That time I was playing pool with my friends in Miami at 1am and got a call from my boss in LA asking (loudly, in colorful language) where the gray Loro Piana poncho was in her newly re-organized closet that she had to have for her trip to Paris was the last time I left town without a complete wardrobe inventory.
My inventory spreadsheet has evolved into a virtual closet with the help of a stylist friend, and I’m happy to share the template with the network. I highly recommend it for anyone who manages multiple properties, multiple closets, or has wardrobe in storage.
In my circumstance, which is a high-profile celebrity residence, stylists are constantly bringing in new looks and shuffling things between locations. It’s imperative to keep track of where everything is, when and where it was worn, and what it’s all worth. A virtual closet has value to a non-celebrity household as well for a number of reasons:
Efficient Organization: A virtual closet allows an HM, Butler or Valet to create a comprehensive inventory of the principal’s wardrobe, making it easier to locate specific pieces when styling outfits, packing, or moving items between residences. Our spreadsheet includes purchase prices and locations so that we can be sure our principal’s high-value wardrobe is covered by insurance.
Look Planning: With a virtual closet, one can visually experiment with various combinations of clothing items and accessories to create outfits. It’s a great tool for packing and for special event planning. The look planner is especially helpful for putting together pieces that are located in different locations, storage, or a safe. Before physically pulling all of those items, a look book page can be easily put together for the principal’s approval.
*Pro tip: Print look sheets and send in travel luggage for receiving staff to organize when unpacking.
Avoiding Outfit Repetition: Glam teams and personal stylists will want to make sure that their principal’s don’t wear the same outfit twice, especially to high-profile events where they’ll be photographed. By keeping track of what they’ve worn before, you can make sure they avoid any potential fashion faux pas.
Remote Collaboration: Virtual closets facilitate remote collaboration between stylists and staff. Stylists can share outfit suggestions, or let the staff know what has been chosen for an event or engagement so they can pull and prep the needed pieces. This is especially useful when the principal is traveling and using the services of secondary or temporary staff.
Shopping Assistance: Stylists can use virtual closets to curate shopping lists based on the client’s existing wardrobe. They can identify any gaps or missing essentials and suggest specific items to enhance the client’s style. This streamlines the shopping process and ensures that new purchases complement the existing wardrobe.
Using Google Sheets for your virtual closet is a convenient and organized way for staff to manage wardrobes, plan outfits, collaborate with stylist or glam teams. It provides a structured, accessible, and shareable format to record and manage a high-value wardrobe.
