Many people underestimate the benefits of a capsule wardrobe. The common assumption is that you'd live with less, rebuy everything, or completely downsize your wardrobe to basics, but I promise you it's all a myth.
The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is not to shop more or reboot your wardrobe completely - its to make what you already have work best for you, for your preferences requirements and your lifestyle. You end up wearing most of the clothes in your closet, you finally manage to curb the habit of impulsive shopping (a habit the environment and your bank account will thank you for!), save money and then have enough saved to invest in pieces that might last much longer and it's fewer clothes heading to landfills every few months. This is also what prompted me to put together a Capsule Wardrobe Workbook for you to build your own capsules within your closets and really enjoy the whole process of putting outfits together whether you're someone who's looking for what's most convenient or just an opportunity to experiment with your personal styling skills.
Keep reading for some tips on how to best use the workbook and create a capsule that suits your requirements, preferences and lifestyle!
THE SETUP
I would definitely recommend setting time aside to do this on a weekend – more often than not, a capsule wardrobe takes me a good 4-5 hours to put together (this includes snack breaks, getting distracted by something I've rediscovered and at least 3 FaceTime calls to friends asking for their opinion). Clear out some space in your room, put on a nice playlist and also grab a little dusting cloth to give your wardrobe a quick wipe before you put clothes back in. When I'm refreshing my capsule for a new season before I start I use websites like Pinterest to build a mood board for what I want the end result to look like in terms of outfits and the overall aesthetic (this is a step that's included in the workbook!). If you're using our Capsule Wardrobe Workbook – spend a few minutes going through it before you start purging your closet to get an idea of what exactly you're going to be doing as part of this exercise.
HOW TO SECTION YOUR CLOTHES
It's never as easy as a 'yes' and 'no' section. That's when we end up hoarding things and holding onto pieces for a 'one-day' situation, but because that's a very normal thing to do, I've found a little loophole around this. Divide your clothes into 'yes', 'no', 'maybe' and archive. Your 'yes' and 'no' sections are pretty self-explanatory but let me quickly walk you through the 'maybe' and 'archive' sections. If you come across an item that you haven't worn in years, possibly because you haven't had a chance or might not know how to style it best, it goes into your 'maybe' section. The 'archive' section is purely for mementoes, vacation or occasionwear, or anything that has sentimental value. This will help eliminate the thought that you must get rid of everything that's not a hard 'yes'!
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR CAPSULE
Start simple by identifying key pieces in your existing wardrobe. What are some of your most worn items? What are some of your go-to outfit formulas? Once you've got that sorted, do a quick checklist of your day-to-day activities and your lifestyle. Are you someone who works from home or goes to a corporate office? Do you spend more time running errands, at a desk or looking after children? The end result should be a wardrobe that has outfits you can easily put together for any of these activities without too much thought. This brings me to my next point – I don't believe you need to have only 36 pieces in your capsule wardrobe. We all lead different lives, with different requirements, preferences and our wardrobes cannot be a one-size-fits-all situation. If you feel like your closet needs 50 pieces because you need lots of layers during winter, or if you only need 20 because you work from home and have a loungewear set for a uniform – either way, go for it!
