Building a Capsule Wardrobe

It is that time of year when a lot of us realize that we have way too many things! One of those things being clothes. Others of us might have a hard time figuring out what to wear most days even though our closets are full of items. I even had that problem this morning. If one of your new years resolutions is about minimalizing or being less stressed, this article may be for you.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing, shoes, and accessories that you can mix and match to create a variety of outfits. The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to simplify part of your daily decision making processes. They save you time and money, reduce stress, take up less closet space, and can change your shopping habits.

Starting a Capsule wardrobe

There are many different approaches to how you can start a capsule wardrobe but the most simple method is to create modules. These modules start with a pair of shoes. From these shoes should go with 2 pairs of pants, and then those 2 pairs of pants should go with 3 shirts. Now from these combinations, you have 6 outfits that go seamlessly together. Below is our Casual Outfit Module that makes 12 outfits! We added an extra 3 pieces to ours to show that even colored tops can integrate into a capsule wardrobe. You can also find all these items at a BLiNG Glamour near you!

How many items can be in a capsule wardrobe?

On average, the amount of items in a capsule wardrobe ranges from 30-50 items. That being said, these pieces can usually rotate through the seasons. If you want to get extreme, you could try the “333” method for a month. It is where you select 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes to make your combinations.

Keep in mind, athletic wear and pajamas do not typically count towards a capsule wardrobe. But, if you wear athleisure quite often, it wouldn’t hurt to incorporate that favorite pair of leggings into your capsule wardrobe.

Do I need a capsule wardrobe for each season?

Some people do have a capsule wardrobe for each season, but others don’t. It can depend on your locations climate. If you live in L.A., chances are you don’t need show boots and a coat on a regular basis. If you live in the Midwest like us, and the weather goes from -18 degrees and snowing to sunny and 60 degrees in one day, then you might need to rotate your capsule wardrobe more frequently.

Something else to consider when building a caspule wardrobe, it finding out what your style mainly consists of. Do you have to dress in professional attire 5 days of the week? (If so, you might need a separate capsule for that.) Do you work from home and wear casual outfits? Do you work outside? These are things to consider building around.