A QUICK-START GUIDE TO CREATING A CAPSULE WARDROBE
If you stress about what to wear on regular basis, it might be time to pare down, get rid of the excess, and get yourself a capsule wardrobe.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
In a nutshell, a capsule wardrobe is a very well-curated closet of items that you want to wear regularly.
The process of creating a capsule wardrobe for yourself often includes:
- Taking inventory of all the clothing items you own
- Donating or tossing items that are damaged, don’t fit well, or have been unworn for years
- Reviewing what remains in your closet and shopping for items that can fill in any gaps
- Finally, the process is repeated each season to account for weather
Some people choose to add the additional goal of limiting themselves to a magic number of clothing items, but the goal is really to find whatever works for you. If you can make the process as tailored to your individual needs as possible the better results you’ll get.
So, here are a couple of essential questions that you’ll want to keep in the forefront of your mind as you go through the process:
- What does my normal day/week look like?
Ultimately, you can have the most incredible closet of clothes, but if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle in the slightest, you’re always going to be struggling with not having anything to wear. Being realistic about the lifestyle you lead right now, will help you make better choices.
For example, a woman who has been in the corporate world her whole life and is now taking time to raise children will not likely be comfortable in her beloved suits and office wear while tending to messy, active kids. So, for the time being, her capsule wardrobe may include more casual (but still stylish) denim, t-shirts, activewear, perhaps even a colorful linen blazer for lunches with girlfriends.
In this way, every person’s capsule collection could be different. If you live in Florida maybe half your capsule collection is swimwear and coverups- if that works for your actual lifestyle, by all means, go for it!
- What is my signature style?
In addition to considering your lifestyle, your own personal style should guide how you select what becomes a closet staple. Capsule wardrobe enthusiasts will often tout the benefits of sticking to ‘basics’ that go with everything, like a white t-shirt or dark, straight-leg denim. The truth is, if you wouldn’t normally wear it, it probably has no business being in your capsule wardrobe. Maybe for you, an item like a sequined skirt is a wardrobe staple, or perhaps you’re the kind of person who would never be caught wearing black. Another person may only wear black and so their capsule wardrobe is all separates pieces in the same dark hue. The point is we all have different tastes- clothing is a chance to project our individual personalities and our wardrobe should reflect that.
At the end of the day, if you love to wear something, it makes you feel great, and works with your lifestyle- there’s a good chance that it would do well in your capsule wardrobe.