A wardrobe inventory is the foundation everything else rests on. You cannot calculate cost per wear without knowing what you paid, you cannot spot duplicates without seeing the list, and you cannot tell what you never wear without recording what you do.
Free template · CSV
Wardrobe Inventory Template
Sixteen columns covering identification, cost, wear tracking and care. Five example rows show the intended shape — delete them and start with your own.
What is in it
| Column | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Item, Category, Subcategory | Lets you group and count — the basis of every other view |
| Colour | Reveals whether you have a palette or an accumulation |
| Brand, Size | For repeat purchases and for knowing which sizing you trust |
| Purchase Date, Price Paid, Currency | Half of the cost per wear calculation |
| Condition | Flags what needs replacing before it fails |
| Season | Drives the seasonal swap and shows if one season is over-served |
| Times Worn | The other half of cost per wear, and the most valuable column here |
| Cost Per Wear | Price divided by wears — the number that changes buying decisions |
| Location | Where it lives, which matters more than expected in small spaces |
| Care | Wash temperature and method, so it is on the row rather than the label |
| Notes | Repairs due, replacement plans, anything that would otherwise be forgotten |
How to actually get through it
The failure mode is trying to catalogue everything in one sitting. It takes hours, it is dull, and most people stop halfway with a half-useful file.
A workable approach
- Start with one category — outerwear or shoes. Both are small and high-value.
- Enter what you know. Leave price blank rather than guessing wildly.
- For older items, an approximate purchase year is fine. Precision is not the point.
- Set Times Worn to zero and count forward, rather than trying to reconstruct the past.
- Add a row when you buy something, on the day. This is what keeps it current.
- Review it at the seasonal swap, when everything is in your hands anyway.
What it tells you after a season
Three things, none of which are visible without the record:
- Which pieces carry the wardrobe. Usually a much smaller set than expected, and they are the ones worth buying a second of.
- What you never wear. The rows still at zero after six months have answered a question you were probably avoiding.
- What things actually cost. The expensive coat is often the cheapest thing you own per wear, and a few cheap purchases turn out to have been the expensive ones.
For the arithmetic, the cost per wear calculator does it one item at a time without a spreadsheet.