Wardrobe Post – Why Should You Do It?

January is traditionally the Wardrobe Post Season. Following all the other fresh starts that come with the New Year, Lolitas document what they own at the start of the year and share their collections with others. Many who have done it will tell you that it’s a tedious and tiring task. If you have high visual aesthetic standards, it’ll be even more so. So why should you do a wardrobe post? Is it really worth the trouble?

Wardrobe Post is Your Reference

Sometimes you just can’t remember every piece you own. Taking the time to do a wardrobe post will refresh your memory and become a document to use for reference. It’ll also help you remember what shade things are if you photograph them as accurately as you can, making future purchases a little easier to match. To know what will fit your Lolita wardrobe, you have to know what’s there in the first place. Keep that wardrobe post handy and watch yourself make smarter purchases in the coming year.

Identify Gaps and Trends

Seeing all your Lolita clothes at once helps to spot what you’re missing or what have a lot of. We’re all guilty of the odd impulse purchase, but some stand out more than others. Doing a wardrobe post is a great time to find those odd colours or cuts that you struggle to coordinate and think about what to do with them. Conversely, you may find a theme emerging: a love for a certain type of print, a dominant substyle or recurring cut. Knowing is the first step, so now that your wardrobe post made you aware of the gaps and trends, you can decide what to do about them. Which can mean…

One of these is not like the others…

Wardrobe Post as a Start to a Wardrobe Cull

Selling things can be just as much hassle if you’re unable to simply sell your items to places like Wunderwelt. By doing a wardrobe post, you will know what you’d like to get rid of and will have a good photo (or several) of the item. Doesn’t matter if it’s a piece that doesn’t match, one that doesn’t fit or one you’ve fallen out of love with. All that’s left is to write a description and post to Lacemarket or a sales group. And if you do well with selling, you will have the funds for filling up your wardrobe gaps.

Being Part of the Lolita Community

Let’s be honest: we want to do wardrobe posts because everyone else is doing them. People love a bandwagon to jump on! It’s fun to get an insight into what other people own and others will enjoy seeing what you have. There’s a buzz to wardrobe posts as we watch, comment and engage with other Lolitas. Also, a well photographed wardrobe post is a resource into what these pieces actually look like. Whether you discover a rare piece to admire or can get a better look at a dream dress, these inform us what to expect from something and whether we really want or like it as much as we thought we did. And you may just have that piece that someone else wanted to have a better look at!

Browsing is fun, whether it’s a real wardrobe or a wardrobe post. Photo by Catberry Photography.

Wardrobe Post Don’ts

Now that you know why doing a wardrobe post is worthwhile, the main thing now is to avoid feeling under pressure. Which mostly involves these things:

• You don’t have to do it in January. For many of us January falls in winter, which means limited daylight, restricted further by school/working hours. A wardrobe post can be done at any time of the year, so don’t feel obliged to follow the crowd just because it’s considered a tradition.
• You don’t have to do it in one go. If your collection is large, doing it in one go, in one day is a massive challenge. Break it down into smaller chunks across several days. The world will not end if you post yours on February 1st and you’ll be happier to have done a job well rather than quickly.
• You don’t have to spend money on equipment. We all sometimes wish we had professional cameras, lighting, a studio and maybe a dress form. But you don’t need to buy any of that to make a good wardrobe post. Most smartphone cameras are good enough already, so use that. Make do with what you have by finding the best lit place you can access and working on a nice layout.
• You don’t have to photograph everything. This is your wardrobe post, so show what you want and how you want. It’s ok to only photograph clothes or only main pieces, or only brand. Whatever is within your means and you’ll be happy with, run with that.
• You don’t have to photograph everything anew. If you’ve done a wardrobe post before, consider reusing the photos for items you still own. With clever layout or photo editing you can cover up if your background has changed. If they’re good photos, then why not?

Wardrobe Post Do’s

If you still want to do one – or felt inspired to after reading this – consider these to make your post the best it can be.

• Ensure your clothes look their best. This mostly means ironing, but can also involve replacing missing buttons or washing. Wrinkled clothes don’t make for pretty photos, so take the time to prepare them.
• Plan a little. Plan how you want to lay things out or what you want the end result to be. Look at other wardrobe posts for inspiration, identify what you like and if you could do it. It’ll save you extra takes by getting it right the first time round.
• Get all the light. Light is the most important thing, more so than your camera. Sadly, not all of us have access to natural light, so use what you have. Pick the brightest room, bring in extra lamps, use white background to reflect light. It’ll save time on editing to lighten the photos later.
• Read up on basic photography. Knowing some technique could elevate your wardrobe post. You don’t need to know the ins and outs, but a rudimentary understanding of composition, angles, light and equipment will go a long way.
• Spend time editing. This applies both to the photos and the post itself. Good photos are pointless if the post layout is rushed. Arrange them in a way that flows (colours, themes, item types etc.) and describe them properly. Add frames or a subtle effect if you’d like. You could even make special headings instead of using simple text. Investing time in the post, as well as photos, will make you happier with the end result.

A layout makes a big difference in how your items look. AP’s Merry Making Party OP photographed in January 2016 and 2017.

So, who’s ready to do their wardrobe post? I think I’ll start mine this weekend. Have fun if you do and enjoy looking through others’ if you don’t!

* Featured image by Catberry Photography.

Paulina Pejka

She/her.
29-year-old Capricorn, Polish-born, UK-based and in love with Japanese fashion (predominantly Lolita). I enjoy a good bargain, OTT coords, cats and baking, and when in Japan I’m a self-confessed purikura addict. When I don’t blog, I work in the education sector, overseeing international exchange programs, and sometimes I get to do some exciting freelance translations on the side.