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Wardrobe Essentials in Your Thirties

The thirties are usually when a wardrobe stops being accumulated and starts being chosen. The essentials shift from quantity to fit and quality.

Wardrobe Essentials1 min readPublished Maya Elliot

In short

  • Replace the worn-out favourites. The pieces you wear most are usually the oldest and most tired.
  • One properly good coat. This is the decade to stop buying a cheap coat every second winter.
  • Tailoring is worth the money now. Hemming and taking in costs little and makes mid-price clothes look considerably better than expensive ill-fitting ones.

The thirties are usually when a wardrobe stops being accumulated and starts being chosen. The essentials shift from quantity to fit and quality.

Replace the worn-out favourites

The pieces you wear most are usually the oldest and most tired. Replacing your five most-worn items changes how the wardrobe feels more than anything new.

One properly good coat

This is the decade to stop buying a cheap coat every second winter. Cost per wear on outerwear is the strongest case in the wardrobe.

Tailoring is worth the money now

Hemming and taking in costs little and makes mid-price clothes look considerably better than expensive ill-fitting ones.

Where to focus

Where to focus

  • Replace your five most-worn pieces
  • One excellent coat
  • Well-fitting trousers, hemmed properly
  • Two quality knits rather than five cheap ones
  • Shoes that can be resoled
  • One outfit for occasions that arrive without notice

Frequently asked questions

What should I invest in during my thirties?

Outerwear, shoes that can be resoled, and tailoring. All three have the longest payback.

How much should I spend on clothes?

Less often, more each time. The total need not change; the distribution should.

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