Demystifying the Capsule Wardrobe

What is a Capsule wardrobe?

It seems like everyone is talking about having a capsule wardrobe these days. With the trend of minimalism still going strong and changing the way people live and buy things, it seems like a natural progression that people have started cutting down their wardrobe. Fast fashion is no longer in and sustainable fashion or slow fashion is trendy. So what does this mean for our wardrobes?

There are so many definitions and interpretations of what a capsule wardrobe means but a simple definition is, a mini wardrobe of coordinating clothes and accessories that you love all in a complementary colour scheme that can be mixed and matched successfully to create a wide variety of outfits.

The idea is that you create a capsule wardrobe for each season –using both pieces you already own and some new pieces released each season to keep you looking modern and fresh.

Most women feel the dread of have nothing to wear yet they have a closet full of clothes. Unfortunately, having a lot of clothes does not necessarily mean you have a lot of outfits. Many of us are guilty of buying clothes because they were on special, it looked good on the mannequin, you saw someone else wearing it and wanted it, or a friend you went shopping with said you looked amazing in that jumpsuit, but you just feel awkward in it so you never wear it. This is how we end up with a bursting wardrobe but nothing that makes us feel good or that really goes together.

Unless you are buying items intentionally with the thought of pairing them with existing items in your wardrobe to create an outfit, chances are you will just keep buying clothes, but not necessarily having more outfit choices. Most people only wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. We all tend to hang onto clothes for different reasons – for sentimentality, some are for when we lose those last 5kgs, some items are for “just in case”. But none of these necessarily make us happy or help us get dressed in the morning.

The point of a capsule wardrobe is to simplify your life and get you to a point where you love and genuinely enjoy wearing every item in your wardrobe. Because your capsule wardrobe is supposed to be small, you have to make sure it is effective in the sense that everything must fit you well, is stain free, has all the buttons etc, is a great colour for you and fits in with your style personality. Although the basics will be roughly the same, everyone’s capsule wardrobe will be different because the items selected will have your signature style and be suited to your individual taste, body shape and skin tone.

Some people worry that a capsule wardrobe will be boring but, remember, it is not a uniform that you wear rigidly. It is about having fun with fewer clothes that you love and know fit you well. By mixing and matching and creating unexpected item combinations you will see how much more exciting your wardrobe will actually become. Many people tend to always pair the same top with the same pants and shoes, essentially re-wearing the same outfit over and over but in a more spaced out time frame. (For example: a grey shift dress with the same black blazer and black shoes.) With the capsule wardrobe if you have pieces that all go well together, you can essentially pair one shirt with nearly every other item in your wardrobe and it will look good and different every time.

We all have our staple pieces that we reach for over and over – that jersey that makes your eyes pop, the jeans that flatter your curves, the jacket that makes you feel confident etc – a capsule wardrobe is about using those items you love to create new, fresh looks without you feeling like you are overwhelmed with choices that don’t really work. This notion of purging your closet, although initially daunting, can be very freeing. Not only does it make getting dressed so easy, it really helps you define your personal style and discover what styles flatter you.

If a capsule wardrobe still sounds daunting, take baby steps. If the idea of having 12 or 30 items for the season sounds impossible to you, challenge yourself to whittle down your Winter wardrobe to 50 items. Perhaps at the end of the season you will discover that you only really wore 40 of those items. Not only is that progress but you know you can then cut it down even more next season.

If you feel anxious about the amount of clothes you are purging and feel you might need them “just in case” I would suggest boxing the items up and packing them away. Just knowing that they are there if you really need them will make you feel better. If you find you really do need something and it ends up being a staple in your wardrobe that is fine. However, if by the end of the season you haven’t reached for anything in there, then you know you can donate them without a second thought.

If you are intrigued by the idea of creating your own capsule wardrobe, then look out for our blog post next week where we will give you some tips for creating your own Winter capsule wardrobe, if however you aren’t quite ready to do it solo then we would love to help you can find all the details of the services offered HERE

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