My wardrobe has been giving me real anxiety lately. I often look at it and feel like I have nothing to wear. There is a coat section mixed with warm scarves, a sweater section, a work blouse section, a casual tops section, an Indian wear section, a shawl section and so many more. Too many options that just confuse me! So I keep wearing the same 4-5 things over and over again.


I have come to realise that I keep buying similar things and trendy pieces a lot. I hold on to my old stuff even if it looks ratty or does not fit me as well anymore.

I also do not relate to a lot of things sitting there in my wardrobe anymore because my sense of style has evolved in the last couple of years. Last night, I was re-organizing my shoe rack when I found this pair of gold slip-ons and thought to myself- "How could I ever buy this thing?" Moreover, it is hard to throw such things away because they are in brand-new condition.

I am 30 and by this age, I should know my style well. My wardrobe should reflect that style. Every outfit I wear should make me happy because it speaks my style. Instead, what is happening is that I pull something random, in the rush of getting ready for work in the morning or even for an outing with friends. This random outfit does not make me feel like myself every time. There are days when I feel great about my outfits but mostly, I wear whatever catches my eye first in the wardrobe.

I hear that the most stylish women have capsule wardrobes. They wear everything from it, rotate it often and spend on the right things. They also often shop during sales.

I am determined to make this capsule wardrobe for myself and to make that happen, I have written down a clean and crisp strategy-

1. Items sitting there out of sheer nostalgia
It is difficult to discard clothes and a lot of times our feelings have nothing to do with the clothes but the memories around them- when you bought a piece, when you first wore it, the compliment you once received, etc. I am not going to throw all of these clothes away (because it is hard!) but will move some of them from my wardrobe to a memory box somewhere.

2. Discover my style from that mess of a cupboard
I am going to think hard-
"When have I felt my best and when did I last feel amazing in my clothes?"
I clearly like unique pieces of jewellery so I am not going to touch that stash. I like flowy silhouettes and prefer skirts and dresses over pants/jeans. I like sweatshirts and hoodies on others but they do not flatter my figure so I am not going to waste money on them.
I am going to think about this more and everything that does not fit in with my style has to go away from the wardrobe.

3. Basics
I shop trends but don't think basics deserve my hard-earned cash. Consequently, I have realised that I am missing a couple of key things that could tie together my outfits. These would be simple things like a black shirt or minimalist sandals. I am going to make a list of these and buy the most necessary ones.

4. Stop buying similar pieces
I am going to hang all like items together to see how many of the same thing I have. This way I will not buy more of them again.

5. Organize by outfits, not categories
This will drive more usage from a lot of things I own but do not wear much.

6. Shop wisely
I am going to shop while keeping outfits in mind. I will pay utmost attention to the 'feel and fit' of a piece. Now I really care about how a fabric feels on my body and I know a few brands that sell such fabrics. Time to get loyal, I guess!
I am going to use wish lists and shop them on a sale later to avoid impulse buys.
I will shop more only to replace the existing items or for things that I really need to complete *multiple* outfits, as I said before.

7. Footwear & Handbags
I will throw away those scuffed sandals and handbags! More than 1 scratch and the item goes out.
I will not spend a lot on footwear (except shoes) as they wear out too quickly.
I will stop buying trendy handbags with a gazillion colours because they do not go with my outfits.

8. Sell the pieces that do not speak to me anymore online or put up stalls to sell or just donate them. Pieces that look old and do not make me look shiny are sure to land in the donation box.

I hope these pointers will help you as well to achieve a boutique-like wardrobe for better peace of mind as well as to feel more confident and happy in your outfit choices every single day!