How this stylist’s 80/20 wardrobe rule will help you choose clothes you’ll actually wear

Determining your wardrobe purpose is a straightforward activity. Essentially, you want to figure out what you spend most of your time doing, to which you’ll allocate most of your wardrobe (80 per cent), and then allocate the remaining 20 per cent to any activities and clothes that are important but occur less frequently. That way you can have a wardrobe full of clothes that match your everyday reality and lifestyle.

To help you determine your wardrobe purpose, it’s important to ask yourself one very simple question. It’s a question I ask clients every single day and one I ask myself too.

It’s common for my clients to get very excited about the prospect of new clothes when we’re shopping together. All these lovely new things to touch and feel, all so shiny and new, and very tempting! I watch a client’s eyes divert to a beautiful one-shoulder summer dress with the most divine floral print. They love it. They want it. But do they really need it?

At this point I ask: ‘Where will you wear it?’ With this question I’m asking clients to determine the relevance of the item to their current lifestyle; to think about its functionality and purpose in their lives today – not in the life they wish they had, or that they used to have. I’m asking them: ‘What does your life look like right now, what purpose does your wardrobe serve, and does this item fit that purpose?’

Let’s review my own wardrobe in these terms.

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My 80 per cent ‘everyday’ wardrobe

It’s fair to say that work is my main priority and something that takes up much of my day, Monday to Saturday. Most of that time is spent on my feet, in public, so I need to dress in a way that is stylish, elevated and modern yet practical. This remains true, even when working from home, although there I can be a little more casual and comfortable.

I’m also fortunate that, living in the heart of a big city, my everyday work style overlaps with and merges into my non-work wardrobe. What I wear to work, I can also wear to a restaurant or a comedy show.

When I examine my lifestyle and my wardrobe purpose, it’s obvious that for me, my work and social life are the most demanding – they are my 80 per cent. This understanding allows me to make objective decisions when contemplating a purchase; that is, if I can wear it to work and a social event, it fits my wardrobe purpose.

Since work is the main purpose of my wardrobe, when I go shopping, work-friendly options are my biggest focus. So, when I’m looking to add something new, I ask myself, ‘Would I wear this to work?’ If I can wear it to work, I can generally wear it socially too. I might choose different shoes or a different handbag, but the core outfit is the same.

Asking ‘Where will I wear it?’ also helps me with my budget. In fashion, we love a little calculation called ‘cost-per-wear’ and use it to determine the value we’ll get from a purchase by dividing its purchase price by the number of times we’ll wear it.

A school uniform would have a low cost-per-wear, since it’s not too expensive to start with, say $100 for a tunic that will be worn a few days a week for several years. At $100 divided by, say, 600 days, that gives us a cost-per-wear of just 17 cents.

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I use this calculation to help me determine what I’m happy to spend on a new purchase.

If I’m going to wear an item a lot, aka, 80 per cent of the time, then its cost-per-wear drops. If it’s something I’ll wear to work every week, that complements my wardrobe and feels like me, then I’ll consider spending more money on it.

On the other hand, if I’m only ever going to wear it a few times a year, I’ll re-evaluate.

My 20 per cent ‘occasional’ wardrobe

So, what about the other 20 per cent? Well, it’s made up of a few categories of clothing that I need for things I do often enough to justify giving them space in my wardrobe but not so frequently that they should take up too much room.

As you can see, the purpose served by the 20 per cent is important – what I wear every now and then is still a functioning part of my wardrobe that I rely on when the time is right. Although rarely used, these pieces still align with my personal style, reflect my style personality and make me feel good when I wear them.

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Let’s take a closer look at what’s in my 20 per cent wardrobe so you can see what I mean.

Resortwear

My husband and I like to go on holidays to hot places like Queensland. Being from Melbourne, I don’t really have the need for ‘resort-style’ clothing like silk pants, linen sets, strappy sandals or sundresses, but over time I’ve built up a great capsule wardrobe of these pieces for our getaways.

This means I can pack the same items every trip, allowing me to repeat outfits and feel relaxed (and cool!) in the destination climate. This section of my wardrobe serves a small purpose. Knowing this helps me resist the urge to buy too many beautiful new strapless silk maxi-dresses each time summer comes around.

Athleisure

I do Pilates twice a week and occasionally go for long walks. I don’t particularly care about being in the ‘latest’ activewear, so I wear what I own, on high rotation. I don’t need three drawers full of leggings and crop tops (OK, I don’t really need any crop tops!), so when I buy new activewear it’s usually to replace something that’s had its day.

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My activewear takes up minimal space, for minimal wear. And while I love being at home, I’m not really a homebody. For weeknights and the odd Sunday at home relaxing or making content, all I need is one pair of tracksuit pants, a couple of jumpers and a cashmere lounge set.

Formalwear

At this stage of my life, I don’t have many formal occasions to attend – celebrations like weddings and engagement parties, or annual events like charity balls or going to the races. If I do have something pop up, I’ll either re-wear something I already have and love, or hire an outfit for the occasion.

A 20 per cent item – the sneaker

I have deliberately chosen a provocative item as my 20 per cent example to show you that each person’s wardrobe is different.

For so many people, sneakers have become a go-to shoe of choice and therefore part of their 80 per cent wardrobe. With more workplaces having casual dress codes, sneakers are now appropriate to wear to work, then on to dinner or the theatre afterwards and many women relish their newfound heel-free freedom.

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I too joined the sneaker chorus for a while and started wearing them instead of my much-loved (and signature) pointed-toe kitten heels or ankle boots.

But despite their rise in popularity, I soon realised they were too casual for my taste. I returned to wearing what I call ‘elevated’ flat shoes, for which I have three alternatives: ballet flats (never thought I’d say that!), loafers and strappy sandals. These shoe styles feel more me – more polished, unique and modern.

Because they don’t feel right for me, sneakers only fulfil a 20 per cent purpose in my wardrobe. I wear them for the occasional casual Sunday catch-up at a friend’s house or a weekend away. I wear the pairs I already own and don’t feel the need to buy another pair.

Styled by Sally Mackinnon is available now in print, ebook, and audio.