The one-sweater test.
Before you buy anything, ask whether you would wear it twice a week.
Here is a simple way to shop less and love more of what you own: imagine wearing it twice a week for a whole season. If that sounds like a pleasure, buy it. If it sounds like a chore, walk away.
Why a sweater?
Because a good sweater is the hardest-working thing in a closet. It goes over a silk shirt to the office, with jeans to the farmers market and over a dress when the restaurant is cold. It has to be soft, hold its shape and look right in every one of those places.
What to look for
Natural fiber, ideally cashmere or fine merino. A shape that is relaxed but not sloppy. A color that sits next to most of what you own: oatmeal, camel, grey, navy or cream. Ribbed cuffs that spring back after a day of pushing up sleeves.
Then apply it to everything
Shoes, bags, even a scarf. Twice a week, all season. It is surprising how few things pass, and how much calmer the closet feels when only those remain.
