Building A capsule wardrobe
New Year a new wardrobe? No way! Let’s just go shopping in your wardrobe it’s the most sustainable way to create a capsule wardrobe for you. And with some excellent styling tips you’ll be loving your outfits.
I have rails of clothes and I love and wear all of them but occasionally I have decision fatigue, so I create edits of my wardrobe to suit my different needs and requirements. Mini capsule wardrobes are also an option so it’s important to understand your needs. Not everyone needs a capsule wardrobe but most people could use a wardrobe edit! The goal is your want to look at your clothes and feel good about yourself, feel better, even feel ecstatic! Ok, maybe not always ecstatic but clothes can add a lot of value to your day-to-day life and we all have to wear clothes so the least we can do is make them work for us.
Will a capsule wardrobe work for you?
By limiting the number of clothes you own and you can ensure that they are versatile and really loved. Every time you open your closet you should feel good. A good edit or capsule wardrobe makes it easier to choose an outfit each day and reduces the strain on your brain. A capsule wardrobe also saves time by streamlining the shopping process and eliminating the need to rummage through a cluttered closet. Additionally, a capsule wardrobe is more sustainable because it is focused on timeless, high-quality pieces that are worn frequently and do not contribute to fast fashion waste.
How to get started
To create a capsule wardrobe, start by evaluating the items in your current closet. Consider how often you wear each piece and whether it fits your lifestyle and activities. Keep your favorite clothing items and analyze why you love them to get a sense of your personal style, preferred colours, flattering cuts, and preferred fabric.
Next, decide on a number of clothing items for each type of clothing, taking into account factors such as the climate, lifestyle, and laundry frequency.
Choosing a color scheme with neutral colors like white, black, grey, navy, or cream gives you lots of ways to mix and match. Choose a few accent colours that suit your skin tone and that you really love, this help to let your personality and style shine thought. Colour influences how you feel and how others react to you. A capsule wardrobe is never boring (when done thoughtfully).
What is the key to a capsule wardrobe?
Styling - styling is an enabler! You either need to hire a professional or really re-look at what you’re doing and how you’re using your accessories. They are an easy way to express your personality. Do you like hats or are belts your thing? Play with layers, try different combinations of your items - some won’t work - you’ll know right away but a different combination can be exhilarating. And these are already items you have in your wardrobe!
Select clothes that flatter your body type and consider what fabrics you like always opting for sustainable and breathable materials like linen and organic cotton. Be tough and remove items from your wardrobe that do not fit you right now, that you don’t love and that don’t fit the criteria or edit for your capsule wardrobe. It’s easy to let go of an unwanted yet still loved item when you have the right person to give it to, someone you’ll know who will love it and then you can consider donating or selling the pieces that no longer serve you.
Look for interesting details in wardrobe staple like this Circle Dress by Sarah Regensburger
Add basic clothing staples that are versatile and can be mixed and matched. Basic doesn’t mean boring - you need to choose an item that you can build on. I have a cream sweater with a big red heart on it and I can build several looks with this sweater, but it’s easier to create a capsule wardrobe with solid colours but if you love patterns include a few timeless patterned items. Think quality over quantity.
We love this Abstract Animal. A printed dress can be worn easily under a jacket or layered with sweater vest and belt.
Some peronal stylists will tell you that you need x number of tops x trousers x dresses = 20 looks etc Regardless of this number and there isn’t a magic number of items. You will need to explore this and see what really works for you. Maybe you have a cocktail dress in your wardrobe - that you love and fits you perfectly - it still might belong in your capsule wardrobe or it might not… A couple of months ago I bought a wonderful cream fluffy Stella McCarney coat secondhand. I asked the woman why she was selling - she said she loved it but had two toddlers and she didn’t think she’d wear it for another 7 years or so, so she wanted to sell it. Be practical when editing your wardrobe.
Don't forget to also add coats, shoes, and accessories to your capsule wardrobe. If you live in a four-season climate, keep only the clothes that are appropriate for the current season in your capsule and store the rest. This will take the stress out of seeing items that you can’t wear.
As you wear items from your capsule wardrobe, pay attention to what works and what doesn't, and make adjustments as needed. Nothing is set in stone.
Fashion doesn’t have to be complicated. It can make your life easier and make you feel good. So many of us feel that clothing shouldn’t have the power to make us feel good, or give us energy, confidence or self-esteem, but it does and it’s an easy language to navigate with a bit of help from a stylist!