You’ve reached the point where your closet is full of clothes, the laundry is piling up, but you still don’t have anything to wear. You fight the same battle every day, getting ready for work, thinking of all your girlfriends who always look so perfect and effortless.
It’s time to try a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe helps you cut down on shopping while still looking stylish and elegant. And as we all know, that’s one of the major things to elevate your mood.
Read: How Monica Geller from Friends built her capsule wardrobe.
With these simple 5 steps, you can easily create your first capsule wardrobe without any necessary purchases.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe contains the right number of clothes that play perfectly with each other to form a cohesive whole. A capsule wardrobe can be the entirety of your closet, containing all of your clothes, but you can also (just like me!) use the concept of a capsule closet to test and exploit the potential of your closet on an ad hoc basis.
How to create a capsule wardrobe?
1. Set a timeline.
The most important thing is to understand that building your capsule wardrobe and style is not a one-time thing, it’s a process. Therefore, we will not get rid of tons of stuff and get overwhelmed in the meantime. Firstly, we will build a capsule for a short period of time, such as 20-30 days and a total of 15-25 pieces. Thanks to that, you will be able to analyze what you like and in the future create different capsule wardrobes or maybe stick to one for the whole year.
Decide whether the 15-25 items will also include shoes, accessories and stick to that.
2. Imagine your perfect outfit.
Think about what kind of clothes you like? How do you want to feel in the next month, how do you want to look? What clothes in your closet match this vision?
It’s okay if you don’t know your style yet. We can work it out in the process. For now, just think about what clothes you wear most often? What clothes inspire you? Maybe you have influencers whose style of dress you like? Work with that!
If you are having trouble deciding, it always helps me to pick one photo to capture the vibe.
Let’s just say that’s how I want to look, effortless, classy, but with a sporty flair. So I look for such clothes in my closet. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same item, but something similar that I feel comfortable in. That will be our base.
3. Decide on the number.
This step might seem nonsignificant, although from my experience, can really help with the process. The most important is to not exceed the number set in the first step. Now we need to divide it per type.
For example, if I wanted to have 20 clothes for 30 days, I would divide them this way:
- Tops – 8
- Pants/skirts – 4
- Jackets – 4
- Shoes – 4*
*I decided not to take accessories into account.
You can also start with step 4 and come back to step 3 afterwards. Personally, I prefer to firstly decide how many pieces I will have in a particular category, and then look for clothes, because it is easier for me.
4. Choose clothes accordingly.
Start with the basics – clothes that go with everything. I usually stick to black, white and blue. The clothes that I wear most often and know that I feel comfortable in them. They will make up 80% of my closet. Then I add some color accents (20%). Remember, it may look a little different to you. Don’t worry either, it doesn’t have to be the perfect choice. In the next step there will be time to make changes, if needed.
Take also into consideration events that you have planned for the next 30 days, do you need something more elegant?
Try to stick to the clothes you already own. If you need to, you can buy one or two additional items to enhance the quality of your outfit. I definitely don’t recommend making a big purchase and replacing everything. Remember that a capsule wardrobe is meant to help you look amazing and feel comfortable, but also to reduce shopping.
5. Create capsule wardrobe outfits.
Now is the time to create capsule wardrobe sets. Think about what goes together. If necessary, replace some items. Maybe that orange top isn’t the best and doesn’t go with anything. Play around and create different sets. Think how it will help you in the next 30 days and how much time you will save.
6. Make space in the closet.
We almost have it! The final step is to create a dedicated space in your closet for your minimalist wardrobe. This is very important for understanding what options you have. If you can, hide other clothes, maybe dedicate one rack just for a capsule wardrobe so you can see your options every day. This will make it easier and make you feel the space in your mind.
It is a marathon, not a sprint.
Creating a quality capsule wardrobe takes time. You’ve just taken the first step to having a more stylish and easier life. Congratulations!
Let me know how it went for you and if you had experience before, with a capsule wardrobe!
