Building the perfect wardrobe

 By Rishika Tayal

Building the perfect wardrobe is not something you can check off your to-do list; it is a process that requires continual inspiration, maintenance and little tweaks every now and then. Seasonal turnovers are the ideal time to reasses your wardrobe, get it ready for the upcoming season and update your capsule wardrobe. Fortunately, the fashion season runs months ahead of the weather season, leaving us plenty of time to get inspired and develop an idea of our look. Today I'll share how you can plan your wardrobe every season

Summers

Get rid of any clothes that don’t fit

To start, get all your clothes out of your wardrobe and try them on. If any don’t fit, then be brutal and get rid of them. If they’re sellable, consider putting them on  OLX  or donate them in NGO’S

 

Get rid of any clothes that don’t suit you

One of these easiest mistakes to make when buying clothes, is to buy an item that looks amazing on a model, mannequin or even a friend, but just doesn’t look right on you. It could be a cut that doesn’t flatter your shape, or a colour palette that doesn’t do your colouring any favours. However much you love this piece, if it doesn’t suit you, you probably won’t wear it. And if you do wear it, you probably won’t feel as comfortable in it as an outfit that does suit you. So, if you have any clothes that you know don’t suit you, then add them to the throw/sell/give away pile. If you’re unsure about an item, ask a friend you trust for their honest opinion.

Get some inspiration

Once you’ve trimmed down your existing wardrobe, it’s time to get some style inspiration.

But make sure your inspiration comes from the right places! Here are some tips to help you:

 

1.       - Know your body shape and colouring, and look for inspiration that matches these.

2.       - Find your style ‘heroes’ – people whose style you love. These can be friends, celebrities, or style       influencers

3.      - Scour through fashion magazines, Pinterest and Instagram for latest fashions you like.

4.      - Once you’ve got some inspiration, start shopping around for new pieces to fill the gaps in your     wardrobe. Try to find standalone pieces, as well as items that will work with clothes you already own to put together outfits.

 

Here are some new pieces you may consider for spring and summer:

1.      - You should wear cotton clothes and light coloured clothes in summers. .

2.     -  Cotton is a good absorber of water. Thus, it absorbs sweat from our body and exposes the sweat to the atmosphere, making its evaporation faster

3.     -  A lightweight coat, like a mac, for cooler spring days and showers.

4.     -  Floral midi dresses – these can be dressed up or down, and can see you through spring into summer.

5.    -   A comfortable pair of jeans – again look for a pair you can dress up or down.

6.    -   A pair of cheap wedge sandals, to go with your floral dresses or jeans.

7.      - A cross body bag – just big enough to contain everything you need for the day, not big enough to become a walking skip!

Winter

 A wool coat is an outwear staple for a winter closet. Opt for shades like biking red, chilli pepper, tiger orange, dark cheddar and almond brown. Trench coats in unpretentious hues such as evening sky deep blue, earthy and almond brown would also be a classy addition to the closet of those who prefer neutral tones over bold ones.

 However, as we gradually move to building a responsible, season-less, multipurpose and intelligent wardrobe, winter-ready closet is an achievable goal with the help of layering as opposed to being restrictive with choices. Key pieces from spring, summer and fall can be repurposed and layered to build winter looks. For example, a summer sleeveless dress paired with a thick turtleneck is super stylish yet functional. Or the spring beige trench coat can be pulled out from the closet and paired with a striped shirt, jeans and thigh-high boots.

Spring

The key piece worth investing this season is a trench coat in any shade of beige, as it is the hottest colour of Spring 2019. Be it coffee, camel, soybean, cinnamon, fawn, toffee, potter’s clay, vanilla or chestnut, beige is sliding into everyone’s wardrobe. It transitions well from spring to summer and is universally flattering regardless of skin colour, shape, size, gender or age. Mix up the floral dress. When everything seems to be in bloom, it's natural to choose floral prints. Instead of the standard spring dress, switch things up by choosing a matching floral crop top and skirt, or mix two different floral prints. Embrace white sneakers. Sneakers are a great choice for spring when it's not quite hot enough for sandals but too warm for booties. White sneakers add a fresh, clean note to your spring look.

Fall/Autumn

When it is rainy, cold and grey outside, bright neon colours come to rescue. Fall calls for blouses, shirts and skirts made from velvet, tweed, corduroy, flannel and wool to stay warm. Quick drying fabrics like polyester, organza, georgette, and nylon are wardrobe essentials to combat rainy days; especially when it is drizzling outside but not very cold.