About a year ago, I decided to try out a wardrobe planning app to see if I could bring a little organization to my closet, keep track of what I was wearing, and find a quicker way to pick outfits. I did a ton of research and found that Stylebook received the highest reviews. I bought it and tried using it for a while, but just couldn’t devote the time to cataloguing my wardrobe. Taking the pics and then getting rid of the background took forever and didn’t look very good. Although the app has a ton of neat functions (like planning a capsule or travel wardrobe), it was just too much work and I ended up not using it. I craved a simpler solution. Wardrobe Journal was that solution. It is so incredibly simple to use that I’ve kept up with it, so I had to share why I think it’s so great.

It’s a really basic app that does not require a tutorial, so if you just want to scroll down to the reasons you should use it, feel free. Please note that I was not paid to review this and do not get any kickbacks. This app is only 99 cents (as of January, 2018) so it is so worth trying out. If you want to shell out the big bucks ($3.99) feel free to try out Stylebook as well!

How Wardrobe Journal Works

On the main page, hit the plus sign and a new journal entry will come up. Enter all or just a few of the below areas – everything is optional:

1. Select an image or take a pic right then. Not a required step, but I think it’s easier to see what you have with a picture and it’s one of the reasons the app is beneficial (see #1 below). You can also choose to give your outfit a star rating if you wish
2. Enter the outfit name. This is where I like to put the formula that I used. In the outfit pictured below I used button-down shirt + crewneck sweater + statement necklace. This way, I might have several different outfits under that same combination
3. Enter the date (you can enter for today, a future date, or a date in the past)
4. Enter the event or category. I chose to create the following categories: Business, Business Casual, Smart Casual, Casual, and Comfy Casual
5. Enter the Person or group that you wore the outfit with – so handy for those work-from-home (moms are definitely “working”) folks as we sometimes are only “dressed” a few hours a day, so don’t want to waste a great outfit!
6. Enter the items of clothing that you wore. This is quick, you select from what you’ve already entered or you enter new items
7. Add any notes you want – I only do this when I would change something about the outfit – Like “This dress clung too much today, might be better with tights.”

Note, if you’ve entered an outfit before, you can just hit the copy button, select the outfit you wore, and create a new journal entry, by adding the date and occasion.

Top 3 Reasons to Use a Wardrobe Planning App

Reason 1: Wardrobe Planning Apps Can Help Refine Your Style.

Taking a picture of your outfit helps you to see, more objectively than a mirror, whether something is working for you or not. On the day pictured below, I wanted to wear a dark plaid shirt. It’s such a dark plaid, that you can’t even tell it’s patterned in the picture. I thought it would work paired with dark blue jean as long as I wore a light sweater and necklace. Once I took the picture, I could tell that it didn’t work. It doesn’t work for me, because it’s overall too dark. It’s 2/3 dark and 1/3 light. I can get away with 1/3 dark, because my blue eyes are almost navy, but not 2/3. Given my light hair and low contrast between hair and skin, I need less contrast and an overall medium effect in my clothing – wearing the gray jeans helped to bring the value down and made a top that shouldn’t work for me, wearable. It also helps refine your style by providing useful data. Having a tracking system to see what you wear the most – the outfit combinations and particular pieces, helps you make better future decisions in what to wear and what to purchase.

Your eye is drawn to my legs on the left and my face on the right.

Reason 2: Wardrobe Planning Apps Save Money

Knowing what works for you means you will buy less of the stuff that doesn’t. According to Business Insider, the average woman only wears 20% of her closet. The rest goes unused, because it just isn’t right for us in fit, style or color. Instinctively we know that, which is way the piece doesn’t get worn. Tracking what you’re wearing and thinking about why it works for you, will result in you buying less items that just hang there. 

Reason 2: Wardrobe Planning Apps Save Time

Having one more thing to do, doesn’t seem like it would save time, but in the pretty near long run, it does. The “Quick Pick” option allows you to search by date, category, outfit, or piece. Quickly finding outfits you like is time saving. My favorite way to search is by category, like “business casual.” Since I know the level I want to dress on a particular day, I can hit category and see what I’ve worn lately. Scrolling through, I can see when and where I’ve worn the outfits, so I won’t repeat them. My other favorite way is by article, because sometimes I get an itch to wear a particular piece. This winter, for instance, I constantly want to wear my warm, cozy Uggs. I can tap on my favorite pair and see how I’ve worn them lately. I also use the article search to look for things I haven’t worn in a while, so that I can wear it or figure out that I haven’t worn it for a reason and give it away.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with closet apps in the comments below.