What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is using your wardrobe to its maximum potential with fewer items of clothing. To do this you should have co-ordinating and complimenting colours in your wardrobe. For example; Black leggings go with your coral, your mint and your grey top, and those same tops match your navy joggers. Your navy top will be added to match your grey jeans.

Its using all your pieces to create many different outfits for many different occasions simply by changing a top or bottom or layer piece. Or even a different style shoe.

Each item is essential to you and you love every piece.

The number of pieces you need vary from article to article you read. My opinion here is how often do you intend to do laundry? If you do laundry 3 times a week then 4 tops are enough, but if you do laundry once a week then obviously you need a few more tops.

Creating your Capsule Wardrobe.

STEP ONE

If you're unsure of your style and what you really like, try searching on pinterest and create a 'My style' board, before long you'll see that you tend to pin similar colours, and that similar outfits pique your interest. That will be your style and your starting point of what items to include in your capsule wardrobe.

I also did an old school style mood board by physically cutting out pictures from magazines that appealed to me and physically pinned them to a board with some fabric to create my style board. My board is still a work in progress as I buy some of the fabrics I need to sew up my wardrobe.

Here you'll also work on your colour palette. A base colour is a basic, neutral colour that forms the base of your wardrobe. These colours are black, beige, white, navy, tan.

Accent and complimentary colours are ones that match your base colours but could also work well together.

I chose black, navy as my base colours, with grey, mint and a coral pink as my complimenting colours.

from decornow.net

STEP TWO

Take note of what items are need to create each of your favourite outfits you pinned on pinterest. ( This will be your capsule wardrobe list) This is the start of what you need. Mine for example is split into Summer and Winter with a layer pieces added to the summer outfits to be wearable in Spring and Autumn. That works here in South Africa where the seasons tend to blend into each other.

Mine are: 3 pairs of culottes, a pair of shorts, 2 skirts, a pair of leggings and a pair of harems for summer, 2 more pairs of leggings, 3 pairs of joggers and a pair of jeans for winter. And 7 tops for Summer, 7 tops for winter, 4 layer items for winter, 4 layer pieces for Summer. So my capsule wardrobe consists of 36 pieces of clothing that can all be paired with each piece so creating many, many different combinations.

STEP THREE

This is a difficult step, cleaning out your current wardrobe, getting rid of items that no longer fit you, are not flattering, items you forgot about and no longer love. And lastly if they don't fit in with your colour co-ordinating or can't create a few outfit choices then they also have to go. I did my closet this weekend, my sister is getting first dibs on items she wants, then I plan to donate the rest to a welfare organization. Most of the items I'm tossing are items I haven't worn in about 3 seasons, after having a baby my body and style both changed.

Good questions to ask here are:

1. Does it go with 3 other items in my capsule wardrobe?
2. How many outfits can I create with this item?
3. Does this item still fit with my personal style?
4. Does the fit and fabric work for me?
5. Does this item have sentimental value?

Question 5 is a tough one. I have a few concert t shirts I never wear but the t shirts themselves hold great memories. I wont ever wear them, but I don't want to let them go. I think I need to do some checking on pinterest what to do with memorabilia. I'll keep you posted.

STEP FOUR

Now put aside all the items of clothing that you are keeping and check them off from your capsule list. This is the beginning of your capsule wardrobe. Buy or sew the remaining items on your list. Because I have taken the pledge not to buy new clothing in 2018 I will be sewing all my items. Wish me luck ;)

One thing to note, just because you now have a capsule wardrobe doesn't mean this is what you'll be wearing for the rest of your life, each season you can cut out pieces you don't like and replace it with a new piece, I think a one out, one in rule should apply here. A capsule wardrobe should help stop you from impulse buying.

In another post I'll be explaining wardrobe soduku, and show you a few seasonal and special occasion options.