A capsule wardrobe is an intentional selection of clothing pieces that are interchangeable, generally of higher quality and timeless in their style. A well curated capsule wardrobe should result in dozens of outfit option to suit any occasion or event.

 

What does a Capsule wardrobe mean for you? It should be a bit different for everyone.

 

A great start is to base it on these 3 pillars: interchangeable/functional, good quality to stand the test of time and it needs to suit your style.

A Capsule wardrobe should have a good representation of essential pieces in basic, foundational colours: black, denim, white, grey, navy, khaki/camel.

 

Pants: Jeans, Dress Pants, Dressy Jogger, Straight Leg, Wide Leg, Ankle

Skirts: Short, Mid, Long, Skorts, Pencil, Maxi, A line

Dresses: LBD, Casual, Formal, Business, Summer, Resort, Travel

Tops: Tanks, Regular & Graphic Tees, Button Ups, Tunics, Blouses

Sweaters: Various Weights, Pullovers, Button Ups, Cardigans

LW Jackets & Blazers: Jean, Suit Blazer, Vests, Bomber

HW Jackets: Shacket, Leather, Wool Coat (Various lengths), Safari, Trench, Parka

Accessories: Purse, Shoes, Jewelry, Scarves, Belts, Tights & Socks, Scent

 

Styling essestials: tuck belts, thigh savers, shape wear, bras to suit various styles

 

Note that a Caspule Wardrobe will have a seasonality factor: Summer & Winter but a lot of the pieces could work in both seasons based on the weight of the fabrics.

 

Capsule Wardrobe Considerations

Decide on your wardrobe goal.

What do you want out of your wardrobe? Capsules can have different focuses. Work, Casual/Everyday, Nights Out, Events. Pre Covid, I had a robust work wardrobe but I would struggle to find something fun to wear for a girls night out. Determining a wardrobe goal helps when shopping and creating a wardrobe that aligns with your lifestyle.

Add specificity to your goal: more colour, adding dresses, wearing accessories, buying more quality pieces. Goals are a great way to set a focus on what can be a daunting task.

Review your wardrobe values.

Capsule wardrobes are very intentional and thought through so take it one step further and ask yourself the following questions:

 

 

 

o What is your budget? Look at your shopping list and compare it to your budget, do they align?

o What type of fashion do you purchase? Fast or Slow and why?

o You prefer to buy quality over quantity?

o What brands do you love and why?

o What are your go to stores and why?

 

Determine your personal style.

Do you have a personal style? If you don’t have one, that’s ok. Find someone that you find inspiring, there are many options on Pinterest and Instagram. You don’t have to mimic them 100%, remember to honor yourself in the process.

Some questions that you help you with the process (note that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions):

How do I feel in big, bold colours?

How do I feel in neutrals?

Do I like being different in a crowd because of what I am wearing?

Do I consider myself a trendsetter or rather a fashion follower?

Do I want to spend a lot of time figuring out what to wear?

What are your favorite colours?

What are my favourite fabrics?

What are my favourite clothing fits and styles?

Fashion can be looked at like personal art that you wear. It can be big and bold, or pensive and thoughtful but the key is that it reflects your personality and energy, not someone else.

For example: I love seeing a bold lipstick on women, I think its so stylish, but on myself I feel like a clown. I used to buy them and convince myself that I would wear them, but ultimately, I would throw them out after using them a few times. Even those few times I would wipe the lip off before I went out. It’s just not for me and that’s ok.

There are so many fashion influencers that throw on outfits and make it look simple, but remember it’s their job. Don’t get carried away by their posts and reels, rather be inspired by it and make it your own. Always look first at what you need and reference your shopping list.

Shop smarter.

 

Be intentional with your purchases; once you sort through your closet make a shopping list of what you need and stick to it. We all have an example of going shopping and coming home with something we already had in our wardrobe.

When shopping, ensure that a garment like pants, tops or jackets you choose can be paired with 6-8 other pieces in your wardrobe. If it’s a dress (which are great stand-alone garments), ensure that you can dress it up or down with the right accessories to get more use out of it.

Take pictures of your wardrobe and keep a specific folder to reference as you’re shopping.

When shopping, make sure to look at the care instructions on the garment. If it’s Dry Clean Only, will you? Pay special attention to silk and wool, if the garment has a blend, like wool and polyester, it will be more forgiving than 100% wool. Some garments are Dry Clean Only because of the garment construction (linings, fringe, etc) that can get caught or damaged in a washer.

When you are shopping, if it’s a spur of the moment purchase, take a moment to reflect on why you are buying it? Do you need it or just want it? Do you already have something in your closet like it? Or is it just another scarf or dress?

Your Wardrobe as an Investment

Do you remember that episode of Sex in the City where Carrie wants to buy her apartment and says that she can't come up with the down payment? Her bestie Miranda points out how much she has spent in shoes?

 

We often forget how much we have invested in our wardrobes.

 

One way to make wiser wardrobe decisions: evaluate the dollars per wear. If you are looking at a fancy dress and its $500 and you know you will only really wear it at very formal events like a wedding or a fancy dinner…once or twice? Twice a year is $250 per wear. Are you ok with that ROI (return on investment)? Are you willing to wear it more than once? Would you consider renting which is becoming a trend in event fashion. However, buying at a high quality white collared shirt for $120 that you could wear in any season, therefore worn once a week over a year is just over $2 per wear.

In a retail environment where we can have what we want, when we want it we have lost touch on the value of clothing. This simple exercise can help in becoming more mindful when purchasing.

 

Where to Start:

1. Sort through your current wardrobe. Make sure to review it all: seasonal jackets, accessories, shoes. Give yourself enough time to do it well. Have a plan for your donation pile. Ask a friend or a hire a coach to help you if you know that organizing your wardrobe is not your strong suit (me!)
2. Your donate pile could include clothing items with:
3. Fit issues
4. You don’t like anymore and note as to why you don’t like it so you don’t make the same mistake again
5. Is this a duplicate garment? Again note that you bought it twice (maybe you really love that style, colour, pattern) but make that mental note to not make that mistake again
6. Didn’t work out after you bought it: colour, size, fit... can you still return it?
7. Are stained or damaged beyond repair.
8. After the sort you should have core/current season pieces
9. Review what you have and see what outfits you can make. It's nice to lay this out on the floor or bed so you can visualize the pieces if you don’t want to take the time to try them on.
10. Make a shopping list of pieces you need that would compliment your current wardrobe. Keep it on you so you can reference it while you are shopping.

Some Don’ts

Don’t limit yourself to a certain number of pieces – unless you have very limited space and that number means something to you, it doesn’t really matter, the wardrobe police aren’t going to come knocking on your door

Don’t limit yourself to a set colour palette. Most stylists will say that you need to have black, grey, white and khaki because of the versatility…but don’t limit yourself to that if it doesn’t align with your style. If you love purple then have purple in your wardrobe, if you don’t like black then don’t buy it.

Don’t just buy multiples of a piece. We have all found that piece that we love and we want to buy it in every colour and in some cases it’s a good idea, like a great fitting pant (because for women sometimes it’s a challenge to find a great fit), but you might get bored of that piece faster… kinda like a fast romance and then not want to wear that piece.

Don’t throw something out just because it doesn’t fall within the parameters of the capsule, if you love it and wear it then keep it.

 

Some Do’s

Be honest with yourself.  Just because something is on trend doesn’t mean its right for you, that applies for colour, style, and fabric.

Incorporate classic patterns and different fabrics into your wardrobe for interest and diversity. A leopard print sweater, neutral stripes top, pleather pants can all be great key pieces that are fun and stylish.

Layering is your friend. Voluptuous women tend to shy away from layers, however layering a pullover sweater with a classic white button up and jeans adds visual interest and breaks up the body creating a more flattering look.

So after all this work you should have a much better idea of what you want out of your wardrobe and a plan on how to make it maximize it. So remember: be beautiful. Be intentional.