Your wardrobe doesn’t need those hangers-on
by allowing herself nine pairs of shoes, nine bottoms, 15 tops and four dresses or coats, depending on the season.
She encouraged her readers to dress in three-month cycles, adding and purging as required for a twoweek period at the end of each cycle to accommodate for weather changes.
Today, 31-year-old Rector – who has just completed a 10x10 challenge whereby you try to wear only 10 items for 10 days – is still a go-to source of minimalist wardrobe inspiration, but she has relaxed the rules a little.
“Thirty-seven pieces was what worked for me in the beginning, but it’s not necessarily right for everyone or an ideal to strive for,” she says.
“Currently, I think I have somewhere around 50 pieces, but I actually don’t keep a numeric count any more – instead I go with what feels right. That’s actually one of the biggest changes I’ve made to my capsule wardrobe. I let go of some of the structure but I carry the heart of it with me: smaller closet, intentional purchases, less shopping and much more joy.”
Ah, joy. Rector maintains that the reason she sticks to her philosophy is because it makes her happier – the very thing that we often feel shopping is supposed to do for us.
Yet given recent research has found that most of us don’t wear 60% of the clothes in our wardrobes, perhaps we could all learn a lesson in making sure the purchases we do make will earn their place in our collections, no matter how big or small.
Soon, there will be a slew of ideas about what to buy for the next season on these very style pages and in shops. There will be the new boots, the new coat and those pieces that promise to give everything else you own a frisson of nowness.
Far be it from us to urge you not to indulge, but how to do it well and without setting off an uncontrollable uptick in your number?
“Never shop by trends, only what suits you and your lifestyle; be honest, not aspirational,” advises Anna Berkeley, a stylist and buyer renowned for her ability to help clients pinpoint what’s working and what’s not in their wardrobe.
She believes 48 pieces is the most effective tally to work to, by the way, as it allows a total mix of old and new per season.
One strategy both fashion insiders and advocates of the minimalist wardrobe alike agree on is to only settle for pieces you are either madly in love with or simply can’t get out of your head after considering them for some time.
“Initially go on a buying ban, then accept that some gems are going to somehow wheedle their way into your heart, head and wardrobe,” says Katherine Ormerod, fashion editor.
“Ultimately I think it’s a waiting game – if you can’t stop thinking about something after eight weeks, it’s meant to be yours. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years and it’s always because I’ve felt under pressure to impulse buy.”
Anuschka Rees, author of The Curated Closet, agrees: “A good rule to follow is to never buy anything you’ve just seen for the first time, whether in stores or online. Put the item on hold in the shop or bookmark the web page and sleep on it.”
Berkeley adds: “There is nothing better than finding something you love. Those pieces that really make you smile, make your heart race.”
She lists Margaret Howell cashmere sweaters, a silver necklace from India and a pair of Prada printed fabric shoes among those that have fitted the criteria.
“My favourite summer dress by Isabel Marant Étoile is four years old,” says Ormerod. “I prefer clothes that have stood the test of time because it’s like they are literally the fabric of your life, complete with so many memories and emotional connections.
“All too often, people buy so-so clothes that they know they will only wear a few times,” adds Rees. “But that’s exactly how you end up with a full wardrobe but nothing to wear.” And while that’s not quite a scientific equation, it’s not a bad mantra to adopt in the coming season either. — The Daily Telegraph