“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

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.

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

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.

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. ✨

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’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 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. 😀

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 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!

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.

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!

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.

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

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!!

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.

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

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 :)

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.

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.

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

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

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

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 😊❤

Thank you for showing a diversity of body shapes/sizes, gender expressions, ethnicities, and abilities in your visual examples!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!! ❤

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.

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!

Know that your use of diverse models in the outfit examples is not lost on me ❤

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 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. ❤

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.

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♥️

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?

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!!!

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. ❤

I did this type of wardrobe analysis a year ago, and something that helped me visualize how much of my wardrobe I should reserve for each category of formality, was a pie chart. It was very helpful to see what 40% looked like next to 15%, 18%, 5% and also what that number should be out of the whole. I understand that 5% (formal) is less than 18%, 40%, but seeing how small a percentage it was in the grand scale of my wardrobe really hit home. As in, if my wardrobe contains 25 full outfits, only 1 outfit should be a formal one.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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....

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.

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.

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!

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.

I did make a pie chart in Excel 😂 could not resist! This experiment showed me that in fact I do need more casual low effort clothing! I feel like I have a lot of sleepwear/loungewear and I have enough cute clothing, but not as much for the in-between. I may not feel like putting on makeup to run to the store after working from home, but I don't want to wear my sleep shorts, nor do I want to wear a nice top. I just need more easy to put together, casual cute clothes, and I need them 40 x a week!!

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

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!!!!

Oh yeeees, I'm here for more Hannah style fashion 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.

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 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.

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. ❤❤

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! 💓

Brilliance is when one articulates what we didn't even know was unsaid

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!🤓

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.

Now this is content any conscience consumer who's thrashing out their relationship to fashion and their wardrobe can use! I will absolutely be using this process to help me right-size my wardrobe assortment to my actual lifestyle. Thanks Hannah!

"Magical Fashion Math" !!! we all needed this phrase in our lives

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!

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 really appreciate these methodical and intentional approaches to curating your wardrobe. It's seriously so helpful and I'm very excited to try this one out

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.

Oh my god… I was literally trying to look up this exact topic on KZfaq 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!

I keep checking back to watch the sub count hit 100k, I'm so excited for it! It's great to see quality content getting love.

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!

I love your definitions of the levels because they feel realistic to me (especially when it comes to the photo examples), and I also like the idea of ''dressing up'' frequently because I can relate to that. I see a lot of people commenting on the internet that they really struggle with the concept of being 'overdressed' and being bothered by their peers because of it, but I feel that if feeling the happiest with your outfits is more valuable than totally fitting in, after a while people get used to it. The ''what's the occasion'' comments stop because it's not overdressing anymore, it's just your style! I also think the same applies to makeup or jewelry. I like makeup a lot and my peers rarely wear more than lipstick and mascara, but if I'm going to wait for something like a wedding or a super fancy dinner (occasions where they would wear something like metallic eyeshadow etc), I'm gonna be very unhappy lol So wearing a full face everyday kinda allows me to wear even more elaborate looks in those occasions.

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 love this! My 'activewear' is more hiking clothes than tights and has a lot of crossover with my work clothes and unpolished casual. Thanks for walking us through this so we can fit it to our lifestyles!

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!

I think a fair variable is that polished or semi polished casual (in my lifestyle) is something I count as getting dressed, rather than just covering my body. I therefore want more variation. When I'm going full casual (deep cleaning etc) I can wear the same unexciting fleeces etc, so long as they're sufficiently clean and not precious I don't care. Even more so unless I'm staying somewhere with a non partner I wear one long top most nights for sleepwear, only swapping in a random t shirt when that items in the laundry.

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 very helpful and practical! For me, formality/'up'ness always feels right. I don't mind looking a little odd, and I always dress up more than the occasion demands. As long as I'm physically comfortable, it's all good. I work from home and my social life revolves around watching and writing about women's football (...soccer!). For some people this might suggest sportswear/athleisure. I refuse! I hate sportswear. Loungewear is an alien concept. I don't own running shoes. I will wear bright separates or suits to the football ground, or very maximalist trousers and a chic jacket/blazer. I will wear a vintage suit to go get groceries. I will wear shades everywhere. If my friends comment on my clothes and say I look very fancy or dressed up for the football, that's fine, because they're my friends and they're not being mean. Anyone who does want to say anything mean isn't my friend and therefore their opinion doesn't matter. 🙂 (Sidebar, I actually find really dressing up for me means leaning more femme, whereas day-to-day is more androg/soft butch.)

Thank you! I struggle with this all the time as someone who wants to be fancy but works in a messy job with very young humans. Also, congrats on 100K

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!

Thanks for including the old woman in your pictures. Im older but I enjoy your videos. This is a great topic. I found out I need more loungewear. I have too many casual things but go around in rags all the time😂.

This was super helpful to conceptualize how to create a balanced wardrobe and to find any gaps. One curiosity: how many outfits would someone want depending on if they are more minimalistic or if they want more choices. It seems that if you have favorites, you might have unworn clothes you like but never wear because you simply don’t have an actual need for them. Also, with bold statement pieces, people might remember seeing you wear the same outfit, (if this matters), while basics or more neutral clothing might be more easily rotated or worn more often. Also, the need is less if the social situations are with different people in different environments. As a self-employed Art Therapist, I work four days a week in some capacity, but see totally different people, so I sometimes wear the same thing. I don’t have enough clothes that work in the size I need currently and rely on wearing lots of black (too much) and changing up accessories and jewelry. Thank you! I will work this process! It might also be cool to create a very functional and more stylish wardrobe capsule based on this type of analysis. I think we all have more of what we need in certain areas, and might be missing other things. :)

I'm absolutely going to break down these numbers this myself but I already know how some of that will pan out and I'm really grateful for this type of deep dive. I hope you continue to expand on this topic with equally long and thought out content, this was super helpful!

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.

I love these videos. I've also over indulged in shopping and felt a lot of guilt about it. Putting data towards my collection has helped soooo much. I wasn't as organized and had no idea what I was doing. Now I find pleasure in my wardrobe and getting dressed much easier.

Loved doing this exercise along with you! You helped me figure out why I always want more shorts. Looks like I need more casual stuff that doubles as activewear, since I use it all the time!

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. 😊💕

This makes so much sense. I always feel like I have nothing to wear, but I think the problem is that I don’t have much polished casual. I used to wear more dressy clothing to work and dinners and errands were after work so I just wore that for everything & only expanded my unpolished casual when I stopped commuting.

I love the inclusiveness of your examples! I suffer from feeling overdressed for everything before I leave the house and "downgrade" whatever I wear to draw less attention usually. I changed outfits like twice a day too, possibly because it's so damn hot here in Houston and I don't want to wear sweaty ANYTHING.

This is the type of fashion content we need. I LOVE your fashion playlist and I am currently going through it all. Please keep making more.

Loved this video Hannah ❤ I’m an academic and I struggle to balance the level of formality and my own love of athleisure! 😅 It’s so helpful to think of one’s wardrobe in this way

I'm really grateful for this video b/c I'm about to graduate and enter the workforce in a hybrid position... My lifestyle is about to change drastically, and the clothing that I'll feel comfortable/appropriate in throughout my daily activities will change. I'll definitely apply this exercise to my life soon to really ground my wardrobe in reality!

Thank you so much for this vidéo that I really needed !also I love how inclusive are the pictures in your examples, that way we can really feel represented but also, actually picture ourselves in the outfits you talk about, this is really precious :)

I love this! did this alongside you as I was logging my DEEP DECLUTTER of my closet

Loving the fashion content. Please continue to analyze our fashion consumption and enjoyment! And love that you are so inclusive with examples.