Do you plan / shop in outfits or items?

[VeryExpensive]

I am a meal planner, so while I have a few emergency tins and dry goods, my fresh food is bought each week for the meals planned. It never occurs to me to go buy just food selection without a plan (some people do - MIL).

Yet, browsing for AW clothes online, I typically look at them as separate items and then figure out what it can go with. Completely different food shop when the meal is imagined before ingredients are itemised.

Is it just me or how do you shop for clothes / shoes etc?

I buy items.

If there is a matching item however I will typically buy that too. E.g. trousers and a blazer.

I think it might depend if you are mostly a 'separates' person or a dress person.
I'm a separates person and wear jeans,chinos, or shorts with a shirt or t-shirt and a jumper or blazer.
I veer towards mostly neutral colours with a few actual colours so mostly everything will go with everything anyway.
I never understand it when people say that they have odd items that don't go with anything else. Are they literally buying red trousers and a yellow t-shirt?
Because surely pretty much any top you buy will go with jeans. And a neutral blazer will pretty much go over any t-shirt or shirt and with any trousers.
Also when they say make sure that an item that you buy goes with at least 5 items in your wardrobe. Again I can never see how it won't. If I buy a pair of jeans they will pretty much go with anything. If I buy a white linen shirt, or a blue stripe shirt or a cream corduroy shirt etc etc I know I can wear it with any jeans and any blazer or jacket over the top. Normally I'd be hard pressed to find 5 items that it wouldn't go with.

If my t-shirts are getting a bit old and worn or sun cream stained I need to buy new ones, I don't need to buy bottoms.
If my trousers are too tight I need to buy new ones I don't need to buy new tops.
Do people actually own items that they only wear with one other item in their wardrobe?

I used to have “nothing to wear” with problem when younger and means constraint as I bought things in sale and they were often a bit random. But over time I have learn to be more considerate and save up for what would really work hard in my wardrobe. Also it help to have a sort of uniform, WFH in jeans in top, suits in the office, dress for going out…

I only buy seperate pieces, but all of my clothes now come from one shop, this means they mix and match up pretty easily. I once heard of a woman who used to buy whole outfits, for instance, the display model outfit, and she always looked put together. I used to shop around, and I would then end up with individual items that I struggled to match up.

Over the last few years I have started buying complete outfits or at least buying separates that I know I can pair with something including jewellery and accessories and I think it's helped a lot.

I never understand it when people say that they have odd items that don't go with anything else. Are they literally buying red trousers and a yellow t-shirt?

Not sure what's odd about wearing red and yellow together. I don't wear trousers or t-shirts but I have yellow dresses I wear with red. It's shape, form and fabric which need to be considered when putting outfits together, not colours.

I know some on posters on here think there's a magic blazer which can go over everything- there isn't.

I buy single items , dresses, jackets, coats, knitwear ocassionally tops and skirts if they catch my eye. I never think "what will that go with" as I'll have something that works with.

I buy items but my wardrobe is mostly neutrals with a few monochrome prints - it makes outfit building very easy.

I like to build a sort of capsule collection so I just add in a few things each season.

I buy with an eye to what will go with what I have. For example I have three Whistles Jersey Blazers: claret, dark grey and cream. I'd live a navy one but the dark grey I have is looking shabby and as we approach winter, I'll probably replace it with a new dark grey because it will be more versatile.

My tops tend to go with all my trousers. My dresses work with my jackets and cardigans. Sometimes I buy something thinking it will go with stuff and find it works really well with something I already have.

The older I get, the more I know my style and tend to buy things that naturally go together for that reason. And when I find something I like, I'll happily buy it in multiple colours. I've also had my colour analysis done and technically most colours from my palette go together quite well.

So, I buy individual items but usually imagine them with what I already have.

I have a basic array of separates that I know go together. Five years ago it was all a bit ‘rummage at a jumble sale’ but I’ve focused more recently on classic shapes and colours so things pair easily.

That having been said, I do now buy a couple of outfits a year, sometimes for special (not necessarily dressy) events which then get used as outfits again. It’s nice to have a ‘lunch at the Wolesley’ outfit which can also serve as a school prize giving or theatre with a friend outfit. For clarity- I don’t just lunch at the Wolesley and 90% of my clothes are ‘lunch at Pret’ or ‘three oatcakes and a lump of cheese’ outfits.

For outfit buying, I’ve used the JL personal shopper service at my local branch (Cambridge) which is good. I’ve also been into places like Poetry and Jigsaw which, on a quiet day are super helpful in putting outfits together.

Individual items - but I know what I'll wear them with to make a couple of outfits. As others have said - I tend to wear separates with limited colour schemes.

@rhiannon1967 I have a lot of items that should in theory go with everything else, but because of the cut and my body shape, just hit in the wrong place and look terrible together. I do think it's easier for the well-proportioned!
Edited to add: Hard to tell what will go with what unless I bring my entire wardrobe to the shops. I might consider buying outfits in future.

If I'm planning on clothes shopping then I tend to shop for gaps in my wardrobe.
But sometimes I do see something I just really love then have to figure out what to do with it!

Fellow meal planner here OP.

For me the planning is about identifying what clothes I need for my actual lifestyle (not my fantasy lifestyle) and identifying my personal style.

I use the three words method for my style and for me that is Colourful, Casual and Playful.

I also have outfit formulas that work with my proportions and style eg high waist wide leg trousers with a poloneck top or barrel jeans with an oversize collar blouse.

So there is a lot of planning happening before I think about buying something. It's easier to identify wardrobe gaps this way.

As PP has said, once you are clear on your personal style whatever you buy tends to work with a lot of the clothes you already have. It's like meal planning, do lots of planning work at the beginning and then everything else just flows easily after that.

I think there’s some great ideas in here.

Outfit ‘formula’ is a great concept. As is focusing on casual outfits that feel good everyday.