I’ve recently reached a place in my wardrobe where I’ve got everything I need so I’ve not been terribly motivated to sew. I started sewing a white button up at the beginning of summer, but am still working on the first steps. Because I don’t feel like I need it in my closet, I feel zero impetus to actually finish the darn thing.

I’ve also gotten into a major rut when getting ready in the morning because I’ve been wearing the same garments forever. I get dressed on autopilot and look fine, but it’s definitely not fun.

Cue AI. I’d been looking for a list of wardrobe prompts to inspire me to put together new looks, but couldn’t find anything. I decided I would finally try ChatGPT and see if it could create the list I was looking for.

Honestly, it worked better than expected and I’ve started using ChatGPT as a sounding board for a lot of my wardrobe planning and styling ideas. I even used AI to create the (terrible) images to go with this post and write the more boring parts of the text. I challenge you to figure out which parts I wrote, and which parts are computer wrote!

Here’s how I’ve been using AI for wardrobe planning , and how you can too:

1. Find New Patterns That Match Your Style
I love indie patterns, but definitely have a small of list of regulars I tend toward. AI has been great for discovering more of these that I wouldn’t think (or know!) to search for. If you’re like me and you prefer not to use Big Four patterns, AI can suggest other indie brands that fit your aesthetic, helping you avoid styles that won’t work for you.

2. Plan Seasonal Capsules
One of the biggest ways AI has helped is with capsule wardrobe planning. It’s like having a personal assistant that keeps track of what’s in your closet. I told ChatGPT my Instagram handle so it could get an idea of my aesthetic and it totally worked. It also remembers what you tell it, so you can slowly teach it your style.

3. Experiment with Colors
AI is surprisingly good at suggesting color palettes that suit your natural features. For me, it suggests shades that complement my light brown hair, green eyes, and medium olive skin. It’s still in line with the warm, muted tones I love, but sometimes it throws in an unexpected color that makes me reconsider my usual palette.

4. Plan Your Looks
Using AI to inspire my outfits has been a game-changer. I got ChatGPT to create a months’ worth of wardrobe prompts with fun little titles and backstories which has made it fun to get dressed again. What I love is that it suggests pieces I don’t have but absolutely fit in my aesthetic. These pieces have gone onto my shopping/sewing list and have kickstarted my sew-jo.

5. Refine Your Idea of Your Style
A surprising side effect of using AI to plan my looks and my wardrobe is refining my concept of style. I’ve always found it hard to describe my style using only three adjectives like all the wardrobe planners ask. Being forced to explain my style in words to a computer was the authentic situation I needed to finally be able to do it. I described my style as classic, feminine, with a touch of historical whimsy and honestly, I feel like this is the first time I actually nailed down what my style is at its core, underneath my constantly evolving eras. “Classic, feminine with a touch of historical whimsy” is as true for my current cottage core/light academia style as it was fifteen years ago when I was into fit and flare silhouettes and polka dots.

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Prompts I’ve Used with ChatGPT

To get the most out of AI wardrobe planning, I’ve played around with a few different prompts. Here are some of the ones that worked for me:

1. “Can you recommend some indie sewing patterns for a classic feminine wardrobe with a touch of historical whimsy?”
2. “Help me plan a seasonal capsule wardrobe around my existing pieces, including a muted rose midi dress.”
3. “What color palettes would complement light brown hair, green eyes, and medium olive skin?”
4. “Suggest some patterns that fit a cottagecore aesthetic but can work in a modern wardrobe.”
5. “What are some ways I can style a button-front pleated midi skirt?”

Prompts I Haven’t Tried (But You Could!)

If you’re looking to experiment even more with AI, here are a few prompts I haven’t tried yet:

1. “Can you suggest outfit combinations using only handmade pieces from my wardrobe?”
2. “What are some wardrobe staples that blend light academia and cottagecore aesthetics?”
3. “Help me build a travel capsule wardrobe that mixes neutrals with a few statement pieces.”
4. “Which patterns would be ideal for transitioning my summer wardrobe into fall?”
5. “Help me create a 3×3 wardrobe for a light academia aesthetic. There should be three bottoms, three tops, and three completer pieces.”