I fell for the “new year, new me” cliche this year and went hard for the wardrobe reset. But instead of the familiar ritual of starting with gusto, dragging every single item out of the wardrobe, piling them on the bed and then abandoning the task when I got overwhelmed, I used a digital wardrobe app to make the sorting easier. I used Indyx, but apps like Whering, Stylebook, Acloset, and Fits all offer similar functionality.
As a stylist, it is my job to select beautiful pieces of clothing and accessories to create standout looks for others. But like most people, I tend to gravitate towards the familiar for myself when I’m feeling uninspired, leaving items lingering at the back of my wardrobe. It’s a cycle of repetition – I keep adding to my overflowing collection, updating it with fresh pieces, and forgetting what I actually own and what I need. Sound familiar? According to research by second-hand fashion platform Loopi, about a third of the clothes we own are never worn. If I’m brutally honest, my stats for hardly-worn clothes are probably higher.
This sense of detachment from wardrobes was what prompted the creation of Indyx. “We were trying to solve the disconnect between how much people own and how little clarity they feel about their wardrobes and getting dressed. It’s the classic ‘closet full of clothes but nothing to wear’,” says co-founder Devon Rule.
“We tend to shop in items but live life in outfits – and, it’s really hard to visualise those outfits from your own closet without a tool to help. Once you can visualise your closet and really try out different combinations, before you buy, better decisions become so much easier.”
READ MORE
Indyx allows app users to upload images of their clothes (from pictures they find online, or take themselves on their phone), put together outfits, and get styled by other users. But it also provides analytics on the make-up of your wardrobe – from colour breakdowns to category splits.
Digitising your entire wardrobe, I’m not going to lie, is very time-consuming. But utilising some downtime in January, I slowly made my way through mine, mixing product imagery of items I found online and my own photos. I always thought I didn’t have enough tops, but Indyx proved me wrong – it’s the biggest category, taking up 25 per cent of my wardrobe, with shoes a close second and outerwear coming in third. Seeing it laid out surprised me – it can be easy to forget what you have until you see it itemised and visualised.
Once that task was complete, then came the fun part: putting together outfits. I felt like I was playing a fashion game, but with my own wardrobe. Dressing in the cold, dreary January can be a challenge, but I forced myself to use the outfits I created on the app, and get dressed properly. All the hard work upfront paid off; it has saved me so much time in the morning when I would have been staring bleary-eyed at my wardrobe.
[ I decided to buy almost nothing in 2025. Here’s how it is goingOpens in new window ]
“When you clearly understand what you own and how it all works together, the urge to keep buying fades and the focus shifts to styling what you already have,” says Rule. The whole process forces you to take stock of what you have, identify gaps, and reveal habits like repeated purchases of the same silhouette or even similar items. “It shifts personal style from being a very abstract, fluffy concept to something you can actually see, measure, and learn from over time,” she adds.
As a stylist, I often advise clients to think of at least three ways to style something new within their existing wardrobe. Trained to be more nimble with pairing outfits, this is something I do regularly myself. A digital wardrobe app allows you to save all these looks, while adding an extra layer of insight, highlighting items that might not be as versatile as you thought they were.
Once I digitised my wardrobe and planned my outfits, I could more easily identify the pieces I no longer wear or that don’t serve my wardrobe well. When doing a clear-out, I categorise discarded items into charity, recycling, and resale. Charity shops are for anything that can still be worn but doesn’t have a resale value, while anything beyond repair goes to recycling. For resale, second-hand apps like Vinted, Depop, and Vestaire Collective come into play.
[ ‘No new gifts, please’: Meet the parents who swap rather than shopOpens in new window ]
Items that have been languishing at the back of your wardrobe can be easily resold, extending their lifespan and recouping some money, too. Much like digitising your wardrobe, resale requires some preparation and patience. Presentation is key – clean, crease-free items photographed in well-lit areas make a huge difference. Accurately describe the item and provide plenty of information on sizing, colour, etc to avoid a flurry of questions and reduce admin. Lastly, do some research and see what similar items are being listed for and price accordingly. Haggling is common; consider pricing lower or bundling items together for speedier sales.
At the end of the process, my wardrobe feels lighter and more manageable. I got to work remerchandising and colour-blocking it, rather than lumping similar items together. Visually, it looks more pleasing and makes getting dressed easier. I feel like I’m shopping my own wardrobe, no longer just automatically reaching for the same items on rotation. Going into the new season now, I can see clearly what will add value to my wardrobe: will it fill a gap, or is it a fleeting impulse?
