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The Thing About Capsule Wardrobes – You Already Have One
Contrary to common belief, there is not one capsule wardrobe that fits every person and style. You can discover and build yours simply by visiting your wardrobe.
By capsule wardrobe, people usually refer to a small collection of essential clothing items that all fit together, and can be put together in different ways to make a variety of outfits for a variety of occasions. Quite often your travel wardrobe is a capsule wardrobe – a limited number of items you can mix and match to create multiple outfits for different purposes.
Capsule wardrobes are often said to consist of classic items that never go out of fashion, such as trench coats, button-ups, cashmere sweaters, and straight-legged jeans, all in neutral colors like white, blue, black, and beige.
But this does not need to be the case. A capsule wardrobe can mean wildly different things to different people.
“A capsule wardrobe consists of pieces that I either like or tend to wear all the time. Wardrobe essentials are personal. You don’t need to have a white tee or anything beige in your capsule wardrobe!”, says Christina Mychaskiw, a YouTuber, author, and wardrobe stylist.
“While neutrals absolutely work as a capsule collection, I don’t think most folks would agree neutrals are often their own personal style”, confirms Hanna Lee, a personal shopper and stylist from Chicago.
YOU define your capsule wardrobe yourself. Every capsule wardrobe looks different – if your style is colorful, your capsule wardrobe can be, too.
“I think capsule wardrobes get a bad rap for being synonymous with neutrals and minimalists. No matter what your aesthetic is, you should have a ’foundational’ capsule wardrobe to ensure cohesion and functionality. For the maximalists, think of this ’foundational’ capsule wardrobe as the pieces that tie everything together. You can have statement pieces in every color of the rainbow, but you will need some basics like a t-shirt or a good pair of jeans to make it into a full outfit”, explains Emily Woo, who works as a personal stylist in Brooklyn, New York.
No matter what your style looks like, a capsule wardrobe is a great way to find your personal style and make your everyday life easier.
“A capsule wardrobe is meant to make things easier for us; easier to decide what to wear and even eliminate that feeling ’I have nothing to wear’”, says Mychaskiw.
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A capsule wardrobe can also help you save money, says Lee. “It’s easier to avoid grab-and-go impulse purchases when you know and reflect on your current wardrobe that mixes and matches well together.”
A capsule wardrobe is also a sustainable choice.
“A capsule wardrobe is less wasteful as you tend to wear every single piece in your closet rather than cyclically buy new items every season. I don’t think people talk enough about how building a capsule wardrobe is a great way to teach yourself to be intentional with each item you add into your closet and practice better shopping habits,” adds Woo.
The best way to find your capsule wardrobe is by decluttering.
“It starts with the purge! The capsule wardrobe is already in your own closet”, says Mychaskiw.
She recommends dividing your clothes into different piles. A ’hell yes pile’ has clothes you love, wear all the time, and that make you happy. It is the foundation of your personal capsule wardrobe. The purge will also help you see if some essential items are missing – maybe you have a lot of t-shirts and sweaters, but all the cold-weather tops are missing. Or maybe you have collected a lot of statement skirts but don’t have a top that would go with all of them.
When deciding what items to include in your capsule, Lee suggests thinking like a designer. “Pretend you’re a designer for the day and your collection is going to walk down the runway, does it feel cohesive?”
Although your capsule wardrobe can be colorful, whimsical, and maximalist, it is still a good idea to think about it as a collection where everything goes together; each piece can be mixed and matched in multiple ways. For example, if your capsule consists of 10 items, you can create tens of outfits with those items.
How many items should a capsule wardrobe have? “As many or as few as you like!” says Mychaskiw.
Emily Woo’s capsule wardrobe consists of a vintage black blazer, a good pair of jeans, wide-leg black wool trousers, a white tee, cashmere sweaters & Uniqlo heat tech turtlenecks to layer for winter, silk slip dress, loafers, neutral sneakers, and a statement piece.
“This could be a fun blouse or jacket or even cool accessories like a vintage broach or quirky bag.”
The best thing about capsule wardrobe ideology: you do not need to shop to have one. You already have one. The second best thing is you don’t need to change your style to have one. Essentially, a capsule wardrobe consists of your favorite clothing items that you tend to wear most often, and that go together. What’s not to like about it?
white blazer