I know the whole ‘new year, new me’ thing is a cliché, but when it comes to my wardrobe I’ve been really feeling the urge to give it a good old cleanse lately. Since that feeling coincided with the start of a new year, I thought it was the perfect excuse to step back and take stock of what I really wear, and what pieces are just gathering dust. It may have something to do with the fact that I recently turned 30 and moved house, but it’s also become obvious (since working from home more regularly) that I don’t wear half my clothes anymore. So a tighter capsule edit of perfect pieces is going to clear some much needed storage space and make getting dressed in the mornings a lot easier.
And I know I’m not alone in this— every friend I mentioned my new year intentions to, fashion girl or not, replied with exclamations of ‘SAME! I just want to throw it all away and start again!’ Now, we all know that throwing away all our clothes and buying a whole new wardrobe is not, although sometimes appealing, the most sustainable option. Rest assured, what I am clearing out will either be given to friends, charity shops or Depop users; and obviously I read all the Who What Wear articles about styling new outfits from your existing wardrobe before starting to cull.
But, if that reply sounds familiar and you’ve been thinking the same recently, I thought it might be helpful if I made a list of the pieces I decided still deserved a place in my wardrobe for 2022. Some of them are pretty boring but essential basics every wardrobe works around (like that Arket t-shirt), and some were more unexpected, like my old dungarees that I plan on breaking out again this year, and mini skirts I think I bought when I was in high school.
Keep scrolling to see what’s staying, and in case you feel inspired to build out your own capsule wardrobe, I’ve added shopping links for my essentials below too.
1. Shirting
2. Layering Basics
3. Day-to-Night Dresses
4. Dungarees
5. Tailored Trousers
6. Mini Skirts
7. Leather Belts
8. Blazers
9. Classic Denim
Opening Image: @emmarosestyle
Up Next: I Collect Clothes—Here's Everything I Know About Wardrobe Organisation
-
Stop Right There! These Gorgeous H&M and Zara New Arrivals Are Bound to Sell Out SoonThe only spring shopping list you need.
-
I Hate to Admit It, But After Purging My Closet, I Had to Rebuy These 8 Hero PiecesHere's what I learned after my closet identity crisis.
-
29 Spring Items From Free People That I'm Shopping for 2025These are going to go quickly.
-
I Asked Women Whose Style I Admire About Their Capsule Wardrobes—They Shared These Golden RulesHere's the tea.
-
I'm Telling All My Friends About the Elevated Brand NYC's Coolest Fashion People Already Know AboutNow you're in the loop too.
-
I'm Ready to Embrace a Capsule Wardrobe—29 Madewell Items I'm Starting WithIt has nonbasic basics on lock.
-
It's Only February, But Parisians Have Already Chosen Their 5 Go-To Wardrobe Staples of 2025Chic on repeat.
-
Sorry, White Tops—Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber Are Making a Case for This Elegant AltIt girl approved.
