I feel like capsule wardrobes is either a fast fashion take over or a buzzword at the moment. But really capsule wardrobing is like a work of art. I’ve tried a few different ways of creating them over the years (333 challenge, 10×10 challenges, even my own 36 + 5 challenge). But I keep coming back to the same basic principals. As I work through setting up my slow fashion wardrobe, I’m following all of these steps. This is the first of 5 steps that I’ll be tacking over the next 5 weeks. So if you’d like to see how to set up your own capsule wardrobe, follow below!
What type of capsule do you want to create?
When most people think of capsules they think about a wardrobe to fit their work/home life. However, there are other types of capsules, think loungewear, just a business capsule, a more casual capsule for the weekends, a travel capsule, workout capsule and so many more! Pinterest is a great source of inspiration! If this is your first one or are looking to pair down most of your closet, I’d recommend a work/home life capsule. That’s the type that I’ll be creating but I’d love to also make a solid lounge wear capsule!
What’s your lifestyle like in a regular week?
When I build a work/home life capsule I always start with my lifestyle and personal style. My lifestyle includes teaching (read business casual), dinners with friends (well before this pandemic…), running errands and exploring every coffee shop I find. For each of these activities I think about what outfits I typically wear. I don’t need blazers. I can get by with jeans in almost every part of my life except work. I like simple, comfortable pieces. For work I like sweaters + colored pants + booties. For dinners with friends I like blouses + jeans + loafers. For exploring I wear tee shirts + jeans + converse. By thinking about what I need for my lifestyle, I won’t include pieces I’ll never wear or simply don’t need!
What’s your personal style? What do you feel comfortable in?
My personal style is skinny pants + loose tops + cute shoes. It’s taken me a few years to narrow down my style but this is what I gravitate toward when I can’t find anything to wear. This doesn’t mean I don’t wear dresses (I love them!) but I typically don’t wear skirts because they don’t go with a lot of tops. I have a go to jacket that pretty much gets worn every day in fall and spring. So I know that I don’t want to have skirts in my capsule and maybe a few dresses but not more than the number of pairs of pants I have. Most of my tops are going to be on the looser end (probably not all, I do need variety). By thinking about what I feel comfortable in I won’t include options that are likely to not get worn (in my case skirts!).
You can also think about this question as “What am I drawn to?” I gain a lot of inspiration from the people I follow on Instagram, what I see in the real world or pins on Pinterest. I tend to repin outfits that have skinny pants and loose tops. I follow people on Instagram who post the coziest sweaters and cutest shoes. My phone is full of notes describe other people’s outfits, like an all black outfit I saw someone wear yesterday. I use each of these resources as jumping off places to describe my style. Maybe your style is more boho inspired and you follow bloggers who post the most beautiful flow dresses. Take note of what you like and that can led to your personal style.
What’s your weather/climate like in your area?
The next step is really focusing on the weather where you live. Is it always sunny and hot? Super cold in the winter? A mix of both? I struggle the most with the weather because I live in a place that has 4 true seasons. I need shorts just as much as I need pants but I’m also a pretty cold-blooded person so I can also get away with long sleeves in the summer. Some people have 2 different (or 4) capsules that they bring out and pack up as the seasons dictate. I’ve tried that but this time around I’m trying to do the impossible, 1 capsule for all the seasons. We will see how this goes!
What color do you wear all the time?
Once I have a direction (lifestyle + personal style + weather constraints) I move into color. For colors I always choose black, white and grey. I feel most confident in those colors, and they all go with each other. I add in 2 additional colors for more variety, in this case denim and olive green. These are colors I like to wear and match all the neutrals. I’ve seen some great capsules featuring more colors (check out my Pinterest board for inspiration!). Make sure that you pick a few neutral colors and a few doses of color to add variety and keep things interesting.