Make a Style BookNothing to Wear, Part 5 of 7

This step is optional. But if you want to get a little fancy and have fun with it, like I do, make yourself a style book.

A style book is one place for everything you've figured out so far: what you need, how you want to feel, the mood you're going for, and eventually, every outfit you build. It's part notebook, part photo album, and part reference guide for getting dressed.

Why bother?

Because we all forget.

You'll put together a great outfit, love it, and three weeks later have no idea what you wore with that skirt. A style book keeps it all in one place, so the work you've done doesn't disappear. On a rushed morning, you can flip through it and pick a look instead of starting from scratch.

What to use

Anything you'll actually open:

• A photo album, especially one with room for notes. A cheap one works perfectly.

• A sketchbook or notebook, if you like to write and glue things in

• A binder, if you like to add and rearrange pages

• A folder or album on your phone, if paper isn't your thing

What goes in it

Think of it in sections:

1. Your needs. The list from Part 2: the moments in your week, how many outfits each needs, and how you want to feel in them.

2. Your mood. A few favorite images from your mood board, and the three or four words that sum up your season.

3. Your outfits. This section fills up in the next step. Each outfit gets a photo and a few notes: what it's for, what goes with it, and any styling details you want to remember, like a cuff, a tuck, or which earrings.

4. Your wish list. A page saved for the end, for the few pieces you'd like to add.

Make it yours

It doesn't have to be pretty. Mine is a little messy, with handwriting, tape, and instant photos stuck in at angles. The point isn't a perfect book. It's a book you'll actually use.

Start a new one each season, or keep adding to the same one. Over time, it becomes a record of your style: what you loved, how it changed, and what stuck.

Next: Part 6: Style Your Outfits →