2, 3 clothing more often doesn't really mean that you need more of it. I work from home and so the majority of time, I'm wearing level1 clothing. However, I wear the same three sets of pajamas day in and day out. Also, it's more socially acceptable to outfit repeat on lower levels of clothing, so that's why most of my time shopping is still invested in level 4 clothing.
There are soooo many dresses, etc. I see while shopping that I absolutely love but are meant for a formal(royal!) life that I don't actually live, and never will. And since partially retiring, the great work clothes that I gravitated to for decades are no longer needed. Now I need clothes for Mass, running errands, walking, lunches, game days, and this is a wonderful way to analyze what I need v. have. Thank you!
You tend to pay a lot of attention to things that some people find trivial but in fact have a huge affect on my mood and are fun to dig into. Thanks!! an over arching theme that beautiful things matter and adorning ourselves is almost a magical ritual♥️
Great way of looking at our clothing needs. Never thought of looking at it like this so I never have the right things to wear because I'm in the house or cafes most of the time so don't think of dressy stuff until I get an invite then I panic😊
Something I have realized about these videos is that they have reminded me how much time and work finding a personal style can entail. And that I and all of us are worth that time and work. Myself and anyone reading this comment is worth spending this time and work on. So often, especially as women, but in general we spend so much time and work on others we forget that we deserve our time and work too. So thank you for reminding us that we deserve the work on ourselves. ❤❤
I agree with this, and I also feel like sometimes we are shamed for doing the work because some people consider it frivolous, but we are also shamed if we don't do it. And lots of people who DO do it make it look effortless (especially on social media) even though it's not effortless at all. Lots to think about!
The look like your going to work all the time even though your going to dinner or meet friends is the story of my life😂. Thank you for your systematic step by step guide❤
I did it! And no wonder I "have nothing to wear!" I have a closet full of dressy items with a super casual lifestyle now...and my casual clothes are 'hand-me-downs' from my dressy ones and don't really fit the criteria. Thank you for this 'magical math formula Hannah! It seems so simple or logical now that you've presented it, and I was completely blind to it. Now I must learn to dress/shop casually with intention!🤓
I'm going to have to do this! I am in my 40's now, also lost weight and recently changed careers. I am loving my life but I keep looking in my closet, thinking huh, who am I at this stage of my life and what do I need. Thanks for making this video ❤ it will be a super fun way to get to know myself again 😊
Love this! I felt so so much better then I turned “being around the house,” “running errands” and even light exercise like “errand bicycling” into polished casual activities. Especially since I found out how to wear more formal clothes that also were more comfortable than jeans.
Thank you SO much! This completely explains why neither my formerly pretty minimalist wardrobe nor the casual “mom-style” works for me. Having two kids, working part-time with various obligations I didn’t have before definitely requires more thought about how to structure my wardrobe.
This is literally the exact concept that I have been struggling with! I am often changing and reorganizing my Pinterest boards but I’m unable to really clearly delineate what the differences are between them. And I just haven’t quite defined some of my “levels”. Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this so well!
Yes, this was an a-ha moment for me too. My prepandemic wardrobe was polished casual work clothes and Pajamas so I would shop and eat out in variations of work outfits 😮 I have shifted since then after consuming other content but this really hit the nail on the head. It took a while for me to establish a sense of what my leisure style is - working from home and the choices available helped with that.
Through this I quickly found out that I'm either loungewear/pjs or dressy casual there's no in between. It makes sense considering the fact that once I got out of food service I took every opportunity I could to dress up. But unfortunately most of my closed are still in that unpolished casual stage. Not comfortable enough to sit around in at home, but also not nice enough for work or other situations. But this is helpful! I'm glad I found this video.
this was so much fun! As usual, love your diversity of models! And love the levels of formality, it just makes so much sense. As someone who's day job for the last 12 years has been work from home, 95% of the time off camera, I live in lounge and activewear. My 'dressy' would be someone else's polished casual. But as so many of us have found in work from home, you gotta get out of the sleeping clothes and into some semblance of clean undergarments and non-sleep clothing, or else the whole day feels off....
I rarely comment on videos but I felt compelled to say THANK YOU! This was sooo illuminating. I feel like I gravitate towards buying Level 4 and 5 clothing, but honestly my lifestyle is more of a Level 1-3 lifestyle, which means that I have a ton of old, torn sweats that I wear (embarassingly) often and a wardrobe of fancy clothes that just sit in my closet. I'm trying to build a wardrobe I actually wear so this is such helpful information.
This is such a great video, Hannah. I think that a really great, functional, complete wardrobe is something that falls under that category of things that people think somehow just come together effortlessly. But, in actuality, breaking it down into this almost scientific analysis is what it can take to have this concise and pleasing of a wardrobe. Some people have lots of style intuition, lots of disposable income, or are surrounded by fashionable people or places that can help a wardrobe come together more effortlessly, but for those who don't, this can help them feel less like they just somehow can't do it at all just because it doesn't come so easily to them.
Like you, I am drawn to Level 4 but was shocked at my own statistics of Level 2 "need". I work from home and have always shied away from casual/lounge clothes but this was a great and easy exercise to see what I actually could benefit from investing in! Love your videos! Thank you
This was life changing experience. It’s been a month since I reorganized my clothes and wardrobe according to 5 levels from this video. That was the best thing that I have ever done! I learned where are the gaps in my wardrobe and what level I wear the most. I realised I should invest in Level 1, and I was very intentional when I bought 2 pairs of new pajamas of the highest quality. Silky cotton, timeless design. I dress so much quicker and more put together nowadays 🎉 Thank you again for this fantastic advice.
I bought some 32 degrees knit dresses. They are solid colors, and I wear them as nightgowns. They are much dressier than print nightgowns, and feel like I’m dressed if someone comes to the door. And, since they don’t have lace or buttons, they are supper comfortable.
Thank you for breaking this down so well, Hannah. It got me thinking about... If I had clothes in my wardrobe that would lend themselves to certain activities and motivate me to enjoy those activities more (for instance, a few tennis dresses) how would that positively influence my choices and my life? I daresay, I also wonder to what extent social engineering and propaganda influence my clothing “needs” that subsequently influence my behavior and choices? For instance, during “lockdown” we were bombarded with “buy comfy leisurewear” messaging instead of suggestions to buy durable denim clothing for public protests against medical tyranny. The comfy clothing is much more conducive to complacency as our constitutionally protected freedoms are being trampled on. How are we influenced in ways that don’t serve us? I am happy to hear you are out dancing again. 😊💕
It's such a pleasure to have you give us a NEW perspective on wardrobe planning. Your method is so logical, clearly explained and very honest. Thank you.
I am hooked by this process. For me I would need a category for gardening and messy outdoor work. That is the equivalent of ragbag, level zero, for me, though I would place some of the type of clothes you mentioned for level 3 like faded tshirts in there. I cant wait to do this process for myself. Edit. I semi did this without understanding it at anintellectual level when I realized I had great clothes for work but nothing that looked good for casual and have spent the last few years building in that area. But I still end up with too much in the " polished " zone.
This is by far the most helpful video when it comes to refreshing my style and wardrobe. Instead of buying new clothes, I was able to categorize what I already had. I put together outfits in those categories that I had never even considered before. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Oh my god… I was literally trying to look up this exact topic on TH-cam the other day and couldn’t find a good video for it and then lo and behold… you posted this! It’s a perfect breakdown of a simple but comprehensive exercise. I have been trying to articulate my disorganized thoughts around this and you made it so clear - thank you for making this video!
This video helped me reconcile two of my aesthetic pursuits, the historic everyday and the goth. I was feeling rather nervous about trying to cultivate what felt like two different wardrobes (18th c inspired apron skirts, shifts and blouses vs. goth skirts with slits, cropped t shirts and baggy black pants), but now it makes sense that I see myself using the historic everyday AS my everyday outfits (I think more in line with your levels two or three) and the goth outfits as my casual wear to meet friends and go to nice places. Thanks so much for sharing!
Great points. I sort of did the process with you and realized that lounge wear constitutes a large part of my wardrobe needs as i work from home yet I have a closet full of office wear.
Such an interesting new mental tool, Hannah! So these are my thoughts from spending some time with it thinking about clothes as a person with a very small closet: A. Activewear is just not on this scale for me: I have 1 full set of training clothes that I wear only when I'm actually exercising. B. I'm feeling my best self at lvl 4 and I almost always purchase items for that level when I do purchase things. C. The pieces of clothing in my lvl 3 & 1 categories are clothes originally purchased for lvl 4 but have slipped down the levels as they get worn in. D. I hate with a passion getting dressed for lvl 5 and I have almost no piece of clothing decidedly at this lvl. Why is that? 2 reasons come to mind: 1. The clothes designed & produced for that lvl are performing very badly on the scales of practicality (ironing, hand washing, etc.) and of comfort and these scales matter a lot for me. 2. And maybe more interestingly of all: I feel like lvl 5 clothes have the largest degree of gender performativity imbedded in their design and so most clothes of that lvl (that are designed for my body & size) make me feel a lot of uncomfortable feelings. My action list: I. I spend a very respectable amount of time in lvl1 clothes, maybe I should allocate a bit of my budget to make me feel a bit better when I'm wearing them. II. Start giving some thought about what a lvl5 outfit that I feel great in would look like and feel like on my body.
Hallelujah for the point raised re: formalwear and “dressy” wear and gender performativity! Recently out non-binary person here, feeling much the same. But I love Hannah for frequently including a gender-nonconforming model - and for having included them in this video as the front-and-center example of dressy wear! And they were CRUSHING IT! Cis or trans, formalwear tends to polarize our gender expression. Some people are made for that; they absolutely LIVE for it. And then there’s the rest of us, who struggle with it sometimes. ♥️ thank you for being yourself and being aware of implicit gender roles in certain clothing - we all can feel pressured by gender norms at times, even if we’re cisgender. Cheers!
I love the way you think and present your thoughts in an orderly and cohesive manner that makes it less intimidating for the viewer. As someone just out of a long period of medical struggles and the resulting mental issues, I have no idea what my style even is. I am recently retired, and have lost weight and have a month of rides on my Peloton, but my older body no longer maintains the exact proportions it once did. So, I need to plan out what I need or I am going to end up purchasing things haphazardly and end up with massive holes in my wardrobe. Thanks so much for all your food for thought, it is appreciated in the extreme over here in the Hudson Valley, NY.
You raise the bar for defining "content creator" and it regularly affects my life in beautiful new ways. Thank you for leaning into your interests and sharing your perspective with the world! 💓
So helpful! When I'm planning my dream capsule wardrobe on pinterest it is almost always at a level 4 or 5. But in reality... after doing this exercise I usually am living in a level 3 world. 😵💫🤯😪 now I need to search for cuter clothes to muck up with paint & dirt & cleaning sprays. I am way out of balance with what I thought I needed in clothes!
That’s such an awesome way of quantifying it- I feel like I keep trying to clean out my closet but then getting caught in a tangle of “okay so yes I haven’t worn this for years but I NEED it” and not even knowing why/how. Great advice!
I’d be so interested for you to do a video about outerwear. And how this concept applies to outerwear wear but also temperature appropriate amounts of clothing.
This is amazing! I am a teacher and wear polished casual for work. Like you, I enjoy wearing polished casual for most of my errands out of the house. But I am also very conservative in my dress for work, to a level I don't need in the rest of my life. I'm so glad your categories helped me think this through, because maybe I need "polished casual - work conservative" and "polished casual - comfy sexy" categories, so that I don't feel like the buttoned up requirements of my job overflow into my personal life. Some of this comes down to styling (just button up more of the buttons) but other times I will skip an item of clothing entirely if it doesn't work for work (usually it's that neckline!). This is giving me permission to make room for outfits that don't "work for work." Thank you thank you!!
This is one of the best - and most useful - videos on building a wardrobe I have ever seen. You obviously both have the experience, knowledge, birds eye view and communicative skills to make it. Thank you for sharing and making it!
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“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
❤❤❤
My mum used to make my brother and I clothes when we were young (90s) as it could either save money, or you could end up with much nicer things for the same money. The cost of non-wholesale fabric, thread, zips, patterns etc has gone up so much in Australia that unless you can get very lucky at a discount fabric shop (mostly only available in big cities) it becomes very expensive to sew, let alone the time costs. I enjoy sewing but (particularly as a non-expert) it is generally impractical compared to occasional careful new acquisitions and second hand clothing.
Thank you for the long version, my mom (82) always wants to know why I don't sew after 10 years of lessons in my youth. I actually hate it and am terrible, but you've provided a better answer lol! My mom is verrrrrrrry frugal, so she'll understand that part. I'm so bad at sewing, it's a huge waste of money for me to even buy the fabric...even cheaply made clothes are far, far better constructed than my home sewing skills allow. Unless gaping, puckered seams are hot for summer?
Did you just give me permission to stop thinking I'll sew my own clothing?!? I've always altered secondhand items to make them my own but some part of me holds on to the fantasy that I'll pick up a pattern and make myself something from scratch. There are so many garments floating around already, the relative cost to make a new one just can't compare. Not to mention the time and effort to learn those new skills... time to give away the sewing machine and fabric hoard? Something to think about at least.
Hannah, I appreciate your thorough and informative answer. I recently saw a TH-cam vlog on another channel about how people should make their own clothes in their leisure time to be truly sustainable, and I actually disagree. It requires real skill, resources and time to make clothes, as you so clearly explain. It's fine for people who want to make their own clothes to do so. For the rest of us, wouldn't it be better to pay garment workers a living wage (at least) and ensure safe and dignified working conditions?
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
In addition, I find that I mostly feel like shopping right after my period and then I end up with too much level 4 clothes, because it's what I feel like wearing when I'm ovulating. Forgetting that I need that level 3 and below for the rest of my cycle :D Shopping with your period cycle in mind should be a video in itself :)
Tbh, I have never had kids but I have a couple of pregnancy pants to wear in my period
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! 🙏❤️
I was just about to say the same thing about the dressy woman in a wheelchair and the masc person in femme clothes!
I noticed that too and loved it!
I was about to comment on the same thing! I noticed it too and it's sooo good!
As a cat, I also appreciated the inclusion of one of my cousin felines in his classy olive green level 4 sweater.
I came here to say that too! Wonderful examples!
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.
What heels do you gravitate towards?
It’s giving Gloria from Modern Family
I so appreciate hearing this! I live a level 2-3 lifestyle (stay at home mom), but I feel so unlike myself (and sort of down in the dumps) if I dress down too often. I've wound up trying to find ways of making dressy casual work for daily life. The other day a fellow toddler mom asked me if I was going to work after kid activities because I was wearing a blazer over my leggings... I decided to just be okay with that because that type of outfit feels more "me" than being a 100% leggings and sweatshirt kinda gal.
I resonated with this so much! I homeschool my kids during the day but I work in a warehouse a few nights a week so technically speaking I would only need up to a level 3 since I’m home or just running errands for the most part, but I don’t like wearing jeans or athleisure in my daily life. I love fashion and being put together and polished , so almost all of my wardrobe is level 5. Yes, I get some strange looks while I’m playing with my kids on the playground in my dresses, skirts and heels, but that’s my level of comfortable. I would feel out of my element going into target in level 2 attire. lol
This is how it should be. Maybe you should start some videos on how to do this. I never had a mother at home, thank you feminism, so she never taught me anything. People always used to just dress nice all the time. I've been teaching this to my soon to be fifteen year old and he dresses very well and all from a thrift store. He gets all the expensive clothes that most kids don't want to wear, so they're basically all brand new. I think for like 95% of people they act rich with their more, buying tons of clothes. But, most people don't actually wear well made, nice clothes. Most wear fast fashion, trendy, cheap clothes, they toss after wearing them 20-30 times.
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! 😆
I love this!
Amen!! ❤ Was just having these thoughts as well while watching the vid. I do a lot of renovating our home, and end up turning more lounge-y clothes inside out if I'm painting, for example - but it's so nice to still feel cute (and yes I will still put on eye makeup & plenty of vibrant lipstick while on the 'job'), and therefore to just have a section of wardrobe dedicated to the 'dirty deeds' as you so aptly called them! This also includes a fun apron, of which I have many, both for dirty deeds as well as for cooking! 😁🥰
@@Robutnikon I need aprons!! I think they would be game changers.
@@rebeccajordan4491 Yes! Aprons are grand. They really feel like a uniform to me - in the best way. After a decade in art school they are a quintessential tool in any medium! I even get a little dopamine rush when I'm putting one on - knowing I'm about to do something fun 😁🌟✌🏻
Same here…I paint and garden everyday, and have cute outfits for that. Earth colored linen, especially with rougher textures work for me…vests,dresses, flowy pants in cuts that allow free movement are very comfy, and stains either don’t show, actually add the character of the fabric.
One thing I would recommend which no one thinks about until they need it is buy a cute tote and fill it with new and comfy pajamas or leisure, socks, underwear, lotion, dry shampoo, make up, hair ties, toothpaste and toothbrush, mouthwash, hand sanitizer and snacks. This is good if you ever have to take yourself to the hospital or someone else does. It’s a way to take home with you in an uncomfortable environment. ❤
That is a great idea and if its not too insensitive ro say, as we get older. My Mother went into hospital suddenly, and sent me all ober the city looking for her specific nightwear preferences. On top of worrying about her health it was exhausting.
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.
i had the same exact thoughts! and really brought my attention to why capsule wardrobes didn’t make much sense to me. but that system plus this could work pretty well!
I had the same thought!
Came here to say this exact thing!
What is a capsule wardrobe?
Can't someone make it into an app, please? Like, we would take pictures of our clothes and classify them by formality level and when we need outfits for an event, the app would give us inspiration according to the level of formality of the event!
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!
This comment also made me realize my account got hacked because what is this username 🤦🏻♀️ what a day of realizations
Ditto. Lol
I do this too! I feel so much more organized after watching this 😂
Me too!
@@ClodofEarth😮 I hope you checked up on your other account if they have the same/similar passwords
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. ✨
Well said
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
I was JUST going to comment the same thing! A new co-worker asked me yesterday „wow, do you always go to work so fancy?“ and I was a bit confused, then thought about it for a second and - I guess I do 🤷🏼♀️😄
Sameee 😭 I’m a stay at home mom but I like wearing dresses/skirts/jumpsuits. I just feel more put together. But I’ve had some comments that make me feel overdressed. I guess because most people around me wear T-shirt and leggings
I feel in the middle ground: I dislike formal wear, specially business attire and blazers, but I don't feel confortable in leggins and sweaters for more than loungewear. My Happy medium is made of jeans, cute dressess, comfy trousers, blouses without collars, nice tops, and lots and Lots of knitted clothes (I just LOVE them). After I realized how it made me unhappy dressing up for work I took the time to really figure iut what I wanted to do with my Life, quitted my job and started a new Carrer. So clothes and lifestyle really matter.
I've become a teacher, if tour were wondering
I once showed up for an [oilfield] company conference in KL in my normal simple business dress. The next day, all the junior controllers and accounting managers showed up looking sharp and beaming! Someone commented on my dresses, to which I replied, "What's more comfortable than this?"
So happy to hear from another person who favors a little formality. After retiring I felt lost not dressing for work and adopted "elevated everyday" as a personal style adjective. While more casual than work life, it seems to fit me better than a typical "retiree" wardrobe. Love Hannah's guidance to help people follow their personal style and the approach to finding that style.
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.
I wanted to give you a shout out for this as well, Hannah!
And the inclusivity of various ages too
My gosh, yes. I came for a fun fashion watch and I ended up with Feelings??? Wow
same
Yes!!
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!
now is the time to use all the space you've got for you! enjoy it
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. 😀
wow, amazing angle and so true. This really dovetails with the fantasy self stuff.
Haha so true. I have a huge amount of summer clothes although most of the year its pretty cold where I live. I guess I tried to make summer approach faster by buying the clothes 😅
Very true for me as well. I have WAY too much level 5 clothing when I spend most of my days in level 3/4. I am a magpie for silk tops and dresses when my reality is I’m the mum of an 18-month-old and I spend most of my days on the floor. I am going to crunch my numbers as well and report back. I also have been trying to break out of my comfort zone with my every day clothes and trying not to treat some items as “too precious” to wear when I’m caring for my daughter. On Monday I wore a checkered blazer that has a vintage 90s vibe over my tee and jeans and felt amazing, even though I spent the day at home with my wee’an and going to Target! :)
@@Ophelia441 😊Encourage you to keep experimenting with your wardrobe. Maybe avoid wearing anything too precious when finger painting 🎨, rolling around the floor, or other messy activities with 🤍daughter.
Instead flirt with your level of formality when heading out to run errands, visit the library, go to a museum, walk at the park, tea party, whatever. Your adding a much loved blazer to such a casual, simple tee & jean could instantly add a 🧂 dash of glamour to the everyday.
You're deciding you're worth it. So play with your finery. See if there's a realistic way to enjoy these pieces today rather than saving for your fantasy life. Even a small addition will put a spring in your step. 👀Others will take notice of your delight too.
Am a person who doesn't wear jeans, but will wear ✂️ cut-offs to hike or do my household chores. 😬While comfy, I know this garment doesn't put me at my personal best. Last week, I tried out some neglected dresses & a skirt sitting in my closet in a new manner that brought unexpected compliments😮.
Tested out: (1) a bold floral tea length cotton skirt w/a solid tank top, matching sneakers, & a contrasting sweater from print over my shoulders as a scarf. Also (2) a body-con black tee & bike shorts under a short med. blue linen jumper dress that I unbuttoned from the bottom to the empire waist. It showed only a glimpse of slimmer legs & proportions below. Lastly, (3) belted a fuscia t-shirt dress (to remove some of the volume & length) over gray bike shorts & matching sneakers.🧢Added a coordinating cap too in each look as 🌞sun protection. In every outfit, I felt comfy, casual, yet wholly feminine🎉.
🤫 The late 👑Queen Elizabeth's "at home" attire is giving me 🪄 inspo. Although she too had actual utility fabrics & wellies for mucking about the horses or dogs in inclement weather🌧. She also wore darling earthy toned tartan skirts, cashmere twinsets, & ordinary oxfords for pulling her grandkids about on the ponies or walking the grounds.
As someone who prefers skirts〰️ but not heels or silk〰️I admired how ⚜️Her Majesty wore feminine & formal silhouettes in a wholly unfussy manner to do her ordinary everyday casual country pursuits.
🤔I have perfect plaid & pencil skirts that deserve airing. Decided I'm going to adopt more of her ✨️ regal style for myself. Just need a touch of edge or rebellion to keep me being too precious or from 🤶frumpy town.
💚Bridget from Cali☘️
(using my pal's YT acct)
The thing is pjs you can rewear a bunch so you also don’t need as many. So I would half that number or even third it haha
Can i just take a moment to appreciate the diversity of the models for your examples? So effortlessly inclusive. 🎉
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!
Yep
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!
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.
Bingo! Shopping for my Fantasy Self, as well…. especially with makeup, shoes and jewelry 🤑, but my Real Self is binging TH-cam, Netflix, etc. and walking the pups!
Learning=Winning!!
Oh, yeah 😅 or sometimes you just exaggerate a certain part of your life. For example, as a social dancer, just like the author of the video, I know way too well that many dancers are guilty of having 90% of their wardrobe for dance events and only 10% for "real life" 😂 like, who needs comfortable pants for errands when you can buy one more sequin dress.
Second time watching this video and I still think "How so helpful this is!"
Fashion is usually aspirational but this makes it very real, without taking away the glamorous vibe that draws me to following it.
That's a gift you have. Practical doesn't have to equal unglamourous and boring
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.
It's worth to note that most of the time during history women had outfit expeditions for a lot of occasions, and if you dive into 18th century for example or even to the 50s and 60s you would see how much of a woman's life is devoted to fashion and changing clothes to match the occasion, especially if she is in upper echelons of society.
Society as well had more defined dress codes. If you travel to less developed countries or especially countries with different structures that don't have late capitalism and insane consumerism, where symbolism bears a great role you can still observe this.
This is why when foreign students arrive in the US, one of the first cultural shocks (yes, they even learn for this prior going to the US) is seeing stained and greasy-haired college students attending university (a renowned institution) in pajamas, ripped t-shirts and flip-flops, yet over-consuming so much just to rarely use it, unless it's filled with sugar. 😅
I've never been big into fashion because I don't find it very intuitive, but the way you approach fashion in a way that breaks it down is so helpful to me!! I've been thoroughly enjoying your fashion content
So sensible! And no shaming of loungewear works for me! I’m in my “pjs” until 2 in the afternoon. I’ve GOT to be able to answer the door in them, so they all look more or less like level 2 but I can sleep in them. Many thanks for this.
Just discovered this video. Same here! PJs = loungewear = household chores and pottering. Sometimes its a rush to throw a bra on to answer the door though 😂
You have no idea how happy you’ve made me. You’ve just helped me realize there is a REASON why I am always looking for the perfect hoodie and track pants. I have been that person who just transfers worn out, stained clothes into my “lounging around the house” part of my wardrobe because it seems to me like a waste of money to spend on really good quality options when I don’t “need” them, but, I legitimately DO NEED some!! We do a lot of camping and hiking and I, too, prefer to change out of my clothes from the day for resting or puttering around the house in the evening. And I only have ONE pair of sweats that aren’t full of holes and stains and such. I have ONE hoodie that is good quality and that I actually like. I, too, was kinda shook when I looked at my numbers and realized “Oh, DUH! There is a REASON why you practically drool every time you see someone wearing a really fantastic sweat pant and/or hoodie/sweatshirt.” Also, I have no robes. None. How did that happen? Hahaha. I love this approach to thinking about our wardrobe and figuring out what we ACTUALLY need in it. Thank you 😊❤
I got some nice Oakley and Under Armour clothing from our thrift stores. In summer, I mountain bike or play pickle ball every day, and I can’t wear the same clothes for lounging (too sweaty and gross). I need at least 7 outfits. And towels that can travel to the bike park.
At last someone on the internet speaking about fashion and style not in a cheap home-made influencer manner, but in a fantastic, rich, clever and professional way. Your vocabulary and professionalism is tremendous, Hannah, I am very happy to have found your videos.
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.
love the video! the only thing I feel you missed when talking about how much more often you need level 2 and 3 clothing than level 4 is that the higher the category the higher the attention to outfits (wearing the same outfit in a formal situation is uncommon whereas wearing the same two outfits to the gym for weeks is normal) so I do believe that the felt need for more level 4 clothing than level 2 and 3 makes sense and is reasonable :)
Thank you for showing a diversity of body shapes/sizes, gender expressions, ethnicities, and abilities in your visual examples!
Where is this video??
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!!
Going through this also! My comfort zone is business casual but my life running after toddlers and having long mornings and evenings tells me I need to head into a different direction😂
So true, and relatable!
And on top of all that, I still love to get dressed up once in a while!
Oh wow. This was the content I didn’t know I needed. You have such a way of breaking down these things and making them approachable. Your fashion videos are just so helpful and give me those lightbulb moments all the time! Amazing!!
Also-a deeply felt and sincere thank you for being so inclusive with the photos you use to illustrate your points. It made me tear up. Seeing different sizes, ages, gender expressions, and physical abilities represented when talking about fashion is important. People underestimate how impactful it is to feel included and a part of the conversation. 😊
I watched these two videos twice, went through the whole process, and was actually shocked to find that not only does my wardrobe match my lifestyle constraints, but in proportion to each level of formality and how often I wear it. I didn't really realize how often I actually wear each piece of my wardrobe, but it makes much more sense now
I love how you’ve analyzed this! I too have a similar problem where I buy too many level 4/5 and don’t acknowledge or realize my non insignificant need for level three clothes. I’m definitely shopping for polished casual lunch with friends and never acknowledging the fact that I spend most of my days cleaning my house and covered in cat hair.
😂😂😂
Yep. Nailed my wardrobe expectations & lifestyle here!
This is so helpful. I am a fashionable 70 year old who retired last year and have been struggling with adjusting my wardrobe to my more casual lifestyle because I do like to dress up. I will definitely do this and get back to you about the results. Thanks so much.
Can we just talk about the fabulous examples of formality levels?! I love all of these and their style AND inclusivity
Yes! Also came here to comment on how lovely it was to see the many different examples, on a beautifully inclusive range of people!
Yes yes! This is literally the only channel I've found so far with both genuinely useful style concepts/tips and also inclusive inspiration.
I have NEVER left a comment on youtube in over 10 years but I just had to for this video. I have been working on my capsule wardrobe for a while but struggling to turn the general advice into a personalised plan that works for different my areas of my life. Your structured approach is honestly game-changing - THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! ☺
Oh yeeees, I'm here for more Hannah style fashion content
This is such a great way to view it! I live mostly in level 4.5 - as a freelance photographer who also gives tours and courses at a local contemporary art gallery, I get to dress however I want, and I love being fancy and well put together. I have always gravitated towards to dressy clothes, but used to think I had to "save" those pieces for occasions, but now I'm like "every day is an occasion to have fun with my appearance". I don't wear jeans or tshirts or sneakers, I don't feel at home in them. A cool thing about living my life at level four is that I don't need to change clothes from day to evening - most of my outfits are dinner plans appropriate, but also very comfortable to me, because I wear them day in day out. After living like this for a few years, I'm waaaay happier like this than in the jeans and hoodies I thought I had to wear daily.
As a middle-aged nurse who moved on from scrubs and now has to wear business casual, my level of comfort-dressy is Ina Garten. I have a variety of button down shirts and black pull-on pants. Makes getting dressed in the morning super simple, and I only struggle when I deviate from my "uniform." I have had to let go of my fantasy self, who clutters up my closet with "maybe someday I will have occasion to wear this," when my real self is a hermit.
We all need our "fantasy self" clothes. It gives us something to strive towards.
There’s room for both. Helps to have a sense of proportion.
Same here. I need to keep a few fantasy self pieces so that there's some hope, fun, and whimsy, but I seriously had to add a LOT of pieces that weren't scrubs. I don't have the energy or abilities I once did (I used to USE the fantasy clothes!) and now I just need to be comfortable and also not look like I'm in PJs.
It opens the door for allowing u the space and prioritization to buy "reality" clothes that are fun and cute when I know at least for me i was hesitant to spend on stuff that wasn't 'for' dressing up. Now for me there's time and space and mental power (and money) that going to go towards making the more casual stuff like sleepwear or loungewear fun.
As someone who buys too much for my “fantasy life,” I LOVED this video.
Hannah, I would love it if you'd do a video on how to shop to find what you want. For someone who knows what she needs but doesn't...at all...enjoy the hunt, what I do is this: become aware of a need, look online at retailers I know of, not find anything, give up. Rinse, repeat! You never mention those well-known retailers. You have so much knowledge of what seems like unique, hidden gem kinds of resources. You are always mentioning brands I've never heard of. How did you find these designers and sources that so align with your style? I know you enjoy the hunt a lot more than I do, but maybe you could share a shopping-learning process? Or how an average shopper could find some less common places to shop?
Not Hannah but I have worked in retail fashion for a long time and part of my job was to be a buyer for my store.
I know that where you live and also your body size or shape can be very important factors but I would 100% recommended looking into second hand to discover new brands and styles. Shopping in person would be ideal for you to get the best idea for the shapes and textures a brand has to offer but even online retailers can give you inspiration and ideas. Once you finds items you like, you can set up alerts on different sites for when they become available in your size or in the colour you want.
I know it is a long process but so is building a wardrobe unless you live in a major capital and have access to unlimited funds.
Such a terrific video, thank you so much for putting it together. I am a(n almost) 60-year-old man who retired three years ago and moved from the USA to southern Spain. I finally have the time to think about a personal style and the clothes I wear and want to wear.
I recently discovered this and your other videos and they are helping me immensely. ...even with super basic concepts like putting words to how I want to dress, I love “polished casual”. I also love that the way you present your ideas and concepts they can be applied to both women's and men's (and gender neutral) styles. ...and it is about style and not just fashion.
Thank you again for your videos.
I feel like it has been my life's goal to move from "unpolished casual" to "polished casual" and it is just SO HARD to find good basics
Joob - what kind of basics are you looking for? we can all shop for you 😊
Yes, this. I like in jumpers, jeans and T-shirts. I can’t ever seem to elevate that look. No amount of tucking, accessories or footwear helps. So I assume it’s the cut, colour, fabric and style choices I’m making a long with my body shape that makes me look frumpy at 38 🤦♀️
@@sarahp3984 Christina Mychas - whose main style is polished casual - has great videos demonstrating that style
@@sarahp3984
This is something I’ve also been struggling with. I like dressing up to a level 4, but I live in jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters. Something I’ve been trying lately is playing with layering. A collared shirt under my sweater elevates the sweater and jeans. A cardigan over a tank top and jeans with a pair of cute ankle boots was my go to look this past fall. A tank top under a sweater helped it lay right when tucking it into my skirt.
This can also help you use your more spring/summer items in the winter. I have a cute romper that is sleeveless and calf length. I put a sweater under it and paired it with knee high socks. It was super cute and I wasn’t cold!
This sounds like old advice but you may want to check out your kibbe type or more straightforward often if youre a curvy woman who wears boxy unisex minimalist items we tend to associate w polished casual they may be making you feel frumpy because they dont flatter your shape
I find this really helpful. One thing about higher formality clothes, for me, is that I tend to not want to repeat them as much. Making me want more variety for 5's than I do for 1's. Also, living in Minnesota, we see extreme differences in how we spend time in summer versus winter. That's another thing to consider.
Yes! That's the case for me as well. That might also explain why she had fewer level 3 clothes than her usage suggested. Things we wear to knock around the house aren't really seen by others, so repetition isn't a consideration.
Agreed! I love the concept of the statistics and wonder if it could be taken a step further by applying some multipliers to represent the need for more variety in some levels than others. If one were using these numbers as guidelines to how many outfits to own, for example, then we might apply a multiplier of 0.5 or even 0.25 to the number of uses in a month to determine our needs for Level One pieces, assuming these are normally worn at home and alone. On the other end, Level 4/5 items (ie tango clothing) would need a 1.0 or 1.25 multiplier, assuming one would not want to repeat the tango outfit in the same month.
The inclusive models make me feel so warm n fuzzy! Clicking on any fashion video and seeing a fellow fat woman as an example is so uncommon and joyful.
I normally never post a comment but this has got to be the most insightful and helpful video I’ve seen in AGES! I transitioned from a full time working mom to a stay at home mom and I often look in my closet and “have nothing to wear”! I am going to do this today and see what conclusions I can draw. THANK YOU!!! ❤
This is random but I have a request for a video if you feel comfortable with this prompt: could you do a video on how your parents raised you in the sense of fostering your creativity and sense of self? I’m raising two girls and when you mentioned hanging out with your sister I realized how badly I want to get things “right” enough that they have a good relationship with each other, and think for themselves and move through the world creatively as you do. I know everyone is unique, but do you have any tips from your own liver experience that you would give to a parent looking for that kind of advice?
I saw this video when it came out and have had it in mind the last two months; just formally went through this exercise and it was actually quite revealing. I’m one of those people who always feels underdressed. I definitely default to level 1 or 2 for most situations, including for work, because it’s so comfortable and it’s most of my wardrobe. This exercise gave me some more acceptance for it being most of my wardrobe, as I do require level 1 formality 38x a month! But I also require level 4 formality 14x a month for days working in the office and social situations, however, I don’t have a single complete level 4 outfit that meets my practical constraints. This has given me a clear intention to seek more polished clothes!
What a fabulous explanation ❤❤❤I haven’t officially gone through the steps for my own lifestyle but I can say off the cuff that I work from home and typically spend the day in loungewear. However when I shop, I find myself desperately drawn to polished casual pieces. If I end up buying them, I rarely wear them. So the initial takeaway for my lifestyle is to invest in beautiful loungewear pieces, which I would never have thought of!!!! I always just thought that wearing old, ripped stained castoff clothes was the thing to do. But honestly it doesn’t make me feel my best, and if I end up needing to run out, I often have to change or feel slightly embarrassed that I’m in the clothes I’m in. EPIPHANY: buy nicer lounging pieces because that’s what I spend the vast majority of my time in. I might as well feel good!!!
I LOVE this, Lisa!! Thanks for sharing this!!
Me too, my loungewear and workwear are one and the same.... comfy but don't make me feel all that focused or professional.
This just blew my mind. I always felt like I had too much loungewear when it was all put away in my drawers, but I was wearing it all constantly (and wearing it out) and never felt like I had enough. Think I’m definitely going to arrange my drawers and wardrobe into the categories so it’s easier to pick out outfits that suit the occasions
I'll definitely need to formally go through this exercise because even just watching your breakdown made me realize that despite wanting to buy more loungewear and activewear, for some reason I feel bad about it because I think "well I'll just be shlepping around in it, it's not fancy enough to bring me joy" when in reality, I should just find more lounge/activewear that is as exciting as the casual/dressy things I don't wear nearly as often.
Amen! 😊
Thank you! It is the best video I know of on this topic. I often shop for clothes that satisfy my fantasies about my lifestyle, and after spending all the money and energy on finding and buying stuff I just put those beautiful and expensive clothes in my closet because I have no weddings, cruises and business meetings coming up. My lifestyle is very basic; sleep, lounge/sport/work, work/grocery shopping, going for a nature walk/beach on the weekends. The contents of my closet do not support my lifestyle at all. I am unhappy with how I dress daily, because all I wear are plain grey t-shirts and something like sleep-sport-bike-winter underwear shorts, replacing this with sweatpants and a hoodie during the winter. Everything is grey and black ;( I was going to write a short comment… it turns out I am writing a “poor me” essay 😂. Thank you again. I am going back to finding “MY” style.
Gosh this makes so much sense, and now I understand why I struggle so much with feeling like I have nothing to wear in daily life. I very much tend toward buying polished and fancy clothing and aspire to dress that way...but the truth is, I'm a stay at home mom of two littles under 5 and I need clothes that I feel comfortable in, can get up and down off the floor easily, aren't too difficult to clean, and just don't require much fuss in the maintenance department. This is pushing me to think about where I can indulge that desire to be polished and fancy (makeup/headbands/jewelry/etc) while keeping the actual clothes on my body practical for my real life. Thank you!!!!
level 0 formality: clothes that are worn in the workshop, gardening, for fixing the car, painting, maybe heavy cleaning. Old, maybe ripped shirts, and pants (can go from jeans to leggings), and shoes you won't be sorry to throw out.
I feel like my lifestyle shifted so drastically in a couple years that my brain didn’t get the memo. I have so many cute tops and skirts and no where to wear them anymore as a SAH mom + ceramicist, who also lifts weights 3 days a week. I’ve been working on shifting my wardrobe to clothes that can get dirty but still make me feel feminine and put together and this video has helped tremendously! Thank you Hannah, you gem, reading our collective minds before we even know what’s up. ❤
Same here! The pandemic dovetailed with four years as a full time elder caregiver for my folks, and a career change to a surprisingly more casual environment (I had no idea how "down" museum personnel dress, outside the fancy museums ofc). Work fashion has also changed dramatically where I live, and I've been struggling to find the right kind of polished casual (10 yrs ago I wore trousers & power dresses, now jeans are considered appropriate 90% of the time). I was listening to this earlier while getting dressed & realized I've discovered an outfit formula that I feel incredible in, but it's more casual than I'm used to, so I end up putting the outfit back. I wore the look to work today (the midi sheath skirt silhouette from the 1950s paired with sneakers or lace up unisex shoes), and every time I moved around, I felt so confident and ME. I still feel weird wearing things like a skirt with sneakers lol, but also just feel so great whenever I do. I do get compliments from younger ppl at work tho, it's really helped me start to adjust my mind and realize that casual shoes and skirts aren't necessarily frumpy or tacky. The men and snooty women in the 80s and 90s were always complaining about us who wore skirt suits w/ running shoes on public transit, saying we looked gross and slovenly, and it stuck with me more than I realized
PS I have found farm supply and outdoor gear stores have some really nice looking, affordable, functional clothes that might fit your lifestyle. I recently got some really cute olive green utility pants that look sleek & polished, but also have plenty of non-poufy pockets that actually hold things securely. The range of motion in these type of pants is insane, they clean like a dream, and look fantastic with moto (or other flat, ass-kicking type) boots if you like that look. They are much more trouser-like than utility pants of yore lol...
“Feminine but can get dirty” is this toddler mom’s most essential shopping parameter! I realized several months after my son was born why I was feeling so down about myself and it was that I prefer a level 4 or 3 formality, but was finding myself dressing in level 1-2 clothes most of the time for practicality’s sake. I try to make an effort every day to curate an outfit that makes me feel self-confident, but a lot of the time it doesn’t happen because life demands yard work or trips to the park or cleaning the house. This video made me realize how having good quality, beautiful level 1 and 2 pieces is more important for my lifestyle than I previously thought.
@@agentcallisto Same here! (don't have a kid but the same dressing down applied to me during the protests, WFH & then a global pandemic, lol)...
I've found that the most important things for me to feel feminine whilst still being practical are:
~ A) a cohesive colour scheme (no more throwing black on with anything), &
~ B) cohesive third pieces (doesn't have to be traditional accessories if your toddler is the grabby kind, lol).
E.g. I bought myself a couple of robes/ toppers (like Hannah mentioned) in colours/ prints that easily mix & match with my lounging clothes (that's olive/ ecru/ chocolate + teal/ plum/ orange for me), to nudge them into unpolished casualwear territory.
I also have some (machine washable!) silk scarves & lightweight toppers (e.g. cropped cardigans & open weave jumpers) in these colours, so that I can throw those on top *instead* if I need to elevate my loungewear to polished casual in a hurry.
One of the biggest investments I made after that was a waterproof work-appropriate watch & matching durable jewellery that looks a little more dressy (like acetate tortoiseshell studs or a wooden laser cut necklace, instead of clanky big plastic beads/ slabs in loud colours). Now I can just add one of these on top of my existing outfit & instantly look like I'm 'going somewhere' (or just for a Zoom call, lol ...)
The game changer for me has been slipshorts underneath skirts/ dresses OR bandalettes with skimpier underwear (to avoid chub rub whilst still not overheating). For someone in a cooler climate though, I'm sure you could use socks, coats & blanket scarves instead of my lighterweight items.
Hope at least some of those suggestions help you 😃
@@JBUHJBUH Wow, these are fantastic tips! Without having a clear overall plan, I’ve been working for a year or two to get a cohesive color scheme together. It’s quite a work in progress because my personal taste has changed in recent years. I’m getting closer to where I want to be there, so first step is almost taken care of. I can definitely use your suggestions to come up with more of a plan for the rest of it! Thank you so much!
okay, this video was SO helpful. I’m super organized and tend to categorize and curate everything in my life, and never considered approaching my wardrobe like this. I love that you included a category that was specific to you (tango) because I have some pretty unique categories in my life (cosplay, bowhunting, burlesque) and this method is going to revolutionize how I acquire new pieces and make sure I have day-to-day clothes that suit what I’m actually doing.
Hannah, this is the video I didn’t know I needed! The way you broke down the levels of fashion and how often we wear them was brilliant. This helps me to access the appropriate proportions I need in my own wardrobe.
100% this is the video I didn’t know I needed!! Love this content!
This is an awesome system! It's really helpful for those of us in our mid-late twenties or early 30s making that transition from young person clothing (extended adolescence type stuff) to like, professional adult clothing. Most fast fashion right now is in the level 3 category, maybe 3.5, (like clubwear or party/weekend wear) but we may not need it as much as we are led to beieve, because they are so situation specific.
Absolutely ADORE your content, Hannah. An idea, if I may? Would you recreate this video after your wee bean is born and you’ve had a few months (or more, lol), to reflect on how being a mum has or hasn’t changed any of the aspects of your own wardrobe that you have discussed here? I have really struggled with my sense of style since becoming a relatively new mum and it would be so helpful to see how others process the sartorial changes in their lives once they become parents. Cheers!
YES, having a baby really is such a break - not only regarding your style and the situations you experience, but also with your body changing as it does...
My kid is two now and e.g. I have forgone most dressy shoes. I just don't wear them, as I pick my kid up directly after work, and we might just stop by the playground etc... ah, and my outerwear definitely changed - getting a waterproof coat that is long enough to sit on at the playground was a priority this winter ;)
I think, for most people having kids means that their style will change more towards the comfortably and workable, so incorporate more of level 2 and 3 clothes... (and lots of level 1 at the beginning; ) )
This video had a deep impact on my life! I realized
a) I spend a lot of time in my pyjamas and lounge wear as well. So I invested in two robes, one out of very lightweight cotton for summer and one out of heavy waffle pique for winter. I wear one of them daily!
b) I had NOTHING office appropriate and felt out of place, like an imposter. Now I bought a number of items that are my style, fit my personal constraints and make me feel so great and empowered.
These thoughtful purchases filled holes in my wardrobe that I didn't realise existed. Now my wardrobe feels more complete and I don't have the urge to buy and buy.
Thank you for sharing your thought processes with us.
This is SO interesting. Made me realize that I think of myself as someone who dresses casually, but it's actually more often formal casual (even for errands, just like you) than I thought.
Great. I am newly retired. Having worked with children and spent a lot of my time on the flor and with paint, glue and so on. I dressed very low casual. But now I need to dress differently . You gave me really useful advice to build a new warddrobe. Thank you.
Love this so much! This method is pretty much exactly what Daria Andronescu teaches in her Wonder Wardrobe course, and it’s seriously such a game changer. I feel like this kind of wardrobe math is what really fights that “I have nothing to wear” feeling that we get, even when we have a wardrobe stuffed to the gills. Loving all of your fashion content these days!
Daria is the BEST! If anyone reading this has not watched her videos…go!! Run don’t walk!!
Oh wow! Excellent. I’m recently retired and hang around the house a lot. Lots of Level Four. Almost zero loungewear. I’m definitely doing this exercise. I also appreciate that you didn’t do a huge build-up with music and intro graphics. You just started right in. Thank you.
Know that your use of diverse models in the outfit examples is not lost on me ❤
This was honestly sooo helpful. I’ve always been someone who always love to dress up for every situation, and this video made me understand that it’s fine if my level 3 or 4 is a little but dressier. Watching this videos as well as the one about finding your personal style, helped me realize why I don’t wear some of my clothing , and now o know how to fix the issue, and work towards a wardrobe that feels less overwhelming and not me. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the first time “ how to find you style” or “why you don’t like your wardrobe videos actually help me, and motivate me to take real action.
counterpoint to your fashion math: just because you wear level 1, 2, 3 clothing more often doesn't really mean that you need more of it. I work from home and so the majority of time, I'm wearing level1 clothing. However, I wear the same three sets of pajamas day in and day out. Also, it's more socially acceptable to outfit repeat on lower levels of clothing, so that's why most of my time shopping is still invested in level 4 clothing.
There are soooo many dresses, etc. I see while shopping that I absolutely love but are meant for a formal(royal!) life that I don't actually live, and never will. And since partially retiring, the great work clothes that I gravitated to for decades are no longer needed. Now I need clothes for Mass, running errands, walking, lunches, game days, and this is a wonderful way to analyze what I need v. have. Thank you!
You tend to pay a lot of attention to things that some people find trivial but in fact have a huge affect on my mood and are fun to dig into. Thanks!! an over arching theme that beautiful things matter and adorning ourselves is almost a magical ritual♥️
Great way of looking at our clothing needs. Never thought of looking at it like this so I never have the right things to wear because I'm in the house or cafes most of the time so don't think of dressy stuff until I get an invite then I panic😊
Something I have realized about these videos is that they have reminded me how much time and work finding a personal style can entail. And that I and all of us are worth that time and work. Myself and anyone reading this comment is worth spending this time and work on. So often, especially as women, but in general we spend so much time and work on others we forget that we deserve our time and work too. So thank you for reminding us that we deserve the work on ourselves. ❤❤
I agree with this, and I also feel like sometimes we are shamed for doing the work because some people consider it frivolous, but we are also shamed if we don't do it. And lots of people who DO do it make it look effortless (especially on social media) even though it's not effortless at all. Lots to think about!
The look like your going to work all the time even though your going to dinner or meet friends is the story of my life😂. Thank you for your systematic step by step guide❤
I did it! And no wonder I "have nothing to wear!" I have a closet full of dressy items with a super casual lifestyle now...and my casual clothes are 'hand-me-downs' from my dressy ones and don't really fit the criteria. Thank you for this 'magical math formula Hannah! It seems so simple or logical now that you've presented it, and I was completely blind to it. Now I must learn to dress/shop casually with intention!🤓
I love this! thanks so much for sharing, Cynthia 💗
I'm going to have to do this! I am in my 40's now, also lost weight and recently changed careers. I am loving my life but I keep looking in my closet, thinking huh, who am I at this stage of my life and what do I need. Thanks for making this video ❤ it will be a super fun way to get to know myself again 😊
Love this! I felt so so much better then I turned “being around the house,” “running errands” and even light exercise like “errand bicycling” into polished casual activities. Especially since I found out how to wear more formal clothes that also were more comfortable than jeans.
Thank you SO much! This completely explains why neither my formerly pretty minimalist wardrobe nor the casual “mom-style” works for me. Having two kids, working part-time with various obligations I didn’t have before definitely requires more thought about how to structure my wardrobe.
This is literally the exact concept that I have been struggling with! I am often changing and reorganizing my Pinterest boards but I’m unable to really clearly delineate what the differences are between them. And I just haven’t quite defined some of my “levels”. Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this so well!
Yes, this was an a-ha moment for me too. My prepandemic wardrobe was polished casual work clothes and Pajamas so I would shop and eat out in variations of work outfits 😮 I have shifted since then after consuming other content but this really hit the nail on the head. It took a while for me to establish a sense of what my leisure style is - working from home and the choices available helped with that.
Through this I quickly found out that I'm either loungewear/pjs or dressy casual there's no in between. It makes sense considering the fact that once I got out of food service I took every opportunity I could to dress up. But unfortunately most of my closed are still in that unpolished casual stage. Not comfortable enough to sit around in at home, but also not nice enough for work or other situations. But this is helpful! I'm glad I found this video.
this was so much fun! As usual, love your diversity of models! And love the levels of formality, it just makes so much sense. As someone who's day job for the last 12 years has been work from home, 95% of the time off camera, I live in lounge and activewear. My 'dressy' would be someone else's polished casual. But as so many of us have found in work from home, you gotta get out of the sleeping clothes and into some semblance of clean undergarments and non-sleep clothing, or else the whole day feels off....
Repeating the love for the diversity of the models!
I rarely comment on videos but I felt compelled to say THANK YOU! This was sooo illuminating. I feel like I gravitate towards buying Level 4 and 5 clothing, but honestly my lifestyle is more of a Level 1-3 lifestyle, which means that I have a ton of old, torn sweats that I wear (embarassingly) often and a wardrobe of fancy clothes that just sit in my closet. I'm trying to build a wardrobe I actually wear so this is such helpful information.
Saameee
This is such a great video, Hannah. I think that a really great, functional, complete wardrobe is something that falls under that category of things that people think somehow just come together effortlessly. But, in actuality, breaking it down into this almost scientific analysis is what it can take to have this concise and pleasing of a wardrobe. Some people have lots of style intuition, lots of disposable income, or are surrounded by fashionable people or places that can help a wardrobe come together more effortlessly, but for those who don't, this can help them feel less like they just somehow can't do it at all just because it doesn't come so easily to them.
This video practically gave me permission to continue to have a pj's collection! Thank you! 😂❤
Like you, I am drawn to Level 4 but was shocked at my own statistics of Level 2 "need". I work from home and have always shied away from casual/lounge clothes but this was a great and easy exercise to see what I actually could benefit from investing in! Love your videos! Thank you
This was life changing experience. It’s been a month since I reorganized my clothes and wardrobe according to 5 levels from this video. That was the best thing that I have ever done!
I learned where are the gaps in my wardrobe and what level I wear the most.
I realised I should invest in Level 1, and I was very intentional when I bought 2 pairs of new pajamas of the highest quality. Silky cotton, timeless design.
I dress so much quicker and more put together nowadays 🎉
Thank you again for this fantastic advice.
I bought some 32 degrees knit dresses. They are solid colors, and I wear them as nightgowns. They are much dressier than print nightgowns, and feel like I’m dressed if someone comes to the door. And, since they don’t have lace or buttons, they are supper comfortable.
Thank you for breaking this down so well, Hannah. It got me thinking about...
If I had clothes in my wardrobe that would lend themselves to certain activities and motivate me to enjoy those activities more (for instance, a few tennis dresses) how would that positively influence my choices and my life?
I daresay, I also wonder to what extent social engineering and propaganda influence my clothing “needs” that subsequently influence my behavior and choices? For instance, during “lockdown” we were bombarded with “buy comfy leisurewear” messaging instead of suggestions to buy durable denim clothing for public protests against medical tyranny. The comfy clothing is much more conducive to complacency as our constitutionally protected freedoms are being trampled on. How are we influenced in ways that don’t serve us? I am happy to hear you are out dancing again. 😊💕
It's such a pleasure to have you give us a NEW perspective on wardrobe planning. Your method is so logical, clearly explained and very honest. Thank you.
I am hooked by this process. For me I would need a category for gardening and messy outdoor work. That is the equivalent of ragbag, level zero, for me, though I would place some of the type of clothes you mentioned for level 3 like faded tshirts in there. I cant wait to do this process for myself.
Edit. I semi did this without understanding it at anintellectual level when I realized I had great clothes for work but nothing that looked good for casual and have spent the last few years building in that area. But I still end up with too much in the " polished " zone.
This is by far the most helpful video when it comes to refreshing my style and wardrobe. Instead of buying new clothes, I was able to categorize what I already had. I put together outfits in those categories that I had never even considered before. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Oh my god… I was literally trying to look up this exact topic on TH-cam the other day and couldn’t find a good video for it and then lo and behold… you posted this! It’s a perfect breakdown of a simple but comprehensive exercise. I have been trying to articulate my disorganized thoughts around this and you made it so clear - thank you for making this video!
This video is really helpfull as I am going to live abroad for some time, helps me to chose what to take with me and not overpack
This video helped me reconcile two of my aesthetic pursuits, the historic everyday and the goth. I was feeling rather nervous about trying to cultivate what felt like two different wardrobes (18th c inspired apron skirts, shifts and blouses vs. goth skirts with slits, cropped t shirts and baggy black pants), but now it makes sense that I see myself using the historic everyday AS my everyday outfits (I think more in line with your levels two or three) and the goth outfits as my casual wear to meet friends and go to nice places. Thanks so much for sharing!
Great points. I sort of did the process with you and realized that lounge wear constitutes a large part of my wardrobe needs as i work from home yet I have a closet full of office wear.
Such an interesting new mental tool, Hannah! So these are my thoughts from spending some time with it thinking about clothes as a person with a very small closet:
A. Activewear is just not on this scale for me: I have 1 full set of training clothes that I wear only when I'm actually exercising.
B. I'm feeling my best self at lvl 4 and I almost always purchase items for that level when I do purchase things.
C. The pieces of clothing in my lvl 3 & 1 categories are clothes originally purchased for lvl 4 but have slipped down the levels as they get worn in.
D. I hate with a passion getting dressed for lvl 5 and I have almost no piece of clothing decidedly at this lvl. Why is that? 2 reasons come to mind:
1. The clothes designed & produced for that lvl are performing very badly on the scales of practicality (ironing, hand washing, etc.) and of comfort and these scales matter a lot for me.
2. And maybe more interestingly of all: I feel like lvl 5 clothes have the largest degree of gender performativity imbedded in their design and so most clothes of that lvl (that are designed for my body & size) make me feel a lot of uncomfortable feelings.
My action list:
I. I spend a very respectable amount of time in lvl1 clothes, maybe I should allocate a bit of my budget to make me feel a bit better when I'm wearing them.
II. Start giving some thought about what a lvl5 outfit that I feel great in would look like and feel like on my body.
Hallelujah for the point raised re: formalwear and “dressy” wear and gender performativity! Recently out non-binary person here, feeling much the same.
But I love Hannah for frequently including a gender-nonconforming model - and for having included them in this video as the front-and-center example of dressy wear! And they were CRUSHING IT!
Cis or trans, formalwear tends to polarize our gender expression. Some people are made for that; they absolutely LIVE for it. And then there’s the rest of us, who struggle with it sometimes.
♥️ thank you for being yourself and being aware of implicit gender roles in certain clothing - we all can feel pressured by gender norms at times, even if we’re cisgender. Cheers!
I love the way you think and present your thoughts in an orderly and cohesive manner that makes it less intimidating for the viewer. As someone just out of a long period of medical struggles and the resulting mental issues, I have no idea what my style even is. I am recently retired, and have lost weight and have a month of rides on my Peloton, but my older body no longer maintains the exact proportions it once did. So, I need to plan out what I need or I am going to end up purchasing things haphazardly and end up with massive holes in my wardrobe. Thanks so much for all your food for thought, it is appreciated in the extreme over here in the Hudson Valley, NY.
You raise the bar for defining "content creator" and it regularly affects my life in beautiful new ways. Thank you for leaning into your interests and sharing your perspective with the world! 💓
So helpful! When I'm planning my dream capsule wardrobe on pinterest it is almost always at a level 4 or 5. But in reality... after doing this exercise I usually am living in a level 3 world. 😵💫🤯😪 now I need to search for cuter clothes to muck up with paint & dirt & cleaning sprays. I am way out of balance with what I thought I needed in clothes!
That’s such an awesome way of quantifying it- I feel like I keep trying to clean out my closet but then getting caught in a tangle of “okay so yes I haven’t worn this for years but I NEED it” and not even knowing why/how. Great advice!
I’d be so interested for you to do a video about outerwear. And how this concept applies to outerwear wear but also temperature appropriate amounts of clothing.
Wow I really didn't know I needed this I'm in the process of doing a closet clean out it totally makes sense!! Thank you
This is amazing! I am a teacher and wear polished casual for work. Like you, I enjoy wearing polished casual for most of my errands out of the house. But I am also very conservative in my dress for work, to a level I don't need in the rest of my life. I'm so glad your categories helped me think this through, because maybe I need "polished casual - work conservative" and "polished casual - comfy sexy" categories, so that I don't feel like the buttoned up requirements of my job overflow into my personal life. Some of this comes down to styling (just button up more of the buttons) but other times I will skip an item of clothing entirely if it doesn't work for work (usually it's that neckline!). This is giving me permission to make room for outfits that don't "work for work." Thank you thank you!!
This is one of the best - and most useful - videos on building a wardrobe I have ever seen. You obviously both have the experience, knowledge, birds eye view and communicative skills to make it. Thank you for sharing and making it!
Now I want to figure out how to make my pajamas reflect my personal style