The method: see your style, then shop with a filter

Step 1: Find your Fashion Words

Choose about three words that describe how you want your style to feel – for example minimalistic, feminine, relaxed or oversized, sporty, tailored. No combination is better than another; they simply describe different style identities. Your Fashion Words become your first filter. Instead of asking "Do I like this?", you ask: "Does this belong in the style I want to create?"

Step 2: Identify your Style Icons

Pick two or three people whose style you keep saving. The point is not to copy them, but to notice what they have in common – oversized silhouettes, neutral colours, relaxed tailoring, feminine shoes, minimal accessories. Those patterns are evidence of your own taste, and they give you a focused source of inspiration instead of endless scrolling.

Step 3: Find Your Place

Find a place where you feel like the best version of yourself – a café in Copenhagen, a shopping day in Paris, your office on a good day. When you're unsure about a piece, ask: "Would I wear this in My Place?" If yes, it probably belongs in your wardrobe. If not, you can still think it's beautiful – it just doesn't have to be yours. Your Place is the difference between "I like this" and "This is me".

What belongs in your 80%

Your 80% is the foundation of your wardrobe: pieces that pass your Personal Style Filter, fit your real life, can be worn often and in many ways, work with what you already own, and that you can see yourself wearing for years. Importantly, your 80% is not a universal list of basics. One person's foundation might be feminine dresses and ballet flats; another's might be oversized tailoring, denim and sneakers. The question isn't "Is this a classic?" but "Is this a classic in my wardrobe and my life?"

Build your 80% around your real life

Many people build a wardrobe for a life they don't actually live – shopping for holidays, dinners and parties, but not for an ordinary Monday. A strong 80% piece has range: the same jeans can work with sneakers and a knit for a relaxed day, and with loafers, a blazer and jewellery for the office. A useful question: "How many versions of my real life can I wear this in?"

What belongs in your 20%

Your 20% gives your wardrobe personality and newness: trend pieces, statement accessories, interesting shoes, jewellery, colour, unusual shapes and seasonal details. The 20% is what keeps the method from becoming a restrictive minimalist wardrobe. It doesn't remove fashion or trends – it gives them the right role.

Special occasions: change the feeling, not the outfit

Instead of buying something new for every event, keep your foundation and change the feeling with your 20%:

• Everydayjeans + simple top + knit + sneakers.
• Polishedsame jeans + top + blazer + loafers + structured bag.
• Eveningsame foundation + interesting shoes + statement earrings + evening bag.

The wardrobe does more work without containing more clothes.

What the 80/20 rule is not

It is not a capsule wardrobe checklist, a list of "20 basics every woman needs", a rigid minimalist system or a rule against shopping or trends. Two people using the method can end up with completely different wardrobes – that is the point.