Photo courtesy of Faith Lee.
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Fashion is built on trends, but every trend eventually makes a comeback. Everyone owns something they keep in the back of their closet until it’s ‘back in style’, whether it’s a polka dot dress from 2013 or the leather pants you’ve been holding onto since 1998. What was once ‘outdated’ eventually becomes a viral vintage moment with aesthetics like Y2K being the perfect example. So, how should you curate a wardrobe that is truly timeless when these trends rotate in and out like a revolving door?
Kenchen Bharwani, a fashion consultant at Empire Apparel LLC and an off-price fashion specialist shared her advice on curating a sustainable closet built around timeless staples. “A good wardrobe ages like fine wine, making you the envy of your friends when you can pull out a classic piece that’s back in vogue,” Kenchen explains, “there’s staples that are always classic but often have a viral moment, like a preppy blazer, a white button-up shirt, and mom jeans”.
Read on to find out more about Kenchen’s journey in off-price fashion and her advice on creating a capsule closet that you can effortlessly transition from one season to the next.
How to choose timeless wardrobe staples
There are some classic pieces everyone needs in their closet. Kenchen recommends starting your wardrobe essentials with pieces that are truly “ageless”. The jeans that fit you like a glove, workwear-appropriate black trousers, and a cotton shirt you can wear through every season.
There’s a word of warning with this advice from Kenchen, who is keen to emphasize that “Not all garments are made equal. Instead of ordering a white shirt from your favorite fast fashion brand, invest in a high-quality version from Banana Republic as it’ll last for years longer in your closet, and these classic pieces often go on sale!”.
Cotton is one of the fabrics she recommends focusing on, calling it one of the “unsung heroes of a capsule wardrobe, as they travel well and only get better with age”. Other essentials to add to your shopping list include classic straight or slim leg jeans, a well-tailored wool coat, and a black blazer. These timeless staples can stay in constant rotation in your closet, giving you a better cost-per-wear than any fast fashion garment will.
It’s easy to be tempted to pull apart your closet and start again. However, this is another trap people fall into, and it can be counterproductive if you’re trying to be more eco-conscious. “Don’t be too aggressive when decluttering, because trends are circular, and you can find yourself buying back the pieces you get rid of within the next year,” Kenchen warns.
Choosing the right fabric for each season
While most of the pieces in your capsule closet will be suitable for wearing year-round, it’s important to consider seasonal pieces and choose the right fabrics. As part of Kenchen’s work in off-price fashion, she often identifies high-quality surplus textiles that can be repurposed into on-trend pieces.
“There are certain fabrics I’m always looking out for, especially when they’re more sustainable to start with, such as sherpa, twill, recycled cotton and polyester,” Kenchen shares, before recounting how one of her recent projects had involved repurposing surplus sherpa and printed knit fabric into cozy socks that became a holiday season best-seller. Choosing the right fabric will give you pieces that wear better with time, making it easier to enjoy your capsule closet from one season to the next.
Combining timeless essentials with contemporary trends
Most guides for capsule closets feature the same items, and it’s easy to feel like you have to stick to these suggestions. In reality, there are plenty of ways to combine timeless essentials with contemporary trends, especially if you stick to a neutral color palette.
“If you walk into JCPenney, you’ll see that relaxed tailoring is having a major moment, giving power dressing a more casual look. You can pull out that 3-year old Liz Claiborne blazer and make it look more modern with a white tank top,” Kenchen suggests, having been responsible for the style selections of JCPenney’s surplus inventory purchase on behalf of Empire Apparel LLC using trend forecasting to identify how older pieces can be positioned to work with newer trends.
Buying a new closet isn’t cheap, but discount stores can make both timeless and trendy pieces more accessible. “Off-price fashion isn’t only last season’s leftovers, and you’ll often find everything you need at a discount retailer without compromising on quality,” Kenchen shares, having worked with discount retailers and brands across the U.S. and globally.
Her last piece of advice? “Don’t get rid of those wide-leg pants or chunky sneakers. Trust me, they’ll be back. Instead, buy smarter and make more purposeful clothing choices that will work with at least three items you already have in your closet”.
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