5 Steps for Building a Capsule Wardrobe
Why I built a capsule wardrobe
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a binge-doer and slightly obsessive (eek!) When I get captivated by something I COMMIT, I research until my brain hurts. Shopping for me was no different, before every season I would stockpile on trendy new pieces because I’m a sucker for for great marketing. Sadly for me, all I was left with was a pile of clothes made to sell, not last, and that had no connection to my life or style after one wear. I had just spent my entire budget on pieces that didn’t even make it into the next season so I had to start over and over again. I got frustrated and knew there had to be a better way.
I realized that I could still work with my way of purchasing season by season while actually getting clothing that I love and will carry over. I started curating my capsule wardrobe. By being more invested in my closet - not with my money - just my time and thought, I was able to build a small section of clothes that I know I’ll feel confident wearing and I’ve simplified my closet.
Here are the five steps I took in building my capsule wardrobe.
1- Assess your style & lifestyle
This takes some honesty and some time. Pretend you’re a researcher studying someone else, be as objective as possible. Go through your closet and write down the answers to these questions, at the same time: set aside the clothes that fit in with your answer to each question.
What is your most worn outfit of all time?
What outfit to you feel most confident/like yourself in?
Hopefully the same answer as #1, if not, this exercise will be so great for you!
What pieces do you find yourself coming back to over and over again?
Do you wear a lot of a certain pattern? Or none at all?
Which colors and tones do you wear most?
Brown and cream or white and black?
Jewel tones, pastels, classics, or brights?
ROYGBIV - what are your top 2/3 colors?
Do you prefer to wear certain materials?
Is wool too itchy? Is chiffon too static-y?
Do you have a favorite fit of dress, skirt, pants, shorts or shirt?
What styles sit in your closet and are never worn because you don’t feel confident in the fit?
Keep in mind-this is not about assessing what you own, it’s about assessing what you actually wear and makes you feel your best.
When I looked in my closet, I realized most of it was not practical for my life or what I really loved. I wear scrubs everyday to school, lounge-wear when I study at home, and denim with an over-sized t-shirt/sweater on the weekends for date night, brunching and brewery-hopping. Can someone PLEASE tell me why I had so much clubbing attire?????
2- Pick a theme & make it versatile
Building a capsule wardrobe does not mean your closet will be boring, it means its going to be a reflection of who you are, but each piece you purchase must also be versatile. Your goal is to be able to create at least 3 outfits that you’d actually wear with every piece of clothing you own.
For me, I pretty much only wear solid, cool-toned colors. I love most styles of tops, but avoid crop-tops. I’m much more picky with bottoms, I like A-line skirts, high-waists, denim, and structured- I avoid body-con and extra flowy.
I brought versatility and interest into my wardrobe through texture and fit, I sought-out silk, linen, denim, and cotton tops in all different styles and I added wide-leg jeans to my collection of skinnys. I rounded it out with pops of green that I can mix in. I would say my style feels “classic meets edgy.”
If you like pattern, keep your bottoms and outerwear simple, or if you really love it, layer it! Being bold can be the theme of your capsule! This isn’t about boxing you in it’s about taking the time to understand your style and giving yourself options that you know you’ll grab over and over.
3- Make a budget
I’m not a money gal, my fiance can tell you that, but for clothing, specifically, I made a budget. It felt daunting at first to try to transform my wardrobe on a budget, but it made me realize, the point of this isn’t to get the most pieces it’s to get the best pieces for me, which calmed me down and made me focus.
I was being far more present in the process of shopping. Now I research brands that are making high quality garments, and shop sales of these more expensive brands more mindfully!
4- Commit to less clothing & more wears
This is one of the easiest ways any person can commit to a more sustainable relationship with fashion, it’s also the best way to build a capsule. If you’re able to take care of your clothing and get to 30 wears, not only is your cost per wear dropping, but so is your carbon footprint, even if the garment wasn’t made in the most sustainable way. Here is some data for you:
12 shirts each worn 4 times means 92kg of CO2
in comparison to: 4 shirts worn 25 times drops it to 22kg of CO2.
You can cut down your environmental impact by 76% by having less and wearing more!!!! This is my favorite tip because you can start this right now even if you’re tight on cash, simply resell or donate clothing you don’t love and focus on wearing pieces that fit into your newly made capsule, that alone will simplify your life and boost your impact on the environment.
I made a commitment that as I purchased clothing I had to love the pieces so much that I knew I would wear it more than 9 times (the average amount of wears per garment,) with a goal of wearing it 30 times. I know that sounds like a lot, but when you’re only buying high quality clothing that you love and can style at least 3 outfits with, I think you’ll find that you continuously reach for that item and it’s wear-count will add up fast.
5- Make a list & prioritize
This is the final step before you can start consciously shopping!
Make a list of every single piece of clothing, shoe, and jacket you feel like you need in your closet to dress for any situation, in any season.
Each piece must fit into the categories you classified in step one and two.
Organize the list by type: tank, tee, long sleeve, sweater, sweatpant, etc.
Specify color, pattern, fit and material (if applicable) for every piece on your list.
Cross off things you already own that work within your new capsule
Move things off the list if you already own a piece that would work in 90% of situations
Use these equations as a guideline for how much clothing you need to get dressed in each season. Keep in mind some pieces in your wardrobe will work in multiple categories and across multiple seasons, which is amazing!
Casual wear / Work wear: 2+ months of unique combos
7 Bottoms + 13 tops + 3 dresses + 1 jumpsuit
Formal wear
2 tops x 1 skirt x 1 pant OR 4 dresses/jumpsuits.
Lounge/Activewear: 1 week (assuming one wear=one wash)
7 tops + 7 bottoms + one tennis shoe
Shoes
2 casual + 2 formal + 2 mid-range
Take note of the biggest gaps and focus on the upcoming season
If your capsule is filled for the next season, shop sales for things on your list that are going out out season to stretch your budget. Keep in mind you should love it so much that you’ll wear it 30+ times, think: quality and versatility, not just cheap.
For me, this was a very long list, but after I crossed off things I already owned that suited my new capsule, I felt much less overwhelmed. To take it a step further I put “pause” on tons of items because I had things that could work already. For example, grey is one of my main colors in my capsule so I wrote down “Grey Chunky Turtleneck” but since I already have a black chunky turtleneck that can easily be worn instead I crossed it off.
By laying it all out there I could see why my wardrobe wasn’t working for me and what I felt I needed to have a minimal, more versatile closet. Moving forward I could purchase higher quality things because I had less total things to buy.
Why I think you should try it
Frankly, I did not think that I would ever be someone telling you to have less clothing, but truly this has helped me build a love for all of my wardrobe. It gives me the option to get dressed quickly, with little effort or to go in and get creative with different combinations.
I’m wearing my clothing so much more which helps reduce CO2 emissions, and with a higher budget per item I’m able to buy from ethical, sustainable brands. It makes shopping more satisfying and less guilt-inducing and has enlightened me to a more conscious way of being a consumer.
I hope you give this a shot, I’d love to hear your stories of simplifying your wardrobe!
#thisisreallife #sustainablysmall
