The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. At some point, this idea has been adapted to our wardrobes. Capsule wardrobe proponents claim that we wear 20% of our wardrobes 80% of the time.

Last month I asked, ‘How many of the items in your wardrobe do you wear?’

In the last two and a half years of my minimalist journey, I have worn the same 10-15 items over and over again, no matter how small or large my wardrobe has been.

The Wardrobe Diary was a resource I created to help monitor the use of your wardrobe. When I created it, I did so to help you, not thinking that there was much for me to gain from the experience. I did, however, find it to be a useful resource for my wardrobe, and learned some interesting things about it.

First, a little reflection on its usability. I found the document easy to use. It took almost no time to customize the document to my wardrobe when I started it. It takes less than a minute to fill it in every day. Even though I am quite busy and tend to forget things, this was a simple task that I was able to complete daily, by leaving it somewhere visible in my home. Placing a few ticks in relevant boxes is a user-friendly way to collect data, and I was quite surprised about what I learned.

Most worn items

  • Grey v-neck knit
  • Merino Tights
  • Maxi grey knit
  • Black coat

Least worn items

  • Jumpsuits
  • Jeans