With a hundred different things that need our attention every morning, most of us don’t have more than a few minutes to decide what to wear to work. In this rush, we often find ourselves reaching for the same piece of clothing or compromising on our style. It needn’t be the case if you have a capsule wardrobe which is a compact wardrobe made of some basic pieces of clothing and accessories that you can mix and match. With a capsule wardrobe, you needn’t worry about looking dull and drab as you hurriedly get ready for work. 

How does it work?

A typical capsule wardrobe consists of around 30 pieces or less, depending on an individual’s requirement and preference. Everybody has a different taste, style, and body types and that is what their capsule wardrobe reflects. These 30 pieces include tops, bottoms, outerwear, shoes, and dresses. Usually sleepwear (pyjamas), underwear, swimwear, accessories, and workout wear do not come under the 30 items (or whatever number of clothes you have decided to make your capsule wardrobe with). 

However, if you wear your workout clothes casually at leisure or your bra as a bralet top then they do count as one of the 30 items. All the items in the wardrobe should be pieces that you love that match with any other clothing pieces in the closet. Your capsule wardrobe should consist of basic and timeless pieces which can be worn on (almost) all occasions, fit you well, and are in good (wearable/not shabby) condition. The wardrobe does undergo some alterations according to the weather. Trends – whether yearly or seasonal – are not included in a capsule wardrobe.

Benefits of having a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is basically the solution to all your clothing problems. Since every item in your closet goes along with every other item, you will never feel like you have nothing to wear. And as all the clothes you own are in good condition and fit you well, you will look good no matter what you wear.

And it will also help shopaholics because it promotes the minimalistic motto “less is more”. You will not and can not – if you are really sticking to the concept of a capsule wardrobe –buy new clothes every other day just because it catches your eye. The only clothes you will be buying will be ones that are absolutely necessary. And lastly, it saves you time you would have otherwise spent trying to find a decent combination of clothes (and accessories) for that perfect ensemble. 

Starting your own

The first step to building your own capsule wardrobe is to declutter your closet. Take out everything from your closet and lay them out. Now pick one article of clothing and decide whether it’s something you absolutely love, is versatile and you know you will be wearing a lot, something that you know will fit you well and is in a good condition. If the answer to all the questions above is yes then place it back in your closet. If not then it goes into one of these piles: seasonal clothes or clothes to donate/sell/throw out. 

Items that you love and will be wearing frequently but in a different season is added to the seasonal pile (like sweaters, cardigans during summer and shorts, camisoles, tank tops during winter etc.), and everything else is added to the latter pile. Store the clothes for the next season and you don’t really have to outright throw out, sell or donate the other clothes, just keep them out of plain sight and if they don’t cross your mind while getting ready for the next three months then you are probably just hoarding them. Now you will be left with a closet that only contains clothes that you absolutely love. This is a good place to start.

Now make a list of the clothes you want your closet to have. These should be items that you wear frequently and that goes along with any other article of clothing that you have in your closet. Basics in neutral colors fit into capsule wardrobe rules perfectly. Check off what you already have inside your freshly filtered closet. You can get inspiration from sites like Pinterest on what you want your final wardrobe to look like. 

Create a board on pinterest and start pinning items you think works for your wardrobe. Or you could even search for looks that you think fit into your vision of your capsule wardrobe. Next up is following the three each. You can get three variations of a certain clothing. One casual, one statement (or formal, whichever works for you) and one in between (that you can wear as both). Make of list of around ten items of clothing and apply the three each rule. Those 10 items could be tops, dresses, pants/trousers, heels, flats, sweaters/jumpers, shorts/ skirts, jackets/cardigans etc.

Go through your list a couple of times and finalize it. Then add the clothes that you have listed out but do not have in your closet. There you have it – your very unique, minimal and practical wardrobe consisting of just a handful of items.

However, remember that a capsule wardrobe is not made overnight. Everything will fall into places overtime. And there are no strict rules or “the ideal example”. You will have to figure out your style gradually and that will help you shape your wardrobe more. Move along in your own pace and create rules that work for you. The only universal thing you have to remember is “less is more”. 

Sample capsule wardrobe

Everyone has a different preference and style so your capsule wardrobe will be very unique and true to your personal taste and lifestyle. This is just a loose guide you can (you don’t have to) base yours on.

T-shirt and tank tops: a plain  tee, a neutral tank, a neutral camisole

Tops and shirts/buttondown: a classic buttondown, a denim buttondown or top,  a silk top

Dresses: a bodycon dress, a LBD (little black dress), a silk slip on

Jacket/cardigan and coat: a denim jacket, a trench or duster coat, a faux leather or faux fur jacket/coat

Sweater/jumper: a turtleneck, a knitted sweater, a hooded jumper

Pants/trousers: a pair of skinny jeans, flared or straight leg trousers, a pair of joggers

Shorts: denim shorts, preppy (non denim) shorts, runner shorts

Skirts: pencil skirt, button through or lace up skirt, pleated skirt

Heels: a pair of block heels, a pair of pencil heeled shoes, a pair of heeled booties

Flats: ballet flats, combat boots, sneakers

 
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