I'm Refreshing My Closet—These 5 Items Are on the Chopping Block
Only weeks into January, I'm already pounding spirulina, eating more vegetables, cooking more at home, and reorganizing my apartment. The only thing left to tackle: my hectic closet. Since moving to L.A. from Brooklyn, I've been blessed with a walk-in closet, but the influx of room has ushered in a new problem of having way too many clothes. I've procrastinated a closet clean-out for months, but the zest of January has me on a tidying high.
First thing's first: editing out all of the pieces I'm either over or haven't touched in months. This includes trends way past their prime, pieces that are completely impractical for the L.A. weather and pieces that no longer do it for me. But I'm not just putting things on the backburner—I plan on replacing them with affordable staples that will get a ton of wear. For a full report of the pieces on the chopping block, you'll want to keep scrolling. Hopefully this gives you the push you need to get yourself together.
Phasing Out: Puffer CoatsPhasing In: Cloud Coats
Full disclosure: My puffer coats are going in the donation bin anytime soon (it's a classic!), but I'm definitely putting them at the back of my closet in favor of cloud coats. Technically a quilted coat, cloud coats are a little less bulky than their puffer counterparts, which means also way easier to layer. As the ice starts to melt, it's a piece that can easily transition into the spring.
Phasing Out: SweatsuitsPhasing In: Elevated Matching Sets
It's a weird time right now: Your couch is the office, and going to the office isn't really a regular part of my schedule anymore. (Except for those handfuls of work appointments sprinkled in between.) It's a lot. Matching sets easily oscillate between any and all of these occasions, especially in ways a sweatsuit can't. Another plus? They're equally comfy.
Phasing Out: Basic Separates
Phasing In: Quirky Staples
Minimalism will always have a place in my heart, but I'm putting simple pieces away for more trendy basics. I'm talking staples with a little detail to catch the eye like cool buttons, sweet ruffles, or a split hem.
Phasing Out: Short Dresses
Phasing In: Longer Lengths
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Get ready for the maxi-length era. As a person who's always favored longer lengths, I'm fully embracing the trend with skirts and dresses in longer lengths. I'll be stocking up on dresses especially, as it's a cold-weather staple in the dead of winter.
Phasing Out: Understated Prints
Phasing In: Bold Patterns
I'm welcoming a new phase of anti-wallflower dressing with a load of bold prints and patterns. From pigmented hues to vivid florals, it's time to be seen in 2022.
Next: 3 Colors to Wear If You Want to Look Trendy Right Now
Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter where she started working at Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her work at Who What Wear, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times.
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