I am fairly confident that we are all familiar with the capsule wardrobe concept by now, but in case you aren’t, let me summarize it for you. It is a collection of your favorite staple clothing items, those tried and true pieces. You know, the ones you always grab? Yep, those!
Intermixed with seasonal items and layers when needed, capsules can look different for everyone, but they tend to be around 30-ish items that you can mix and match to make multiple new outfits. The whole idea of a capsule wardrobe is for it to be small and compact. Think minimalism, but for clothes!
I was introduced to this concept a few years ago and since then, I have been ever so slowly converting myself to that capsule life.
I watched one of the fashion bloggers I follow on Instagram, and as she explained her wardrobe, it just clicked and I was suddenly very interested! I found myself thinking; I basically already do this, but I just have a ton of extra clothes that hang in my closet, collect dust, and randomly get tried on only to be once again hung up without being worn.
So, logically the first step was to gut out my closet! I didn’t go into this process with a certain end goal clothing number in mind. I gave myself the freedom to love it or leave it if you will. I asked three questions as I held up or tried on each piece of clothing.
- Do I like this?
- Have I worn this?
- Will I wear this?
These questions made it easy to answer and keep my thoughts in check when I found myself wanting to justify keeping something ‘just because.’ I’ve learned that if you have to convince yourself you’ll wear it or talk yourself into something, chances are it needs to go!
I started with that initial closet purge, but have since done it a few more times. Each consecutive time I see my capsule emerge more and more all on its own. Colors, textures, and styles that I tend to gravitate towards are the same ones I actually wear. What a concept!
If you are new to the capsule wardrobe world and want to give it a try, I definitely recommend just starting by looking at the pieces you love and wear most often. Chances are those will be a great foundation to begin with and build around. Gut the excess, the clothes that you know you never wear or don’t love on your body. Then you can work on filling in the gaps; buying the missing pieces in your capsule that you find yourself wishing you had while getting dressed.
I like to say that my closet and capsule wardrobe is a constant work in progress.
I am always learning and refining what I want it to look like, all while trying to remain realistic with what I know I actually tend to wear most of the time. I have learned that while I can love something on someone else, or even on the hanger, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I will love it on myself. The whole point of having a capsule wardrobe is that it is all YOURS. It is about what you love, wear, and feel good in. For me, it means lots of neutrals (surprise, surprise), basics, dresses, blue jeans, and easily layer-able pieces.
Capsules can be swapped out throughout the year as well. I know for me, I tend to organize it by Spring/Summer and then Fall/Winter. This helps me truly see what I have for those seasons and then better know if there is anything I am missing and need to shop for.
I certainly am not an expert on this topic, but I am a huge fan! 10/10 would definitely recommend giving it a shot. If you have joined the capsule wardrobe world and have any more tips, drop them below! I’d love to hear them.
