1. Buy a suit.

It’s the one piece you need this January. Why? Because it’s like four outfits in one. Because you can wear it from work to cocktail hour to black tie. Because Katharine Hepburn. Because Marlene Dietrich. Because Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent.

 

2. Break free from the capsule wardrobe.

Here’s why you don’t need to whittle down your closet to a tight edit of neutral-coloured staples: 1. Wearing said staples more often will speed up wear and tear. 2. Some clothes – like the “lucky” LBD you were wearing when you met your BF – are sartorial memories. 3. Marie Kondo-ing your life is so 2016. (Woman cannot live on Acne Studios linen T-shirts alone.) Instead, adopt the one-in, one-out rule this year. It’s an approach that is mindful but not militant.

 

3. Go for the middle ground.

Your reply to the question “Heels or flats?” can reveal as much about your personality as the Proust Questionnaire. Keep ’em guessing with the chunky mid-heel. It’s the perfect compromise between sneaks and stilettos.

 

4. Get organized.

What’s the next best thing to a Cher Horowitz revolving closet? A closet-organization app. We like VeeV (free for iOS and Android), which acts like your own stylist. It remembers when you last wore that bomber-jacket-culottes combo, dreams up new OOTDs and will attempt to recreate that look you pinned from your fave street-style blog with clothes you actually have. If only it could get you that matcha latte too.

 

Text by Liz Guber & Carli Whitwell.

This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of ELLE Canada.