| When you get to a certain age it slowly starts to | | | | wardrobe. The next step is to check that you have |
| dawn on us ladies that over the years we've | | | | the 10 or so essential clothes items that every |
| probably accumulated more clothes in our wardrobe | | | | woman, no matter what her age, should have. These |
| (not to mention the spare bedroom's wardrobes, | | | | are the clothes it is worth spending a little more on - |
| every chests of drawers in the house, all the bedside | | | | spend wisely and they will form the basis of your |
| tables, the attics, under the bed, kitchen drawers and | | | | outfit every day, whatever the occasion. |
| even in the garage) than we could possibly wear in a | | | | These include well fitting underwear, a versatile silk |
| year. And yet we never have anything to wear! | | | | scarf or pashmina and beautifully cut separates that |
| If that sounds like you then follow these few basic | | | | you can mix and match. Ensure you have a tailored |
| guidelines and not only will you suddenly have tons of | | | | jacket or blazer that you can dress up or down and |
| space in your home for important things like the | | | | invest in a cashmere or wool coat in a classic colour |
| grandchildren's letters and pictures, but you will also | | | | and cut as it will go with everything and last you |
| have a streamlined capsule wardrobe and always | | | | years and years. |
| something nice to wear. | | | | If you don't already, next sort out your wardrobe in |
| Firstly - be ruthless. Sort through your clothes and | | | | to winter and summer clothes. Now's the perfect |
| throw everything that you haven't worn in the last | | | | time to pack away all your summer skirts and linen |
| year in to the charity shop pile. If all the four seasons | | | | dresses. Take a little time to fold them properly, |
| have passed and you haven't worn something then it | | | | place tissue paper in between, and remember to pop |
| is extremely unlikely you are going to wear it ever | | | | in a little sachet of lavender, and you'll be rewarded |
| again. Don't hold on to anything that's too small in the | | | | next year with a summer wardrobe that's ready to |
| (vain!) hope that you will slim in to it one day. | | | | go as soon as the sun comes out. |
| Next, sort out the remaining clothes in to different | | | | Finally colour code your clothes. Some people advise |
| colours. How many colours do you have? Most | | | | hanging skirts and jackets and so on together but I |
| people over forty should stick to a basic palette | | | | would recommend that you put similar colours |
| consisting of a few colours that they know suit | | | | together. Not only will this look much nicer it suddenly |
| them. If there's a little top or blouse standing out on | | | | becomes so easy to find things. If you haven't the |
| its own because it's lime green, or custard yellow | | | | space to hang everything, put similar tops and |
| then are you really sure the colour's you? If not, then | | | | jumpers together in to clear boxes so you can see |
| bung it in the charity pile! | | | | what is inside or label them on the outside. |
| Anything that's torn or a bit dirty then put into a | | | | All this will only take a couple of hours or so and it's |
| rubbish pile, as however nice you look in something | | | | well worth the effort. You may never say you have |
| there is nothing worse than stains or bursting seams. | | | | nothing to wear ever again! |
| Now you have the start of your ideal capsule | | | | |