You’re probably already semi-familiar with the capsule wardrobe from all those travel influencers who rave about the ease of traveling when you can pre-plan all your looks. But it’s hard to know if this kind of lifestyle is for you.
Think about all those IF-WHEN clothes you buy. You know the ones, the “when I lose weight,” the “if I go to a wedding,” the “when I get a promotion.” It’s a lot of mystery, and it’s about time to add some stability to your morning routines because nothing is worse those twenty minutes after you’ve tried on everything in your closet and now you’re just… staring at it.
Go further and ask yourself this: do you struggle finding an outfit in the morning that you’re comfortable with? Do you think you have nothing to wear? Are you always in a rush in the morning? Well, you’ve found your solution.The good news is that you already have a semi-familiarity with the capsule wardrobe if you have a favorite pair of jeans that you wear constantly and just trade out the top. Or go further and think about jewelry: you have a few staple pieces that you recycle through different looks, giving a breath of new life to each outfit. Conclusion? You’ve got this, now take the dive.
THE WHAT:
Essentially, a capsule wardrobe is when you limit your clothing collection to a selection of interchangeable pieces that compliment each other (through style or neutral colors) to create a series of outfits. At their core, these pieces are classics and not subject to trend changes. Each piece and look will complement your body and lifestyle.
THE HISTORY:
The idea of a capsule wardrobe was born in the 1970s by Susie Faux who was unable to find consistent everyday well-made clothing. The idea evolved later with designer Donna Karan who created a capsule collection called “Seven Easy Pieces.” Today there are plenty of designers who continue this idea, like Eileen Fisher.
THE WHY:
Those influencers probably already told you so, but the benefits of a capsule wardrobe is that it is tailored specifically to you. It is a collection of pieces that you KNOW you like, that allow you to quickly create looks, leading to less decision fatigue and giving you more time in the mornings to do the things you like to do– like wait in line for a fancy coffee.
THE SUSTAINABILITY:
Probably the best part about capsule wardrobes is that they make conscious lifestyles and waste reduction accessible by minimizing consumption and preaching slow fashion. By breaking out of the pattern of over consumption and just being SATISFIED with what you have, you are already taking one step forward toward a better earth, and you look cute doing it.
THE HOW:
The most important thing to remember is that there is NO right or wrong answer on how to do this, because capsule wardrobes are about personal style. But there are a few tips we can give you to get started.
First things first, consider color schemes, you want to make sure that your pieces interchange seamlessly and therefore probably shouldn’t pick a bunch of bright colors, and try to stick to a more neutral palette.
Get started: go through your closet and start picking out items that you love, have worn recently, and could wear repeatedly. There’s no specific rules of how many items you need but 10-30 is a good starting number (ranging from a minimalist closet to a detailed one) and this all ranges on your lifestyle, how often you wash things and more. And you can create a new capsule every season, but remember the whole point is to have few versus many.
Level 1: dip your toes in. The 10 x 10 challenge of 10 pieces: 2 pairs of shoes, 4 tops, 1 dress, 2 bottoms, 1 top layer (think trench coat or denim jacket).
Level 2: dive head first and reduce your closet to 30 pieces. This will give you more movement and you can fill with a few more jacket, shoes, and sweater options for the winter. Remember this is totally subject to what you like.
If you still can’t wrap your head around it, take a look at these two videos of how to make a capsule outfits: one and two.
