Jennifer McY Mary (0:01)

Have you ever wondered how much money people really spend on their wardrobes? Or if everyone else finds it super easy to get dressed while you're over there struggling every morning? Well, this year I asked those questions and more in the 2024 style survey and thousands of you answered. Today I'm sharing the results of the survey and a few of my favorite responses. Let's get foreign. Welcome back to the Everyday Style School, the podcast that gives real life style advice to real life women. I'm your host, Jennifer Mcy Mary. I'm a wardrobe stylist who's been dressing everyday Women for over 20 years and I'm the founder of Everyday Style where we're on a mission to inspire women to love the way they look and give you the tools to make getting dressed easy. Many, many years ago, before I ever had this show, a podcast that I listened to did an end of the year survey for their listeners, getting their listeners thoughts on all things business and marketing related. I thought it was so fun. I really loved hearing what other people were thinking and what they were doing that when I started this Show Back in 2019, I thought I should do a year end listener survey. And then for four years December would roll around and I would think, oh shoot, I totally meant to do a listener survey. I'll put that on the plan for next year. Well, the fifth time is the charm apparently, because this year I finally did it. I got my act together and did it. And I had so much fun putting the survey together and reading your responses that I think I might make this an annual thing. We will see. I'd love your feedback on that. And one reason that I wanted to do the survey is there are lots of questions, both clothing related and not where I think am I normal? Do other people think like this? Do they feel and act the same way? And maybe you wonder those things too, like how much do people really spend on their clothes every year? You can't really ask people that. It's not polite. But I can and I can share the answers with you. Selfishly, I wanted to do a survey because it helps me know what you guys are struggling with. So as we're creating resources both for the podcast and for our members, I can make sure we're developing things that you need most. And finally, I'm just nosy. I can't help it if you took the survey. Thank you for indulging me. Now my goal with sharing the responses is of course to satisfy the Am I the only one? Curiosity which Spoiler alert. No, you're not the only one. And you're not weird either. But also I wanted to share some patterns and connections between some of the questions and responses and hopefully make you think a little bit about, first of all, how you think about style and then also share some actions you can take if you want to make getting dressed easier and more successful. A lot of the questions that I used this year were taken right from the pre service questionnaire that I used to give my one on one clients. These are questions that help me to get insight into who they were and why they were struggling and how I could help them best. It was kind of my before I got there diagnosis. Right. So that seemed as good a place to start as any for our annual listener survey. So let's get started. First Annual let's do this. Okay. The first two questions I asked were about spending. The first thing I wanted to know was how much you spent this year on clothes and accessories for yourself. And here is the breakdown. 11% said they spent under $500, 28% said they spend between 500 to 1000. 16% answered 1000 to $1500, 9% spent 1500 to 2000 and 23% spent over $2000. 12% answered that they have no idea how much they spent on clothes. So there is your how much are people really spending breakdown. But what's more interesting to me was the next question where I asked, do you set and follow a budget for clothing and accessories? 20% of you said, yes, you make and follow a clothing budget. And 80% said, Nope, you just buy what you want or buy what you need. Now, I'm willing to bet that some of the respondents who don't set a budget of that 80%, I'm guessing that they track where their spending goes after the fact. Right? Like a little app that shows where you spent your money. That's some of them. But I'm guessing more of those 80% are guesstimating how much they really spend. And here, my friends, is the first call out of the show. If you are not budgeting in advance or tracking your spending after the fact, the only true answer for you is, I have no idea. And only 12% of you fessed up. Now, granted, I made those categories pretty broad, right? So you have a range of $500 to be right. But did you know that studies have found people underestimate their clothing spending by around 30%? That's a lot. And my theory is that we have an awareness of the big stuff, the memorable clothing, like, oh, that perfect pair of jeans, that jacket that, that I invested in. We forget that we bought that T shirt from Loft in three Colors. Those little, often unplanned purchases that don't seem like a big deal at the time, in the end, can tack on quite a bit of spending. Now, if your wardrobe looks like you'd like it to look and your finances are where you'd like them to be, great, fantastic. No harm, no foul. But one thing I used to hear from clients pretty frequently was that they felt like they couldn't afford nicer clothing. They wanted premium denim or a pair of designer shoes, but felt like those things were out of financial reach. And if that resonates with you, I want you to consider becoming more financially aware when it comes to your wardrobe. I worked with Alinda who really wanted this certain pair of shoes. It was sneakers, around $500. So not crazy. Crazy expensive. But. But for her, they were a financial stretch. She was convinced she could not afford them. But when we went through her closet, I pulled out way more than $500 in unworn or underworn clothes, most of which were just impulse purchases. She had a lot of guilt and regret when I showed her that, yeah, she could have had the shoes if she had an awareness of where her clothing money was going. You can't go back and undo your spending, but you can do different going forward. A couple of ways to be more intentional about your spending are. Number one, to shop less often and two, be a hunter, not a gatherer. In this survey, I asked how often you purchase clothing and accessories for yourself and 37% said every few months. Which is great. Or maybe we just had a lot of capsule followers who shop every three months when the new guide comes out. I don't know. But only purchasing every few months allows you to use more of what you already have to and identify pieces you really want and need and not be swayed by all the impulse. It's on sale, all that good stuff. It allows you to be more intentional with your spending. Another 3% said that you shop twice a year, which leaves 60% shopping monthly two to three times per month or weekly. If you are in that 60%, be really aware of impulse purchases and overspending. You might be keeping yourself from having the wardrobe that you really want. And when it comes to hunting versus gathering, 55% claim to be hunters and 45% are self reported gatherers. If you listen to my episode on Hunting versus Gathering, which we will link in the show notes, you know that there is a time and a place for both approaches. But if you want to spend more wisely, I would lean into hunting. I also asked listeners to share their best clothing purchase of 2024. I wanted to know what it was, how much they spent on it and why it was so fabulous. There were so many great responses. I especially loved all the stories of life changing bra fittings and the stories of unique pieces that you found that truly feel like you and bring your style to life. Those pieces are so important, but I wanted to share these two responses with you. The first one was from Jane M. Who said a pair of expensive jeans that were over $200. I debated forever but they fit like a dream and they make me feel cool, not like a 43 year old mom. The other one was from Kelly L. Who said I found the perfect black sweater at a thrift store for under $10. It's so soft and you can feel the quality. Every time I wear it, I feel glamorous. So out of all the responses, why did I pick these two? It's because they perfectly sum up that smart purchases have nothing to do with price. It's not about saving all the money and just being cheap or just filling your closet with expensive things. It's about building a wardrobe of value. And value is completely subjective. Value is about how important things are to you, how they make you feel and finding clothes that make you feel like a million bucks and that make it easy to get dressed. Those are the valuable clothing items, no matter what they cost, whether they are $200 or $10. Make finding those things, those valuable things your goal. If you focus on building a valuable wardrobe, you will never waste money. If you're not sure how to build a valuable wardrobe, we've got an episode for that and we will link it in the show notes. Okay, let's move on from money and talk about style and getting dressed and some of your challenges. And let's start with the most overwhelmingly agreed on response in the entire survey. And that was to the question, does what you're wearing affect your mood? 99.3% of you said yes. What you wear affects your mood. That's a lot. That's almost everybody. And I am so glad. I'm so, so happy that you are aware that your clothes and your style affect how you feel. Now, I didn't ask how it affected your mood, but I think we could all agree that when you like what you're wearing, you feel better. When you feel frumpy or inappropriately dressed or your clothes are physically uncomfortable, you're less happy. I don't think I'm making a huge leap there. Hopefully you can agree with me on that. But again, what that 99% tells me is that, you know your wardrobe can have a powerful effect on how you feel. Here are a couple more questions that confirm that you know style matters. 88% said mostly yes or yes to the statement dressing well is a form of self care. 90% answered mostly or yes to the statement what I wear matters. And when I asked on a scale of 1 to 10, how important is being stylish to you? 79% rated it a 7.5 or higher. So yeah, obviously you would not be listening to the show if style didn't matter to you. But the data from the survey supports that idea, which is good. We are all on the same page. I love that. Here's where things get a little interesting though. In the survey I asked do you struggle to get dressed? Here's the important part in a way that makes you feel good. 22% said they never or rarely struggle to get dressed. And hats off to you ladies. Pat yourselves on the back. Give yourself a big style high five. 29% said they struggled more to get dressed for activity activities outside of their everyday lives. 28% said they struggled to get dressed for everyday life. 21% said they struggle equally for everyday life and special occasions. I am terrible at math, but my calculator says that 78% of you struggle to get dressed in a way that makes you feel good. From experience, both as a wardrobe stylist who has seen lots of women struggle, and as a human who has struggled lots of times herself, I know that when you struggle to get dressed, the outcome is rarely great. No one struggles their way into a fabulous outfit that makes you feel beautiful. We struggle our way into it's fine, I guess. I don't know. At least I'm not naked. This'll do. Like, not good things, right? To the statement I get dressed with intention, almost 50% answered never or sometimes and 44% said not at all or somewhat. To this statement, being stylish is worth the effort. I feel like what's happening here is that there's a disconnect between what's going on in our heads and then what happens every day when we go to get dressed. It's like we know we feel better when we like the way we look and we want to feel stylish and put together, but in the everyday it just feels like work. Work that may not be worth it at that moment. I asked a question, well, two questions, really, that really illustrate this point. And it's a question that I've asked my community groups for years. The results are always the same, and this time was no different. In the survey, I asked, ideally, would you always be a little overdressed or a little underdressed? 85% want to be a little overdressed, while 15% prefer to be a little underdressed. Then I asked question number two. In reality, are you always a little overdressed or a little underdressed? 47% said they're overdressed, and 53% own up to being underdressed. In reality, in our minds, we have this vision of being the woman who chooses real pants on a random Tuesday. But when we stand in front of our clothes to get dressed, stretchy pants it is. And I get it. I truly do. Working from home, living a very, very casual life, I fall into that trap, too. And I have to consciously make an effort to be the person and dress like the person that I want to be to match the image that I have of myself in my mind. It does not magically just happen. Honestly, I think a big part of this is, is our obsession with comfort. And let me be super clear. I think you should be comfortable in your clothes. I don't see myself ever sitting in my home office in hard pants and a blazer anytime soon, but I think it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that comfortable clothes look a certain way. I'm going to share two quick examples with you, and then we will get back to the survey. A few weeks ago, I had to go to a funeral. My favorite uncle passed away, and I ended up wearing a midi skirt, tights, boots, and a cozy sweater. It looked very polished, if I do say so myself. I know that wasn't the point of the day, but it was a good outfit. In the car, I actually said to my husband, this outfit is so comfortable, why don't I wear this more often? In reality, it was just as comfortable as the athleisure that I default to most days. And don't get me wrong, I have cute athleisure. I'm not walking around in frumpy, dumpy sweats. But my skirt and sweater were so much more elevated. It would have just taken a little bit more intention, which is what I told one of our Style Circle members recently in a little tough love moment. She was struggling with being stuck at home due to health reasons, defaulting to not cute, comfy clothes every day, and not feeling Great. And before you think I'm a total jerk, I did not tell her to suck it up and put on a blazer and heels. I am not that mean. But I did tell her that dressing well is a choice. And it takes just as much time to put on cute, comfy clothes as it does to put on sloppy comfy clothes. But the mental boost is worth it. It is worth that effort. Then I told her that step one is to get some cute, comfy clothes if she didn't have them. And step two was was to intentionally choose those every day instead of defaulting to the other stuff. Getting dressed with intention is so important. Which brings me back to the survey question about struggling. If you don't have the right clothes in your closet for how you want to look and feel, you will struggle. If you don't have jeans that make you feel great or everyday tops that fit well and embody your style, you, you will struggle. If you don't have special occasion pieces in your closet, you will struggle. If you struggle to get dressed, the first solution is putting pieces into your closet that will solve that problem. If you are one of the 99% of responders who know that what you wear affects your mood and you're one of the 78% who's struggling to get dressed, it's time to put two and two together and solve it. In the survey, I asked, what's your biggest style, struggle or challenge and what have you tried to fix it? And I kid you not when I tell you there were hundreds of responses to this one. Talking about all kinds of things from understanding your body shape to size fluctuations to never having the right pieces, finding comfortable shoes, you name it. To be really honest with you, there wasn't anything that made me go, huh, I've never heard that one before. It was kind of, you know, the, the usual list of what I hear from women. But what was interesting to me was that despite this being a two part question, what's the struggle? And what have you tried to fix it? Less than 5% of the responses shared what they tried. By the way, overwhelmingly, the what have you done to fix it? Respondents shared that they joined the style circle. And I am so thrilled about that, I truly am. But I didn't want this survey or this episode to be a commercial for our membership. So I'm not going to read those. But I will say, if you're ready to stop struggling and make getting dressed easier, more successful, that's what we do. Come join us. You can find the link in the show notes. Okay, but that still leaves me with a ton of answers. Sharing struggles but not solutions. Either attempted solutions or successful solutions. And I wonder, did most people miss the second part of the question, or are most people just sitting in the struggle? And I am sure it's a combination of both, but my gut tells me that it leans toward just sitting in the struggle, which is never, ever going to be a winning strategy. I think deep down, a lot of women still feel like style should just be easy, or this is the thing that everyone but them is good at. Or even that it's frivolous to invest time, money, and energy learning to be stylish or building a fabulous functional wardrobe, or heck, even admitting that you care. I think it's a really big leap for a lot of women to say I care about how I look. It feels frivolous, but it is not. And if those beliefs are rattling around in your noggin anywhere, you've got to make peace with them and change your mindset. Because I know from experience you won't find a solution until you think it's a worthy problem to solve. And you will struggle over and over, whether it's for everyday life or special occasions, until you do. Until you solve it. Every time you go to get dressed, whether it's for, you know, a morning coffee run, working from home, or a fancy dinner, you're going to struggle. So let's wrap this up by talking about solving the struggles and improving your style. If that's something that you're ready or that you want to do. One of the questions I asked is what would you be willing to do to improve your style? And 1.8% of you said you're not willing to do anything because you're happy with where you're at. And I love that. Keep doing you, babe. 12% said they'd be willing to spend a little bit more money on their wardrobe, and then the rest of the answers were perfectly evenly split between spending more time building their wardrobes and spending a little bit more time creating outfits each day or each week. I think spending a little more time is a really great first step to improving your style. You've probably heard me say that I don't have time to get dressed is something that I've heard a lot, but I think it's silly because no one who's ever said that to me has been naked. Everyone's been dressed. So you have time. So what we usually mean by I don't have time to get dressed is I don't have time in the morning to create outfits that make me look and feel the way I want, or I don't have the right clothes to create outfits that make me look and feel the way I want, and no amount of time spent staring at my closet will change that. Either way, whichever one you mean. Investing time is a good place to start, either in identifying the pieces that you need or planning outfits in advance so you're not left scrambling in the morning. I also asked, are you putting off having better style or a better wardrobe? And if so, why? I am so thrilled that almost 50% of you said nope, you are not waiting until, in quotes for better style. Roughly 10% are waiting until their lives are more exciting, and that's probably the one I identify with the most. I get it. 15% are waiting for a bigger bank account and sadly, close to 25% of our respondents are waiting until they have the body they want. We could do another whole episode on the weight and wardrobe connection, but if you missed my first one, we'll link it in the show notes. If you're in that 25% though, I need you to hear this and I need you to really take it to heart. Clothes are a much better catalyst for reaching your goals than they are a reward. You do not have to like the number on the tag of the pants to like the pants. You don't have to like the number on the pants to buy the pants. Buying clothes that make you smile and fit the body you have right now will do so much more for you than struggling and punishing yourself until you believe you deserve nice clothes. You deserve nice things right now. And again, tough love time. This is a choice. You can choose to dress well right now. It is not admitting defeat. The worst that can happen is that if your body changes, you'll need to replace some clothes. And you know that the reality is most things out there are kind of crap quality anyway. They're not going to be the last clothes you ever buy, regardless of the size. If you're in that 25%, I want to personally challenge you to break down that belief this year. Explore where it comes from and if it's actually true that you need to wait for a better body to have a better wardrobe? And spoiler alert, it's not true at all. What would it mean for you if you went and bought a fabulous outfit right now in the size that you are right now? How would that make you feel, both good and bad? And then what can you do to start improving your style right now? Maybe it's just shoes and accessories which will always fit you right? Or maybe it's just styling your current wardrobe a little bit more, making more exciting outfits. I hope that when you see the boost that feeling better gives you, it propels you to make even more wardrobe changes even if you're not seeing body changes. Don't let this lie rob you of the joy that comes from having a fabulous wardrobe or having easier mornings. Those things are just too powerful. One of the questions that I asked, which is another client questionnaire favorite of mine, is can you think of a specific time in 2024 when you struggled with what to wear or you didn't feel properly dressed for an occasion? I asked what the occasion was, what they did wear, and how they felt. So many responses talked about clothes that didn't fit, but I wanted to share this one from Christine who said I went to a wedding and ended up wearing a skirt that didn't fit well and a pair of shoes that I had that I hadn't worn in a while. Both the skirt and the shoes made me feel frumpy, sloppy and uncomfortable. I'm sad that what I mostly remember about the wedding was wanting to leave to get out of that uncomfortable, ill fitting skirt and shoes. I'm sharing this one because of what Christine said at the end. It was just so powerful. It hit me right in the feels. What she remembers most about the wedding was wanting to leave because her clothes didn't fit properly. I guarantee you if she had on a skirt that fit well and was comfortable, her takeaway wouldn't have been What I remember most about the wedding was the number on the tag. Nope, it would have just been a non issue. Hopefully with a comfortable skirt and comfortable shoes she could have danced all night and shut that reception down. Don't let your clothes be a roadblock in your life. Changing your mindset is a really, really important thing when it comes to improving your style. But I've got a couple of practical tips as well and there are some style basics that every woman should know or should do and the first one is understanding your body. I asked what primary body shape describes your body best and the answers were pretty evenly divided. Hourglass and rectangle had a little bit more than a parent apple, but it was nothing standout or noteworthy. However, I have no idea got 20% of the responses. Now I don't think being able to stick the right label on your body shape is the end all be all of style. Not at all. But understanding your body shape is foundational knowledge. I think every woman should have. It helps you understand why some things work better for you than others, and it makes it easier to find clothes that make you feel good. This one's really important because I also asked, when it comes to putting outfits together, what's more important to you? The style of the outfit, which I call style points, or how it looks on you, which is what I call flattery points. 82% said flattery points matter more, while only 18% said that style points were more important to them. In order to more easily find those flattering clothes, you have to understand your body. I do wish, though, that more women would embrace style points being just as important as flattery points. I think it makes getting dressed a whole lot more fun. But that is. That's a topic that we will tackle in another episode. What you need to know right now though, if flattery points are most important to you, you have to be able to find the clothes that flatter you, preferably easily. That's the important part. I also asked, have you had your colors professionally analyzed? 27% said yes, 73% have not. Again, if you want to look better in your clothes and you don't want to struggle to find clothes that look good, this is something you're going to want to know. If you want a shortcut to building a wardrobe that helps you look your best, find out your best colors. It's so easy and will help you so, so much. Of course we love the Color Guru. We will link that in the show notes for you. You can use Code everyday style for 10% off any service and you will be so glad you did this one. Okay, the last official survey question I want to share with you is when was the last time you had a professional bra fitting? If you've listened to our Bra Episodes links in the show notes, you know that you should have a professional fitting every 12 months. So how are our listeners doing? Well, 30% have had a fitting in the last 12 months, which is amazing. You go girls. 9% have gone more than one year, but less than two. 46% haven't had a bra fitting in more than two years and 15% have never had a professional bra fitting. My friends, they do not call them foundations for nothing. If you want to instantly look better in your clothes, a better bra will help you do it. Make an end of year resolution or a new Year's resolution to do this one thing for your style. Who knows, maybe you're in the right size and the right style of bra and you're good to go on the other hand, maybe. Maybe you are in for a total transformation and it is worth it to find out. Okay, the last thing I want to share with you are a couple of answers to the question, what style advice would you give your 21 year old self? Again, so many great responses, but here are two that I really, really loved. First, Amy D. Who said, it's okay that you don't know how to do this, but you're not just bad at it. If you take a bit of time to learn how to put clothes together, you can look better and feel better about yourself. It can also save you a lot of time and money. This isn't about vanity. And then there was Mary P. Who shared if you love it, buy it and wear it. Don't save things for occasions that may not happen. Wear the good clothes ladies. I couldn't have said it better myself. I hope you enjoyed hearing the results of the 2024 style survey. Let me know on social media if you think we should do this again next year. You can find me on Facebook and instagram @everyday stylewithjen if you have a question that you want to know. Am I the only one? How do other people think? Let me know. Happy to include it next year if you took the time to fill out the survey again. Thank you. I loved reading your responses and analyzing the data. If I read your response on the show, keep an eye on your inbox. There is a gift card coming your way. And now it is time to announce our $100 gift card winner. Since this is episode 199, I decided to go with response 199, which belongs to Danny Z. Congrats girl. Your Nordstrom gift card. It's on its way to you as well. Okay my friends, this is our last episode of the year so I want to take a quick minute to thank all of the people who help make Everyday Style and this podcast what it is. First of all, everyone on the Everyday Style team, they all work so hard to create amazing content, take care of our members and our listeners, and you know, to keep me somewhat organized, insane. And I just, I appreciate all of you so very much. Also our fabulous podcast editor, Steve, who probably had no idea how much bra and underwear talk would be involved in this gig. Thank you. Also our Style Circle members. You ladies know that I love you and I am rooting for you all the time. Thank you for letting me be a part of your style journey. And finally, you are Style School listeners. I know there are a million podcasts to choose from and I am always so grateful that you spend your time with me. If you are enjoying the Everyday Style School, be sure to subscribe or follow the show on whatever platform you like best. That way you'll never miss an episode and it helps other women discover the show so they can feel fabulous every day too. Also, head to the Show Notes to get all the links from today's episode. We we shared a lot of past episodes you might want to check out. While you're there, grab our free 10 piece style solution and see how 10 wardrobe basics can create over 30 stylish outfits. In the guide we'll show you the 10 pieces you need, the outfits that they create and and you get the link database so you can shop the pieces in a variety of sizes and price points. My friends, I am wishing you the very happiest of holidays. I will see you next time next year and until then, remember that your everyday matters. So get dressed for it and that's a wrap. Thank you for listening today. If you're loving the Everyday Style School podcast, I get like to invite you to become a member of the Style Circle. It's our monthly all access membership that gives you everything we create to make style easy so you can save time and money, have easier mornings and more confidence all day long. You get our seasonal capsule wardrobe guides, all of the master classes we offer, and our exclusive members only podcast the Everyday Style School. Extra credit plus you're invited to the Facebook community where you can get even more more style support and inspiration. I would love to get to know you and support your style journey. It's just $19 a month less than the cost of a clearance shirt you're never going to wear. Come join me and make your everyday style easier.