Tips and tricks and brands to know

Take inspiration from the 2023 cohort, plus where they put their money

2023 alums: The Guardian’s coverage of Rule of Five

Welcome on board for 2024! Rule of 5 is a radical fashion diet for some, and a walk in the park for others - it just depends on your relationship with shopping. Me? I found it quite hard. I’m glad I persevered, in the end it brought me joy. That, and the relief I was living more responsibly. It takes determination like any diet, but beware - it does get tricky around summer vacation or any length of time in a different climate. But, as I wrote in The Guardian this week:

I had more fun with fashion this past year than ever before, as I turned to rental, alteration, swapping, borrowing and mending. I shopped my own wardrobe and found many unworn treasures (according to Wrap (Waste and Resources Action Programme) we only wear 20-30% of our wardrobes), meanwhile I was forced to consider my own personal style rather than one prescribed to me by catwalks or Instagram. Maybe the bow thing is not for me, and Tomato Girl summer worked better on TikTok.

So - 9 days in, hopefully you haven’t fallen off the wagon yet (stay away from the sales, they are dangerous!). If you do, don’t panic, just reset. Do you want to end the year having bought 5, 7, 10, 20 or 30 things? Buying less than last year is progress. Reducing to 5 will bring you the good stuff - if you use moments of need to resort to new, circular fashion strategies such as relining a forgotten jacket, taking up a discarded pair of trousers, reimagining a dress, renting an outrageously coloured overcoat for February when the world seems so dull, planning a swapping party, mending a much loved pair of shoes - you will start to really treasure your wardrobe and define your style. Because it will be the style you chose for yourself, rather than one prescribed to you by algorithms.

You will also mend your relationship with shopping if you slow it all down. No more panic buying, impulse purchasing, trend victim behaviour. Work out what you need and then spend time tracking it down. You may be able to afford to spend a little more because if you do this right, each of your 5 things should last you several years. If you are like me and others, Rule of 5 may become a way of life. You don’t want to be replacing everything you buy every year. You want to be building a wardrobe, not maintaining it.

First step is a proper wardrobe audit - what’s in there, what’s missing? I wrote about some strategies here. You can take it one step further and digitise your wardrobe - Save Your Wardrobe have an app for that, as do Style Book. Those that do plan and photograph every outfit day by day, swear by it. Please let me know if you already use one and have had a good experience - it would be great to share with the group.

I’m not this organised. (Does this need to change?). The ex magazine editor

Jo Elvin

does a Week on a Wall on her socials - she spends Sunday afternoon planning her outfit diary and then hangs it all up ready to go. Fabulously admirable but I’m lucky if I manage it the day before - I do quite like lying in bed at night and working out the next day’s wardrobe as I fall asleep. And weather - no planning for that. For days when I don’t need to dress up I have a shelf of comfortable loungewear I can reach for before the school run/dog walk/bike ride. This is never my best look, I am going to try and sort this out as a 2024 goal. Tracksuit bottoms must know their place.

So, have you started thinking what your first purchase might be? The fun lies in zeroing in on what it is, then finding it. For me it was a white shirt last year (how I tracked down my perfect one); this year it’s the turn of the white t-shirt. Boring purchase I know, but it’s such a staple - I wear one with jackets and jeans, black trousers, layered under treasured wool sweaters, tucked into statement trousers and skirts. For me, it’s an essential wardrobe building block. I like mine close cropped and round necked, with a cropped sleeve and super, super soft cotton. I wear it a lot, so it’s going to need to be good quality to last. Check out this instagram post as I’ve been given some great brand recommendations to explore.

Finally, below are some tips and the shopping lists from the Guardian’s Rule of 5 women. When you do take more care over what you’re buying, it seems like you hunt down small, interesting, independent brands. Many of these are new to me and I’m looking forward to discovering them.

Enjoy their recommendations, and enjoy your planning! Let me know what your first purchase is in the comments below.

Tiff x

Jane Shepherdson – fashion retail consultant, London

Jane’s jumpsuit and bag

What were the five items you bought new? I confess I tried to cheat, counting a two-piece suit as one item, but I came clean. I also bought a sweatshirt from Amy Powney’s Mother of Pearl brand. Then I bought an Ulla Johnson jumpsuit, reduced to £150 from £450, something I have been searching for, forever. My last purchase came when my little cross body bag bit the dust after years of service. I tried to find one secondhand, but couldn’t find the right size, so I bought a burgundy Isabel Marant bag, which I will wear for ever.

Did you do anything else to make your wardrobe more sustainable? I rented a green velvet Vampire’s Wife dress for a wedding. I also altered two pairs of trousers – my local tailor made one fit properly, and cropped the other to make them look more contemporary. And I bought an electric wool shaver to de-pill all my knitwear. It is a gamechanger!

Emma Hakansson – activist, political assistant and author of Total Ethics Fashion, Melbourne, Australia

Emma’s treasured loafers

What were the five items you bought new? I was given a pair of loafers and a handbag that fits my laptop (both ethically made, free from animal-derived materials). I also bought a beautiful, silky Tencel skirt from local brand A.BCH after chatting with the two people who cut the fabric and sewed it – I loved that. I was also given a T-shirt from the New York City Animal Liberation march I spoke at. I can still buy one more thing – there are a couple I’m still considering!

Emma Hakansson’s loafers.

Did you do anything else to make your wardrobe more sustainable? I sent clothes in for Citizen Wolf’s Black Fridye, an initiative that aims to usurp Black Friday. Instead of encouraging you to buy new, you pay them to responsibly dye your clothes black if they’re stained or unloved. A friend gave me a pink linen shirt at an office clothing swap and I loved the shape, but pink didn’t suit my skin tone.

What advice can you offer those wanting to cut back? Learn to appreciate clothing you see online in the same way you appreciate art – admiration doesn’t mean you need to buy it. And love the clothes you have: there are plenty of outfits you haven’t thought about yet among what you already own.

Jessica Stanley – merchandising, the Cotswolds

Jessica’s Breton stripe T-shirt from Ivy the Brand.

What were the five items you bought new? I bought an excellent quality Breton stripe T-shirt from Ivy the Brand, a pair of Maje cargo trousers, a pair of straight leg jeans from River Island, a pair of Birkenstock suede clogs and a cream knitted waistcoat from An’ge. I also bought a few secondhand items from Instagram sellers, which satisfied my need to play into trends.

Did you do anything else to make your wardrobe more sustainable? I shopped my husband’s wardrobe, stealing one of his suit jackets to wear to a wedding. Previously I would have scoured Zara last minute and got something delivered. I also attended some swap shops – the best piece I got was a vintage Topshop denim boiler suit which I wore all year. And my friend and I swapped woolly hats: she got my Ganni and I got her AMI.

Nicky McChrystal – runs a small children’s lifestyle brand, Leicestershire

Four down, one to go … Nicky McChrystal’s purchases.

What were the five items you bought new? As the mother of a five- and a three-year-old, all my jeans have holes in the knees. I bought a new pair in January and another in November. I’d wanted new trainers for about a year so I researched before plunging for some NB 327s. We went on our first holiday abroad since 2019, so I bought a new bikini from Away That Day, which uses recycled nylon. They took one of my old swimsuits to recycle.

Did you do anything else to make your wardrobe more sustainable? I had a wedding in March and rented a Self Portrait dress from Hurr. The renter sent me garment tape to keep it in place.

Dalbir Bains – career coach, London

Dalbir’s shirt

What were the five items you bought new? A black and white Stine Goya trouser suit was the best thing I bought – it’s timeless and will be in my wardrobe for years to come. Two dresses, one from Arket, one from Anthropologie, and a Project AJ117 shirt.

Did you do anything else to make your wardrobe more sustainable? I have some beautiful bright blue Tibi jeans I never wear because they are long and require heels. I finally accepted that I’m never going to wear heels, so I had them shortened and have already worn them several times.

How did you manage buying less this year? I asked myself questions before every purchase – do you have somewhere to wear it? Do you already have something similar? Will you get multiple wears out of it? Is it something you could rent? Those questions often resulted in me putting garments back on the rail.

This newsletter is a resource of tips, tricks and inspiration, better shopping directories and strategies. It will help you engage with mending, altering, swapping, borrowing, dress making (yes! 2024 goal) and second hand. It’s all free, but the more you support, the more I can give. And dare I suggest that by paying, you are also putting a downpayment on your commitment? I hope so!