“People are starting to rethink their relationship with clothing and with nowhere to go, more time is being spent organizing and decluttering as well as learning how to create a streamlined wardrobe,” says personal stylist Eunice Abe of the surge in search for capsule wardrobes during lockdown. Donating, selling or gifting items which no longer fit into your life is a great way to save them from landfill but the aim isn’t to mindlessly purge your wardrobe and start anew. It’s about whittling it down to a selection of thought-out pieces which will help you to resist the pull of passing trends. “Building a capsule wardrobe made up of core items not only helps me shop less and rewear my pieces over and over again,” Eunice says, “but also to not shop impulsively for the ‘next best thing’ to wear.” I feel the same way. Pre-pandemic, I felt an involuntary urge to shop whenever I saw a new look on Instagram but since rotating a steady collection of around 15 pieces, from crew-neck knitwear and plain, long-sleeved tees to straight-leg jeans and my trusty Birkenstocks, I’ve found it easier to put some distance between what I tell myself I want and what I really need.