You might already have a capsule wardrobe!
Most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. This means you wear the same small selection of the clothes you own for the vast majority of the time.
We all tend to have our our “go-to” items that we wear often, for me it's throwing on a plain black tee and a pair of jeans.
And unnoticeably, the rest of our clothes are worn less frequently, or sometimes rarely ever.
Have you ever had a full closet but yet felt you have "NOTHING" to wear?
Well, this is an efficent way to utilise every piece of clothing you have. It keeps your closet tidy and mind stress free while allowing you to really focus on your next purchase.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothes you LOVE, that look and feel great on, and you can mix and match to make many outfit combinations. They are usually up to 30 items (so I am not asking you to cut back on a lot)
Essentially most people are already dressing from a capsule wardrobe, it’s simply hidden amongst clothes they really don’t love or wear.
BUT realising it and making it a conscious effort to adopt one will definitely do more good than harm.
So... How can I create a capusle wardrobe?
There is no right way, you have to find a way to make it work for you.
Im going to list a number of rules and you can decide which one works for you and which doesn't.
Establishyour base
The base is NOT where you find your day-to-day clothes. The base is all the other extra stuff you need to do things like sleep, work out, and business clothes.
Formal wear
Outerwear
Indian wear
Swimwear
Party clothes
Again REMEMBER this is everything extra NOT your capsule wardrobe.
The Base Wardrobe does not change throughout the year, and it does NOT include your daily outfits. It is your clothes that you really need to have for specific occasiions.
2. Number of items
Your capsule collection should be anywhere between 30-40 items.
It consists of your everyday clothes so thats not asking to cut back on a lot.
3. Make a timeframe.
Capsule wardrobes work seasonally but since we don't have all 4 seasons in bombay, a 6 month time frame works.
You could divide make 2 capsule wardrobes- Spring/Summer time and winter.
4. Planning
Think about your lifestyle and what you like to wear. Identify all the different activities you do in your daily life (i.e. working out, running errands, going for classes etc.) and how you spend the majority of your time. Design your capsule around that. Making sure to include clothing options that will work for each of these activities.
Figure out your signature style:
What types of clothes make you look and feel your best? These are the clothes that should make up your capsule. Everything in your capsule should be things you love to wear and feel great in.
Choose 3 categories to put your clothes into-
Yes, I love it and want it in my capsule – these are the clothes you love wearing, that look and feel good on.
Yes, I love it, but don’t want it in this capsule – these are clothes that you love and look and feel good on, but they were either not seasonally appropriate or weren't planning to choose them for this capsule. Things I still loved would be stored until it was time to make the next capsule.
No, I don’t like this item anymore – these items are boxed up to donate, recycle or give away.
Choose from your 'Yes, I love it and want it in my capsule' until you cut down on 30-40 items.
Plan out several different outfits by mixing and matching shoes, bottoms and tops you would be surprised as to how many combinations you can come up with.
Seriously think about it,
Its a bi annual closet with 40 items each ( up to 80 in total) but it excludes all ocaasionwear.
This isn't a lot to ask for at all! and the benefits include-
- Boosted confidence and actually being able to define and understand her style more.
-Mindful spending- By shopping only once a season, you save money on frivolous items that add up. By shopping less you are also spending less on fast fashion which has its own unending list of adverse effects.
-Lesser Fatigue wile utilising every piece in your capsule closet
