Sarah Abouelkhair’s ‘The Wardrobe Method’ Makes Shopping Into a Game

The Wardrobe Method, a brainchild of gaming company 2oolameme founders Sarah Abouelkhair and Abdelrahman Selim, has launched with its first capsule, titled 'World Domination Uniform'.

The collection includes 12 different 'Level 1' pieces meant to create 45 outfits, all put together especially for women who spend their mornings searching for something to wear. "Level 1 is the base: the pieces you wear constantly and stop noticing because they just work," Abouelkhair explains.

Other launches may include what Abouelkhair calls Level 2 and Level 3 pieces, which are items meant for special occasions. For now, she wants to focus on clothes women are excited to wear when they get dressed every day.

In Abouelkhair's opinion, “Most women don’t need another statement piece." Instead, The Wardrobe Method encourages women to think of their closets as cohesive entities. Every piece from the first capsule pairs with every other piece.

It is a mission that Abouelkhair found when looking in her own closet. “I’m not a fashion girl, and I never have been,” she admits. Shopping felt like a chore to her, and she often found herself in stores unable to determine what went well together. “I realised I was treating my wardrobe as a problem to be solved, the same way I’d approach anything at work.”

And The Wardrobe Method was her solution. The website is a game of its own, allowing shoppers to play a collage-like dress-up game with pieces from the capsules. It ensures that the buyer figures out how they'd like to style the garments before they arrive, something Abouelkhair herself has struggled with. Confident shoppers in a hurry can even buy entire outfits in one click. Abouelkhair is adamant that shopping should not be a chore but should instead feel like play.

In a world of fast fashion, The Wardrobe Method offers an alternative to overconsumption. “Fast fashion is built on the idea that you’ll get bored and come back next week,” explains Abouelkhair. The Wardrobe Method's capsules work in the opposite direction. The clothing customers receive is intended to be worn continuously, for years, encouraging people to buy less yet wear clothes they love more.

While the first capsule is meant to include everyday items that work for everyone, future launches will include special-occasion and evening pieces. "They're designed to work with Capsule 01 and the rest of your wardrobe, so you're adding to a system you already have, not starting from scratch," says Abouelkhair.