Capsule wardrobe: what, why & how
What is a capsule wardrobe, why should you try one and how do you even get started? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to get off to a good start.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
The term “Capsule wardrobe” has been used in American publications as early as the 1940s to describe a small collection of garments designed to hamonize in colour and style so that they could all be styled together. This approach allows you to maximize the number of outfits you can create from within your wardrobe, even when you have less items in total, and it means you will have a variety of suitable outfits at hand at all times, for all occasions.
The term was revived in the 1970s when London-based fashion boutique owner Susie Faux presented a capsule collection consisting of items like skirts, trousers and coats that would “never” go out of style, could be styled together and that could then be updated with a few seasonal pieces. Today the system has trickled out to the masses, and it’s become a world renowned technique for personal wardrobe curation and structure.
Why should you try a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a fantastic approach to help you discover your own true style, it lowers decision fatigue because you’re committing to a less-is-more mindset, and you can leave the days of feeling overwhelmed and “not having anything to wear” behind you.
Trying a capsule wardrobe started out as a personal experiment for me back in 2015 where I was on a journey to free myself from excess stuff as well as becoming a more mindful consumer. I started learning and appreciating the art of limitation, allowed myself to miss out and commit more. Because, paradoxically enough, when you commit to things in life: you find more freedom. So as I made peace with my wardrobe, I started making peace with myself and my life as a whole.
How do you build a capsule wardrobe?
In short, a capsule wardrobe consists only of things you can actually wear right now. Most of it will consist of basic items you can wear more or less all through the year (depending of course on the climate you live in). The rest is stored away for next season. For example, in winter you may not need all your dainty little summer dresses, so you store those away. Then when the seasons change, you get to shop your storage and the experience will almost be like getting new clothes. Clever, right?
The most common mistake people make when building their first capsule wardrobe, is finding a pre-made checklist and following that religiously. What you actually need to do is turn straight to your existing wardrobe. This is the only way you’ll truly learn what already works, what doesn’t work and build on from there. We don’t all have the same requirements for our clothing, we might find ourselves living in different climates too (some countries don’t have all 4 seasons) and so what wardrobe “basics” look like will be very individual and not necessarily something you can just tick of on a predefined list. Not to mention the fact that it’s far more sustainable, to utilise what you already have at hand instead of starting completely over.
There are so many more layers to think about when curating a capsule wardrobe, like:
- Finding your style identity
- Finding your best fits, shapes, proportions & textures
- Curating a versatile colour palette that brings you joy
- Developing more effective styling habits & styling skills
Capsule wardrobe: quick guide
Start by emptying your entire wardrobe – you might want to utilise a clothing rail or your bed, to still keep things somewhat organised. Emptying your wardrobe not only gives you an opportunity to clean your closet space and make it feel fresh again, it also forces you to evaluate every single piece of clothing you have. In other words, and in true Konmari-spirit, ask yourself “does this spark joy?” before you hang it back into your wardrobe. Because you know deep down whether something feels right or not. Before you start putting everything back into your wardrobe, make the following piles:
- Yes (these should also be divided in seasons, so if there’s anything you love but that you can’t wear right now, consider storing it away for next season so it doesn’t disturb you)
- No (sell, swap or donate: remember, do your best to make sure that whatever you’re not wearing is utilised in new ways)
- Maybe (store away with out-of-season pieces and see how you feel later – sometimes you might just need a mental break)
- To be repaired, altered, washed (schedule a day to deal with those)
When you’re ready to put everything back into your wardrobe, find suitable places for each category to help getting dressed everyday feel more smooth. For example, I have all my everyday wear as the “main” part of my wardrobe so that it’s the first thing I see when I open my closet, whereas I keep loungewear, workout wear etc. tucked away in drawers.
What counts in a capsule wardrobe?
In reality it’s totally up to you, but I tend to only count everyday wear as part of my “real” capsule wardrobe – so essentially what I wear most of the time when I go to work or what I’ll wear during weekends. I then like making mini-capsules for everything else; special occasions, workout wear, loungewear etc.
Socks & undies, practical wear (like the clothes you do gardening in) and similar usually don’t count for me, but still I try to adopt the “capsule wardrobe” mindset to every part of my wardrobe. So for bags I like making sure that I have just a few different options for different occasions like a shopper for work, a few cross body bags for going out and for weekends and then I like keeping the colour palette coherent with my shoes and belts so I can create colour coherence in my outfits. Same with occasion wear pieces, I’ll just have a few versatile pairs of shoes, maybe a dress and a skirt and some nice tops that I could also wear with my everyday clothes (depending on how dressy the event is), just so that I have a few core staples I know I can always count on and that makes me feel amazing.
When you start diving into these separate categories within your wardrobe; work, weekend, workout, special occasions, gardening, hiking or whatever activities you have in your life, that’s really what’s going to dictate how much you should have within the different segments of your wardrobe. The context is really key here. There’s no use of having an overly dressy wardrobe if you never have any special occasions to wear these clothes to. What counts in a capsule wardrobe is what you’ll actually be able to wear. That’s the short answer.
How many items in a capsule wardrobe?
I know many templates will prescribe around 35 items in a capsule wardrobe; but some seasons I can do with less, so let’s say around 30 pieces – other seasons I might have more items in my wardrobe, maybe around 40 pieces. This is all very depended on the weather and also just what I feel like wearing that season. It’s important to add here, that most of my wardrobe actually stays the same pretty much all through the year, so it’s only minor tweaks I’ll make to make my wardrobe more coherent with the season, and most of what I add is found in my storage boxes from previous seasons. Sure, my style evolves (because life isn’t static) and so I do add new things here and there, but the whole essence of a capsule wardrobe is timelessness, to learn to appreciate and (re)wear your clothes for longer and essentially buy less new stuff. I live in Denmark and even though we have 4 seasons here, the weather can be somewhat static through the year and so items like jeans, t-shirts, classic shirts, blazers and similar are items I keep out all through the year. It’s needless to say this can look different for you if you live in a different climate.
Still not sure how exactly to get started? I’ve got your back. Join my capsule wardrobe masterclass HERE and start building a capsule wardrobe that celebrates your uniqueness – or check out the additional ressources and services in the slider below.
