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Hey ladies! I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time…really since I first started this blog, about one year ago!
There’s many reasons why I am a believer in a capsule wardrobe, but the main reason is that utilizing one makes my life a whole lot easier. Below, I’ll walk you through my guide on how to create a capsule wardrobe.
First Things First – What Is A Capsule Wardrobe?
Alright, so you’ve seen the buzzword all around Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok, but what is a capsule wardrobe and why should you put any effort into creating and maintaining one? Simply put, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of classic and essential clothing pieces (staples) that are cohesive in color and can be mixed and matched to create a number of different looks. It’s an intentional selection of pieces in your style lane that not only make getting dressed way easier, but makes you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing and confident when you walk out of the door each day. Think more classic pieces, less trendy ones.
Take Inventory of Your Closet & Purge
The first step to building your capsule wardrobe is understanding what’s already in your closet. This first step may be tough to complete, but purging/donating anything that doesn’t fit you properly or is in bad condition and that you don’t entirely love allows you the physical and mental space to start building a new, more fun and current capsule wardrobe, even if that means being left with less clothes. I know we sometimes hold onto clothes thinking that we might wear them again. The thing is, if you haven’t worn that item in the past 12 months, the likelihood of you wearing it again is slim. Do yourself a favor and purge. This is your opportunity to really put some intention behind what stays in your closet and what goes.
Assess Your (Realistic) Lifestyle
Ok, we all have those clothing items we would love to wear every day, but in the reality of the day-to-day, we just don’t or can’t wear them. I think it’s really important to take a good look at your normal daily activities and be honest with yourself – are you really going to wear those nude pumps for the majority of the week? For some, that’s totally possible, but if I’m being honest with myself, that just won’t happen for me. I have to consider that I’m now working from home indefinitely and picking my kids up from school every day. One question I ask myself when deciding what to wear is this – would I feel comfortable wearing this outfit to the grocery store or on a Zoom call in front of my colleagues? If so, then I know I’m in my realistic style lane. Sounds funny, but I swear this works for me when deciding what to wear! You should always aim to create a capsule wardrobe that not only speaks to your individual style, but makes you feel comfortable and confident as well. Keep in mind, not all capsule wardrobes are stocked the same – some may be a bit more colorful and dramatic while others are lined with neutral tones and basics…and both are totally fine so long as they match your individual style.
Shopping For The Basics
So before we get into the details of what to buy for your capsule wardrobe, I want to put my golden rule out there first – don’t buy a piece of clothing that you can’t style at least 3 different ways with items already in your closet. I believe this one is so important to keep top of mind when buying new clothes. We’ve all been there – we bought something we fell in love with (probably an impulse buy) and barely ever wore it. It may even have tags on it. Personally, I hate when I’ve done that in the past. Wasted money is no bueno. So keep this one top of mind while shopping!
After you’ve gone through your closet, you will have identified a number of pieces that are still in good condition, ones you feel confident in and that you wear often and that you’re keeping. Some experts say that you should plan to have roughly 25-50 pieces in your capsule wardrobe, including tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes and outerwear. But let’s be realistic…there really is no magic number when creating a capsule wardrobe. It really depends on your overall budget and physical space for storage.
Here are some of my favorite capsule pieces, by category:
Outwear/Shoes – a lot of these pieces can be worn in Springtime too, so I always make sure I buy items I can see myself wearing when the warmer weather come along. Here are some of my favorite day-to-day outwear and shoes for Fall:
Tops/Sweaters/Sweatshirts – I tend to have way more shirts and sweaters than I do pants – I’d say there’s a ratio of about 5:1! Here are some of my favorite tops that I have in my Fall capsule wardrobe:
Bottoms/Dresses – in the Midwest, the Fall can be kind of cold so more times than not, I’m wearing some sort of long pants, whether it’s a pair of leggings or jeans. Occasionally (and depending on the weather), I love pairing a midi dress with cardigans or chunky sweaters. Here are some of the items in my closet for Fall:
Maintaining Your Capsule Wardrobe
Depending on where you live, your capsule wardrobe won’t look the same all year round. I live in the midwest, so for me my capsule wardrobe is really split into Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. At the change of each season, I recommend taking a look at your closet and storing items you won’t be wearing for the next few months. This does two things – 1) gives your closet the physical space needed to ensure your wardrobe only contains what you’ll be wear during that time and 2) protects your clothes while you’re not wearing them during off-seasons.
Tips To Keep In Mind
Stay Within Your Budget – Like I mentioned before, not all capsule wardrobes are created the same. Everyone has their own budget they’re comfortable with. Don’t feel pressured to spend tons of money to get the best of the best – there are plenty of great finds at reasonable prices these days. I mean…that’s my job to find those deals for you, right?! 🙂
Resist Impulse Buys – My advice, take it or leave it – don’t buy without thinking it through. See what I mean below!
Try To Envision How a New Piece Of Clothing Will Fit Into Your Wardrobe – This really goes back to my golden rule – don’t buy a new piece of clothing unless you can style it at least 3 different ways with clothes already in your closet. When choosing if you’re going to buy the item, picture styling the new piece in your head. Push yourself to make it work at least 3 different ways!
Have Fun With It! – Building a capsule wardrobe should be fun, not stressful. Remember that clothes are just that – clothes. Trust me, there’s way more important things in life. 🙂 Don’t stress too much if you’re having a tough time deciding what to keep, purge or buy. If you’re really stressing, send me a message and I’ll do my best to help you out.
I hope this post was helpful. In the coming weeks, I’ll be styling some of these pieces to show just how easy it is to put your new capsule wardrobe into action. Drop a comment below and let me know some of your tips for building a capsule wardrobe!