I got a pair of whiskey knee-high boots at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I mentioned at the time that I wanted to get a bag to match and complement them, and since then I’ve bought one for a song that’s a beautiful tonal match. Of course, I won’t always wear them together, but now I have the option when I’m in the mood for matching.

It turns out that my old toffee pieces like a thirteen-year-old Burberry scarf, a ten-year-old cashmere wrap, a seventeen-year-old studded belt, an eight-year-old short puffer, and a one-year-old pleather moto jacket work well with the new boots and bag. Most of these items aren’t a perfect colour match, but they create outfit cohesion and look great when worn together nonetheless.

I find it tremendously satisfying when old wardrobe items work well with new ones. It makes it easier to create outfits that look pulled together, and refreshes the way I wear old items. In some cases, it makes me fall back in love with old items that I haven’t worn for a while.

When my items relate to each other in some way, I definitely get better use out of them and have them in my wardrobe for longer.