3 Basic Steps to Create a Capsule Wardrobe
“Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin’ with no makeup on…”
This all sounds good coming from Drake but don’t forget the cookie crumbs and juice spills and the snack compartment in your purse that has transformed into yet another diaper bag. Somewhere down the line, we buried ourselves in comfort clothes, especially the black leggings, which are not pants by the way, unless there is an oversized sweater or tunic to be layered. It has become a mom habit to put our needs at the bottom of the list. But that has to stop. It is time we stop B-lining to the children’s clothing section and march right into women’s section for our own wardrobe needs. It is time we have clothes that make us look like normal human beings when someone invites us out into civilization to have real people interactions that don’t concern crayons and chocolate milk.
I know, I know you have dinner on right now and I need to wrap this up, so here is why a capsule wardrobe is every mom’s true BFF:
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Saves money.
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Eliminates the “I have nothing to wear” excuse.
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Year-round classic staple pieces.
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Less stress in getting ready.
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Saves time.
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Organized closet.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
Think of a capsule wardrobe as your own personal fashion collection, filled with timeless pieces mixed and matched with seasonal and trendy pieces for daily wear. The amount of wardrobe pieces can range from 10 to 50, but most think the magic number is 37 pieces. I bet you have 37 yoga pants alone. Still not sold, read this article! Having a capsule wardrobe creates minimal and polished everyday looks. There’s not anything wrong with having a maximal wardrobe full of bold colors, prints, and patterns but people notice the wear and quality faster than that of classic and timeless pieces. The number of looks you can create from having a capsule are endless and you will always look chic, which is the goal, right? Let’s get started.
First step
Choose a color palette. For a good foundation, choose navy or black and then add neutral colors. Lastly, add pops of colors and prints. It is best to choose colors that will compliment your skin tone. For instance, I am warm toned, so I would wear warm colors and stay far away from cool colors. I began my own capsule in January 2019. My color palette is full of blacks, browns, greys, denim, and creams with prints and patterns of plaid, snakeskin, leopard, and stripes. I am still searching for my pop of color, so don’t worry if you do not have your complete palette right away.
Second step
Marie Kondo your closet, meaning get rid of everything you do not love. When it comes to decluttering your closet, many suggest taking everything out of your closet, but I am here to tell you: do not do that. No one has that kind of time. Declutter in categories, like pants, jeans, sweaters, blouses, etc. If it is not a seasonal piece and you have not worn it in 6 months, toss it. After you have decluttered, try on your keeps to see how they make you feel. You should keep what makes you feel your best and what you absolutely love. If you do not love it, you cannot own it. Since starting my journey, I have removed 8 large bags worth of clothing from my closet.
Third step
This step is the hardest. It is shopping. For yourself. Do not fall into the trap of buying everything you decluttered your wardrobe of. The typical capsule wardrobe suggests you buy classic pieces, such as white button shirt, slacks, green utility jacket, and blah blah blah. You should definitely purchase classic wardrobe pieces BUT, and it is a big but, search for style inspiration. I am pretty certain you do not want to walk into Target looking like 50 other women. Pinterest will be your best bet to find your inspiration. Add some style and do not become just another minimalist capsule wardrobe robot. For instance, grab that short sleeve white button down with a button back or the black slacks with a side stripe. In addition to shopping for stylish classic pieces, shop in your color palette and shop quality. Shopping your color palette will take care of 50% of the work. This step will become easier the more dedicated you are to creating your capsule.
