Can the Rule of Three Solve All My Dressing Problems?
The New York Times
A reader, trying to build a capsule wardrobe, wonders if there is such a thing as a personal fashion trifecta.
There are actually many and varied rules of three in the world. Why? Because, as “Schoolhouse Rock” told us all in 1973, “three is a magic number.” It is the smallest number required to create a pattern, and patterns are how humans process information.
People love triads. We have three branches of government, three witches in “Macbeth,” three body paragraphs in the classic five-paragraph essay to make an argument. The holy trinity. The three wise men. The Three Stooges, the three bears. I could go on.
As the Romans said, “omne trium perfectum.” Which translates as, “everything that comes in threes is perfect.” That may be taking it a bit far, but you get the idea.