Capsule Wardrobe (or My First Novel)

“The more you leave out, the more you highlight what you leave in.” -Henry Green

Where to begin…

Different people define the capsule wardrobe in different ways, but essentially, it means a French-inspired seasonal small wardrobe that ranges from 10 items to 40 items (or whatever number you feel comfortable with) including clothes, coats, and shoes.  It does not include things like undergarments, socks/hosiery, lounge clothes, swimsuits, scarves, hats, jewelry, formal/special occasion clothing, or handbags.  Think of the items in a capsule wardrobe as the clothing that you would wear on a daily basis to a number of locations- church, the grocery store, dinner and a movie, or to visit friends or family.  But there is a little bit of a process behind how to come up with your personal capsule wardrobe: how to choose colors, choosing a “uniform,” how many of each item, how you define your personal style, quality of the clothing and shoes, and appropriate dressing for the weather.  Then you must blend all of these things together while staying in a budget and creating a final wardrobe that you wear daily, without any shopping until the following season arrives.  Ok, so it sounds like a lot of work, and it is…at first.  But the rewards of trimming down your wardrobe far outweigh the preparation that goes into figuring it out.  Hang in there and I will explain my steps, show you my final Fall capsule wardrobe, and point you toward a couple of fantastic blogs that helped me get my capsule wardrobe together.  I will discuss benefits of a capsule as I take you through the process, and I will also finish this post by listing some things I learned, including even more benefits.  Bear with me- this is a long post! 

Let’s start with colors.  Most people have an idea of the colors that they prefer to wear.  For me, it was light neutrals.  I could wear light neutrals like ivory, white, and heather grey every single day without complaint.  Throw in a little blush pink and sea foam green, and I’m set.  But I also have a toddler, and light neutrals and toddlers don't mix well.  So I had to branch out a bit.  I followed Anuschka’s advice from into-mind.com and came up with my personal color palette.  She breaks up color palettes into three categories: main colors (3), accent shades (4), and neutrals (2).  Main colors are the ones that you like to wear a lot, accent shades are what make your neutrals pop, and you will probably have the fewest items in your accent shades, and neutrals are the trusty colors that you will make up most of the “basics” in your wardrobe- pants, tees, tanks, cardigans, etc.  Here’s my color palette:

Main colors: Ivory, Grey, Navy/Denim

Accent shades: Blush Pink, sea foam Green, olive green, tan/light brown 

Neutrals: Black, White    

       

Having a color story is a great way of making sure that you don’t have too many accent colors that don’t pair well together or that you won’t wear very often, and it is a great way to help define your personal style.  Also, it might be wise to choose colors that all look well together, just to aid you in the process of choosing your outfits when you get dressed.  The more you can mix and match, the more outfits you end up with. 

The next step is to determine how many items you want in your wardrobe- what will your end number be?  For me, it was 40, but you can choose any number that you are comfortable with.  I have heard anywhere from 10 to 40, but most of the blogs I have read are somewhere in the 30s for women.  It is helpful during this stage to figure out your “uniform.”  This is your go-to outfit: the one outfit you reach for more than any others.  For me, this was a pair of dark skinny jeans, some type of sweater, and a pair of short boots.  Here’s an example:

Photo: anthropologie.com

The reason for determining your “uniform” is to see which clothing items you will probably want the most of in your wardrobe.  Because of my uniform, I chose to have two pairs of dark skinny pants (one denim, one black), two pairs of short boots, and four sweaters.  From here, you can determine you other favorite outfits and styles.  For example, I wear a lot of cardigans over short sleeve tanks or tees, so I added 3 cardigans in my neutral and main colors, and several layering tanks and tees.  My advice for filling in your wardrobe from this point is Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest.  Start yourself a seasonal capsule wardrobe board where you post pictures of outfits you like that will keep you warm and dry (depending on the climate where you live), styles or themes that you like, styles that you wish you could wear but that you aren’t sure if you could pull off, and even color palettes that you tend to like if you are having trouble finalizing yours.  Look at what you pin often and consider adding these “constants” into your wardrobe.  

After considering my Pinterest board themes and coming up with my 40-item number, my wardrobe breaks down as follows:

Clothing

Pants: 3

Dresses: 3

Skirts: 2

Layering tanks: 5

Other tanks: 1

Tees: 4

Long-sleeved shirts: 3

Long-sleeved blouses: 3

Sweaters: 4

Cardigan sweaters: 3

Coats: 2

Shoes

Flats: 3

Oxford pumps: 1

Short boots: 2

Tall boots: 1

Everyone’s breakdown will look different, but I will also show mine broken down in percentages: 

Tops: 23 pieces or 57.5%

Bottoms (including skirts and dresses): 8 pieces or 20%

Coats: 2 pieces or 5%

Shoes: 7 pieces or 17.5%

I found that this breakdown was a great percentage ratio, so if I decide to trim down my 40 items, I can use this chart to create a balanced mix for my style. 

The next step, after you determine your number, your colors, and your breakdown, and after you have an inspiration board on Pinterest or even on a bulletin board, is to see what you already have.  Take everything out of your closet and only put in the things back in that you are going to want to keep in your capsule.  This is also a good time to get a storage container out to separate “off-season” capsule items into.  That’s right, my friends: you get a “cheat.”  You don’t have to get rid of that awesome summer dress that you love so much, or those shorts that fit you just right, or even those new sandals that you got last season…you get to tuck them away until spring and summer come back around, and you'll be able to switch out your cold weather clothes for your warm weather clothes.  I would challenge you, however, to keep ONLY the items that you love and wear, and that are of good quality.  In six-ish months, when you open your storage container, you should already have a good start on your spring/summer capsule and only have a need to fill in the gaps.  The other cheat is that you get to have a “special occasion” wardrobe for things you don’t wear on a daily basis, like formal/semi-formal event clothing.  I have three special occasion dresses that also hang in my closet for weddings, showers, benefits, etc.  But I digress…back to the closet.  When you are considering each piece that you might want to add back into your capsule, I would encourage you to try everything on and consider colors.  Anything that you put in your closet is going to be worn a lot, so make sure you love it and aren’t on the fence.  Be ruthless!  Anything that doesn’t fit the bill gets sold, donated, or recycled (I have an awesome pillow that I made from a great old sweater).  And the best part is, if you didn’t love it enough to keep it in your capsule, you probably won’t miss is when it’s gone!  

Next, determine your budget if you need to buy new items.  If you are not at a spot to buy anything new or can’t afford much, that’s A-okay.  Consider thrifting or just save until you can get a few things.  But, by no means, does this mean you should go out and buy crumby, low quality clothes.  The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to have fewer, high-quality pieces that look smashing on you and that will LAST.  After all, if you buy five cheap shirts that will fall apart in a couple months and that you will need to replace, instead of one that will last years, it’s actually less frugal than starting off with quality clothing.  I am speaking form experience here- I used to fill my closet with as much cheap stuff as I could get for my money.  But I ended up with cheap clothes that I didn’t truly like, and therefore, didn’t wear.  Buying for your new capsule wardrobe also doesn’t mean going out and having a heyday, and buying a bunch of super expensive, designer quality stuff that’s all dry clean only.  Find your balance here, friends.  Know your budget, and be patient to find the right items.  Look for sales, too.  With the holiday season approaching, this is a good time to be starting out.  For me, I knew my budget and I knew exactly what I wanted to find.  

You also need to take a little time to determine your personal style: those styles that you like, respect, and favor.  And go ahead- throw in something a little daring if you so desire, like leather, heels, or something “stolen from the boys,” as they say.  I determined that my personal style is classic and feminine, with a hint of masculinity to give it a little edge- sounds like an oxymoron, right?  Have you ever researched Coco Chanel?  She is a huge inspiration in what I like…not even her brand, just her.  She was a pioneer in women’s fashion, adding a tie, a hat, or even suspenders to the stereotypically feminine clothing of her time.  She single-handedly changed women’s fashion at the turn of the twentieth century in France, and eventually all over the world because she determined what her signature style was, and she wasn’t afraid to see her ideas through, making her one of the most influential people in the history of fashion.  But I digress  yet again…      

Another tip that I learned from Caroline over at un-fancy.com (remember those blogs I mentioned recently that changed my life?  This is one- check it out) is that you don’t need bright colors or patterns to add interest to your wardrobe.  Personally, I tire quickly of bright colors and patterns.  Go for textures instead: different knits, lace, chiffon, leather, tweed, buttons, and/or sheen to add “pop” to your outfits.  Then, you can always accessorize with simple jewelry, a belt,  or a scarf/wrap to finish out your look.  The only pattern that I chose to incorporate into my wardrobe was stripes.  Four of my tops have stripes, the rest of my capsule items are solid colors, and for my personal style, this worked out beautifully.   

The next step is to research and make a plan for your shopping trip(s).  I did some online searching to find the exact styles I wanted at quality retailers, and at prices within my budget.  At some places, you can even reserve items online and the stores will have them there for you when you arrive.  Note: I did not do any online BUYING, just online LOOKING.  You will want to try on all of the items that you are buying.  Test the seams, feel the fabrics, check the fit, etc.  And that is impossible to do from your computer.  However, by the time I was ready to buy, I was a woman with a plan thanks to my online looking.  I knew where I was going, if the items were in stock, and what the current prices were.  Without this preparation, I would have been completely lost and wasted too much time and energy trying to find what I was looking for.  Think of your online looking as your bird’s eye view- you can see where you want to go, but you still need actually get there.  

And finally, the shopping part (if this is included in your plans or budget, that is).  Here is what I asked myself about each piece that I tried on to determine if it was going to be a purchase or a pass (again, thank you Caroline for these tips):

-Is the item good quality (seams, fabric, etc)?

-What are the care instructions (does it have to be dry cleaned?  If so, I passed)- can I wash it at home?

-Is the item flattering from all angles when tried on?

-Would I pay more than what’s on the price tag? If so, I must really like it.

-Would I reach for it tomorrow over my favorite item in my closet?

-Can I make several outfits with it?

-Can I wear it several places (church, store, dinner, etc)?

-Will I reach for it tomorrow when getting dressed (am I excited to wear it)?

-If I could only have one of this type of clothing (tee, cardigan, pant, etc), would this be the one?

If the answers to the above questions about an item were “yes,” then I made the purchase.  On a personal note, I only purchased 12 new items out of the 40 in my fall capsule.  Four of these items were layering tanks at $5 a piece from H&M.  I checked the quality, loved the fit, and made the cheaper purchase, and they have been awesome.  Two of the 12 new items were shoes, and one was a jacket.  One item was purchased from a thrift store, with the original ($100) price tags still attached, for under $20.  Almost everything I chose was on sale or clearance, and I also used gift cards that had been in my wallet for a while.  Lastly, I took all of the clothing that I was not keeping after cleaning out my closet to a local resale clothing store and made $150 cash to put toward new items.  Sadly, one item that I really wanted just didn’t make it into the budget, so it did not get into the Fall capsule this year…but there’s always next season, IF I still want it.  The moral is to be creative and be patient.  It is not about impulse buys, but rather, its about getting items in your capsule that you love and that will last.   

So those are the steps of building your capsule wardrobe, but I would also like to share some of the things I learned after my first season.  Hopefully you will find these notes encouraging or at least informative:

-Forty items was too high for me.  I am a stay-at-home mother, and although I appreciate fashion, I spend most of my days at home doing things like cooking, cleaning, laundry, and playing with my daughter, which are not conducive activities for wearing nice clothes.  Next season, I will probably drop down to 36-38 items.  I plan to keep lowering this number as I become more familiar with my capsule and style preferences until I have the most minimal, good quality seasonal wardrobe I can have. 

-I played it pretty safe in my style.  My “daring” was wearing black, which I typically don’t do.  I would like to add more textures and maybe even some leather accents into my winter capsule to more accurately reflect my style.  I’m turning 30 in a few days, and if I can’t wear these things now, I know I never will! 

-The first capsule that you do will probably teach you a lot about your likes and dislikes, and you can learn from it when you are planning your next season.  Even the expert bloggers that I have learned from will all tell you that creating a beautiful capsule wardrobe that you love is something that takes practice.  

-I might actually be a shoe person after all.  I was never a shoe person, but I have learned that shoes can actually add a lot of style to a simple look.  And having more shoes and fewer clothes might actually make my planning easier- I know what I like and what I can wear on my feet, and sometimes trying to figure that out for clothes is a little harder.  

-One purse goes with everything.  In the spirit of minimalism, I decided that I would own only one purse.  This works for me because it is a color that goes with everything (typically referred to as whiskey or cognac brown), and it can be worn either on my arm or as a cross-body bag, so it is multifunctional.  I used to be a purse person, so owning only one, no matter how beautiful I think it is, is brand new for me.  And I haven’t regretted it for a second.

-Getting dressed in the morning is super quick and easy.  I know that everything I have fits well, and I know I really like everything.  I chose things that can be worn in several ways (for example, tops that can be worn with pants, a skirt, or layered with other tops) so I have several outfits to choose from and I don’t feel limited.  And having fewer options to choose from is self explanatory.  

-Men can do a capsule wardrobe too.  We did one for my husband, and he really likes the what he has now.  Although we did not do a color palette for him…or spend nearly the same amount of time.  In fact, he didn’t even do any shopping because he had plenty already.  But hypothetically, it would be the same process for a man.  

-Some people might see this whole thing as materialistic and way too involved for something as simple as clothing.  But it interests me- fashion interests me.  If it doesn’t interest you, don’t do it.  But this is a way for me to integrate two things that I really enjoy- fashion and minimalism.

-You just may end up wanting to “capsule” other things too, like your pajamas and lounge clothes, gym clothes, and even jewelry and accessories.  I’ve done them all. 

-No shopping for months is awesome!!  I’m actually not a big fan of shopping, especially just for hobby.  I want to know exactly what I am going for and get in and out of a store (grocery, clothing, or any other store) quickly.  No shopping also means spending less money…win-win. 

-Laundry is a breeze.  I can literally wash all of my husband’s and my clothes in 2-3 loads, saving time, energy, and money. 

-Have fun!  You might make mistakes, and look back and wonder what you were thinking (although this is probably inevitable no matter who you are or what you wear- style trends just change over time…look at the style of the 1980s), and it’s okay to laugh at yourself. But you also might look back and realize you got it right.  You may not have complete success the first or second time you create a capsule wardrobe.  But I think you will learn some great lessons about yourself, like your preferences and how little you actually need in your home and closet.

Here's a quick photo of my Fall capsule (my tall boots did not make the picture):

Good luck, and let me know how you fare if you choose to do a capsule wardrobe.  Happy Thanksgiving, and as always, thank you for reading.