How I trained my Type B brain to organize my outfits

I am not, by nature, organized. In fact, my husband and kids would call me messy. No, you can’t see my bathroom vanity.

Today, we’re breaking down why documenting your looks is a fashion hack, how I use my phone to stay organized, and the camera settings to capture your outfits like a pro (it’s very, very easy).

In short, you’re documenting your outfits so you remember them. I use iPhoto albums which I treat like baskets. Identify the five or six scenarios you find yourself in repeatedly, and build your folders around those:

Tagging and shared albums

• Add a note to your saved image. When you’re wondering about the ‘red pants’ you wore ‘Christmas 2025’ those search terms might be your lifeline.

• I keep an ‘almost’ album for looks I’m still workshopping. In the above you’ll see I was trying to pair my bathing suit top with a sparkly skirt. It’s not quite there. But this album, like the others, serves a bigger purpose, which is curbing redundant purchases. Before you buy another pair of black high waisted pants, check your archives.

• I have a shared iPhoto album with each of my clients where we keep notes about outfits we’ve created. If you’re sharing your outfits with someone, a shared album is your best friend.

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The Pics Don’t Lie

When I work with a client, I photograph everything and it’s how we judge an outfit - because your memory, and even how you look in the mirror, can be different from how the outfit reads in a photo.

I take the picture portion of a fitting very seriously. I make the client stand in good light (usually that’s a window facing towards you, so you’re looking out the window). I make them sit down, stand up, and tell me a joke; I want to see that they’re comfortable, and I’m snapping the whole time. We don’t settle on anything until we sit down together and go through the pictures. And the pieces that photograph the best, meaning you can see they feel good and it reads on camera; that’s the look. Pics don’t lie.

For the purposes I’ve mentioned here, you don’t need epic photography. But if you can take a good photo, why wouldn’t you? Now that you’re ready to start your own style archive, let’s get technical. These are my exact camera settings, self timer cheat sheet, and the best self timer app that keeps shooting for you.

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