By Jordin • 9 Comments
Have you heard of the growing trend called “Capsule Wardrobes”? It sounds kind of odd, maybe even impossible once you learn about. But I promise you it’s not as scary or difficult as you might think! A capsule wardrobe is where you pick a number of clothing items (usually 30-45) including shoes, and that is how many items you have in your closet. You rotate it by the season! You can choose some pieces that are basic, classic pieces that are appropriate every season. The other pieces you rotate would be things like sweaters in the winter or dresses in the summer. You don’t include underclothes, workout clothes, lounge clothes, accessories or cocktail dresses in this number, only your everyday basic wear. Ready to find out some tips for having a capsule wardrobe? Let’s dive in!
The first thing to remember is that you want to keep your items simple, classic, basic, and as neutral as possible. Neutral isn’t just black and white; neutral also includes navy, mint, leopard print, etc. Your goal is to have just about any piece in your closet match any other piece. This makes getting dressed a breeze and gives you almost endless options of outfits! It forces you to be creative! You can have a couple pieces that reflect personality, but try to stick with basic pieces that are versatile. When you have neutral, classic pieces, you can guarantee that just about any outfit in your closet is appropriate for any occasion.
Choosing what to wear is effortless and can take mere seconds since everything matches. You’ll also save money because you will no longer have to shop for an entire outfit that matches since your pieces are all re-mixable! You’ll generally know exactly what you need when you’re shopping since you’ve pared down your wardrobe and know which pieces are missing now. And all of these things combined definitely save your sanity!
I always feel fresher and like I can breathe much easier after a closet purge. It’s so nice not be digging through piles of clothes I don’t wear anyway! While creating a capsule wardrobe, toss anything that is outdated, worn out, difficult to match, something you rarely ever reach for, or you simply don’t like. Also, consider tossing anything that isn’t neutral or classic, such as trendy pieces or crazy colors and patterns.
Who doesn’t like a little extra cha-ching in their pocket? Once you’ve gone through your closet, sell unwanted items to a re-sale shop or have a garage sale. You can even sell easily online through local pages or websites like eBay! If there is anything you know you don’t want hanging in your closet but aren’t prepared to part with quite yet, just store it in a tote under your bed or in a storage closet. You can part with it when you’re ready!
It can be hard to define your personal style when you have a closet full of a random mix of items screaming at you. Once you clear out the stuff that doesn’t feel “right” when you wear it or anything that isn’t comfortable, you’ll start to see what your true style is. This makes shopping easier, and it helps you to label your own fashion taste!
Since you can rotate capsule wardrobes out by season, you’ll always know exactly what you need when it’s time to go shopping. No more aimlessly wondering through the aisles or spending hours browsing. No more impulse buys either, since you know exactly what you need and are pretty comfortable making calls on whether or not something will actually be of use in your capsule wardrobe. Since you’re limited on how many items you can have in a capsule wardrobe, you’ll only buy a piece that you love and that you know you can pair with your other items.
If this is your first go around with a capsule wardrobe, don’t feel like you have to rigidly stick to the rules! Even if you’re an old pro at this, you can still bend the rules and personalize it. You’ll learn as you go! Remember, this is a process and it may take time to learn the ins and outs.
I hope these tips have been helpful! A capsule wardrobe is not as scary or hard to achieve as you may initially think! And if you try it and don’t like it, it’s not a lifetime commitment! Have you ever tried a capsule wardrobe? Please share in the comments if you have any insight or tips that would help our readers! Thanks for reading today!