by Jess Atkins, Stylebook Co-Founder

2024 is the year to get your best wardrobe - while consuming less and without going broke. To achieve those goals, you need to shift your mindset and visualize your wardrobe in one place - I'm going to show you how with Stylebook.

Stylebook will help you figure out what clothes you genuinely love, prevent wasteful shopping, and teach you how to make high-impact clothing purchases that you won't regret.

Fast-paced trend cycles are destructive for your budget and the environment - the global fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, and it's increasing. Reducing your consumption can help!

At the same time, it's hard to break away from constantly shopping without feeling like you're getting stuck or left behind. The key is to develop a stronger personal style that still nods to trends but has more staying power. I'm not saying you need to forego trends; just find the trends that truly work for you and can become part of your personal style for the long term - not just a few months.

I will show you how to shift your mindset on the role of clothes in your life. Here's your step-by-step guide to getting your dream personal style. Using Stylebook is your project for 2024. There's no pressure; take your time. In the end, your wardrobe will never be the same.

Get Reacquainted With Your Current Wardrobe

Before you do anything, you need to actually know what you own and analyze your current wardrobe. Please don't dismiss the clothes you already have as boring; they're a window into your long-term taste. Taking inventory of your closet with Stylebook will help you strategically add to what you have, and you may discover good pieces that have gone unworn.

Create a wardrobe inventory. Seeing everything you have in one place will help you spot duplicate purchases, you'll rediscover hidden gems that have been stuffed in the back of your closet, and you'll be able to find the good pieces that will help you build a foundation for your wardrobe. Use a hanger and your phone’s Copy Subject tool to add your clothes quickly. The photos don't need to be perfect; you can update them later. This is also an excellent opportunity to clean out your wardrobe and sell or donate stuff you already know you don't like or that doesn't fit. There's no point in documenting something you don't even want to keep. It's a bit of a pain, but it can get done quickly. Just do it; you will thank me later.

Next, we'll figure out what clothes have the most significant impact on you - negative or positive. Visualize which clothes fit with your daily routine by starting an outfit calendar. Use Stylebook to record your outfits for at least two weeks. I'm not talking about your social media wardrobe, but what do you wear daily in real life? Your screen style is also essential, and you can create multiple entries each day. Add a note to remember if it was URL or IRL. The app will automatically make a list of the individual clothes you wear the most. If you wear athleisure a lot, add that too because you want accurate data that shows your realistic most-worn list.

Make a note in the app when you get dressed and don't like certain clothes because they feel outdated. I use the notes section in Stylebook's closet feature. Just add one word to the item entry, like "dated." Do this for a couple of weeks. Then search the closet for that keyword and see what comes up. Do the pieces have a common element like shape, color, fit, etc.? For me, fitted sweaters and skinny jeans came up repeatedly. In the future, avoid buying these shapes and maybe start to plan to replace the ones you have.

Shift Your Clothing Mindset

If you're interested in a more sustainable wardrobe, one of the easiest things you can do is rethink how you consume fashion — constantly shopping and chasing trends aren't the only ways to enjoy clothes. Be appreciative of what you have and embrace styling and creativity.

Remember finding your style is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time. If you replace everything at once on a whim, you'll wind up with a trendy wardrobe that becomes dated in a few months. For the next couple of weeks, try not to shop. Add pieces you want to buy to a wishlist for later. Use bookmarks, Pinterest, or Stylebook's shopping wishlist to keep track. It'll be difficult, but you need to get reacquainted with your existing wardrobe first. What old pieces do you like? Do you have a lot of duplicate items? Are there whole categories of clothes that you never wear?

Starting this year, try to view clothes as more permanent than disposable. Ask yourself whether you would wear this three years from now. It's kind of radical to take a long-term view.

Instead of viewing clothes as belonging to a particular outfit, try to view your wardrobe as a machine with interchangeable parts. Clothes can be reimagined and mixed and matched into countless outfits. Please don't limit yourself to how it was styled on the retailer's website or on an influencer. Use the outfit editor in Stylebook to play with your clothes and mix and match combinations.

Over time, what's considered classic shifts, but I have a couple of ways to deal with this. The more extreme a shape, the less staying power it has. When you're looking to update your staples like skinny jeans, avoid extremes to ensure they have a longer life in your closet. Instead of ultra-low, super wide legs - try mid-rise straight leg or wide leg. I also like to look at older outfit images and see what still looks appealing. Those shapes have staying power.

Questions To Define Your Personal Style

Finding the shapes and colors unique to your personal style is the key to breaking away from wasteful shopping and micro-trends. You won't be as stressed about keeping up if you wear what you love. Tracking and organizing your inspiration in Stylebook will help.

Figure out what look you're going for by collecting inspiration. These can be outfit images, but they don't have to be! Collect anything and everything that fits your aesthetic in the Stylebook inspiration feature. You can create custom categories by theme, like a vibe, a specific designer, a season, etc.

After collecting inspiration, look at it and try to spot common elements. Is there a specific type of top? Maybe a typical color palette? Look for silhouettes, colors, clothing items, and group the images. Reorder the icons so like items are next to each other. Do this every couple of months to see what you are subconsciously drawn to.

Use Stylebook to make collages of inspirational images to help visualize the theme.

When you shop, try to separate the mood of an image from the actual pieces. You don't need a replica of an outfit to recreate its mood. It's better to choose pieces that fit you personally but have a similar aesthetic to the inspiration. You'll look more unique, and you'll be able to keep wearing that outfit long after the original is over-saturated.

Elevate Your Shopping Strategy

Change how you shop by visualizing your purchases with the clothes you have.

Start visualizing your potential purchases outside of how an influencer or retailer styles them. They have more potential than that. Follow the three-outfit rule - you should be able to make at least three outfits with what you're buying and what you own. Add the image to Stylebook quickly and test it out with your wardrobe. If you're struggling to come up with ideas, it may not be suitable for your closet.

Look at your inspiration boards while you shop. Do the pieces you want to buy fit in with the personal style you're trying to cultivate? If the potential purchase doesn't fit in with your moodboards, don't buy it.

Slow down and give yourself more time to shop. Adding time allows you to separate the rush of an impulse buy from the actual desire for that item. Do you want it, or do you want to feel good for a moment? Slowing down also allows you to wait for a sale or find a better version of the item. When you see something you want, wait a week before you buy - add it to the wishlist in Stylebook instead.

If you must impulse buy, do it strategically. Keep a wishlist of general descriptions of items you want, like oversized sweaters or t-shirts. When you run into small designers, sales, or one-time shopping opportunities, look at your list and use it to shop. You'll be creating a unique look and shopping a little more wisely.

Avoid popular fast fashion designer knockoffs. Everyone has the same clothes, and they don't feel special. Buying over-saturated pieces, even if they don't start that way, contributes to the feeling of wardrobe boredom later.

Get picky and specific about what makes something worth your money. Look for natural fibers in the fabric content, inspect the fabric for pilling, and make sure the stitching looks even, straight, and secure. Also, check the material to ensure the fabric isn't super thin. Bonus points if it has advanced finishes like French seams, lining, etc.

Put It All Together

Periodically go back to your outfit calendar and see what outfits you typically wear. Don't fight the overall vibe that you gravitate towards. Avoid aspirational shopping and dress for your real life. For example, if you're always wearing sweatshirts and leggings, shop with that in mind the next time you buy clothes. Maybe buy a more fashion-forward sweatshirt or higher-quality leggings.

Stylebook helps you see the big picture by organizing the data on your clothes. The app automatically aggregates your data in the Style Stats feature when you add details on clothes (like color, fabric, etc). Using this data over time will help you develop your personal style and shop wisely.

App Hack: Use the bulk edit feature to quickly add notes to multiple items at once. Select items with the same color, brand, fabric, etc., and change their details all at once.