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How To Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe helps you live with items of clothing that suit you perfectly, match with as many outfits as possible and take a lot of thought and confusion out of the getting dressed equation. Building a capsule wardrobe is making sure you always look and feel your best, with minimal closet and maximum possibilities.
Joaquin and I became accidental minimalists when we moved into our camper van full-time, having very little space to organize all of our belongings. And yet, I kept most of my clothes, stashing them in every crack available, so much so that I ended up forgetting completely where they were.
The thing is, when you have very little space, you keep close to hand all the musts in your wardrobe - that cute little sweater that goes with everything, the magical pair of jeans, the tops perfect for layering - that sort of stuff. Without meaning to, I started a version of a capsule wardrobe that fit my lifestyle and everyday needs as well, composed of items that all suited me perfectly and could match with as many outfits as possible.
SO I BROKE THE TECHNIQUE DOWN INTO STEPS, TO SHARE THE ACCIDENTAL WISDOM OF THE SIMPLEST, MOST PRACTICAL WARDROBE I HAVE EVER HAD.
1. REDUCE
When's the last time you went through your closet and cleaned it out ??
To get started with a minimal wardrobe, we first need to get rid of a few things. Although there is no need to go full bulldozer on your closet (yet), it's important to separate the absolute must keeps from the I-havent-worn-it-in-two-years items.
I like to make three piles, the musts, the maybes and the no mores. We all have some pieces in our closet that don't suit us anymore, that we never got around to fixing, that we don't really need or like anymore etc.
Take some time to go through your closet and take out everything you are sure you're not gonna wear anymore (anything that you haven't worn in over a year is a good place to start..), pile them in a corner and celebrate the beautiful emptiness with a cookie.
Also - if it's hard for you to say goodbye, don't toss them straight away. You can pack them in a bag and if you haven't thought of them or missed them in a month, just take the bag to give to charity.
2. SEPARAT YOUR SEASONS
You won't be wearing the same clothes all year long, although some pieces can work with every season. Your little jean shorts and the rest of your summer clothes can live in a box under the bed for at least six months of the year ! The space you gain by putting them away makes all of the difference. I mean there is so much place in your closet now, you could almost do a little dance.
LOUISE HERE !
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3. PUT ASIDE THE SPECIAL ITEMS
Put away all of the specific items that you use for such specific things as :
- Exercise (workout clothes, shoes, running jackets etc.)
- Sleep (pyjamas, comfy sweater, sleeper etc.)
- Cold weather (hats, gloves, scarves, coats etc.)
- Very special occasions (christmas parties outfits, accessories etc.)
These don't belong in your everyday capsule, since you only wear them on special occasions. But by all means, go through them too, and make sure every piece suits you and you actually wear it.
I like to not have too many pairs of the same items here either, since I know that in the five pairs of leggings I had in my closet, one was too big and baggy, one had a weird stain on the knee and I didn't like the fabric of an other one. So there were actually just two I wore all the time. So goodbye dear leggings !
Same for pyjamas and lounge wear.. Nobody needs seven pairs of summer pyjamas, however cute they are ! (yes I really had seven pairs, don't mock me).
These specific clothes can go in a different place then your wardrobe if you are an organization freak like me. In my case, they live in a separate box under our bed !
4. THE CAPSULE
Alright, now that you have a bit more space to wiggle in, you can start defining your capsule wardrobe, or what I like to call, the gold items.
These are the base of all your outfits, the pair of jeans that suit you perfectly, the basic long and short sleeves that are great for layering and go under all your outfits, the sweater that works with the most outfits and you end up wearing all the time.
This is your absolute must and the base of any fabulous creation.
For your capsule wardrobe, you can identify three main outfit categories, that are most relevant to your current lifestyle. Think of what you do the most, and imagine a look for these main scenarios in your life. Some categories can be :
- Office : meetings, presentations etc.
- Casual : work form home, groceries, friends etc.
- Dressy : date nights, formal events etc.
- Lounge : home wear, cooking etc.
- Fun : restaurants, concerts, birthday parties etc.
- Active : hikes, gym, on the go, kids etc.
My current categories are Active, Casual and Fun. For me these include jeans, comfortable tops and cozy sweaters to wear when working from a cafe or the van, some cute additions to wear for going out or for a few simple meetings and some more comfortable wear to go hiking or exercising in.
Clothes define our personality and tastes, but also our activities and lifestyle. If you have gone from full time in an office to working from home in the past few months for example, there are bound to be a few items in your closet you won't need as much anymore.
Now that you have your outfit categories, you can select five tops, five sweaters, four to five pants and four to five shoes that are coherent with your categories. (of course this is just how I did it, if you have six pants that you love, then keep all five).
For each item make sure that :
- They go with all of the other clothes.
- They fit you perfectly (today, not maybe one day again).
- You really love them
Tips to pick and chose :
1. Make sure you stick with your categories - if you have an adorable pair of red heels, that you absolutely love BUT are a bit too high to be comfortable and don't really go with anything else you own, then don't add it to the capsule.
2. If there is a pair of jeans that are super trendy but a little loose and baggy on you and that you don't feel super good wearing, I wouldn't put them in your capsule either.
To be absolutely sure you want them in your capsule, ask yourself it fits you well, if it goes with your categories/everyday life and if you would be happy to wear it at any given time.
These pieces should basically get a green light at every question you ask yourself !
DON'T GET RID OF ANYTHING THAT DOESNT FIT IN YOUR CAPSULE, SIMPLY PUT THEM AWAY (ANOTHER DRAWER FRO EXAMPLE) SOT HAT THEY ARE THERE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED THEM, BUT DON'T STAND IN YOUR WAY !
5. ENJOY IT ALL
Now that you have your gold items, all there is left to do is pick in between a handful of clothes what delicious ensemble you are going to put together today. Everything you have fits together and more importantly, fits you perfectly.
Personally, I would hold on with shopping to replace some items that you gave away for not fitting you anymore. Make sure to know exactly what you need before going shopping and as always, prefer quality over quantity !
I hope these little tips towards creating a capsule wardrobe were helpful. I absolutely love having a capsule wardrobe. I feel like it is the perfect thing for me, living in such a small space as the van, but also because I am so indecisive when it comes to my clothes. Here at least, I am sure that everything goes together and fits me perfectly !
I hope these little tips towards creating a capsule wardrobe were helpful and you get to enjoy the absolute bliss that is creating a capsule wardrobe. xx
I'M LOUISE
Thanks for giving this a read ! I'm a writer, photographer & self proclaimed environmental warrior, excited to share solutions, ideas and recipes to bring sustainability into our lives.
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