The World Beyond the Wardrobe

Lin Nian's closet was crammed with clothes, yet she always found herself staring blankly before heading out. One day, she happened upon the idea of a capsule wardrobe: a small number of classic pieces that could be mixed and matched in endless ways. She emptied her closet, keeping just 20 basics, including a white shirt, black trousers, and a trench coat. At first she worried her outfits would look dull, but she soon found she could get ready in five minutes each day. Her coworkers even asked if she'd bought new clothes again. One weekend, standing before her spacious, empty closet, she smiled. She had fewer clothes, but a fuller life: an extra half hour of sleep in the morning, money saved for trips to distant places, and a whole life filling the space she'd cleared.