October 5, 2015
Have you ever looked in your closet at the hangers and drawers and shelves full of clothes and shoes and thought I have nothing to wear? I have.
The following is a true story of how I came to adopt a capsule wardrobe dressing technique and why I think you will also find it helpful for feeling like you’ve got that put together look.
It all started, like many a project does these days, with a Pinterest binge. I was looking at my style board to figure out an outfit I could throw together that looked stylish, but was still me. I noticed that I like to pin images of a set of clothes that all work together. I like seeing how many outfits I can make from 5 tops and 3 bottoms and 2 pairs of shoes.
Enter the capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a set of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create many outfits from a small number of items. Some sites will tell you that a capsule wardrobe has 33 or 37 pieces, but if you read further, they also tell you that there are no strict rules that everyone must to follow. Some people change their capsule every season, while some people use the same items all year. I personally have 35 items in my summer capsule, but will have over 40 in my fall/winter capsule. The point is to find a number that works for your lifestyle, but is also a small enough number to allow you to pick the very best items that you love the most.
Below you will find a list of 5 reasons why I think a capsule wardrobe will help you feel put together, and make your closet more functional.
1. A capsule wardrobe saves time
If you have 50 items in your closet that you love more than pumpkin spice lattes, you’ll always be able to find an outfit that makes you look and feel amazing. If you have 300 items in your closet, is it likely that you’re going to find the right combination of pieces that make you feel great on a morning when you don’t have time even to think about sitting in Starbucks drive-thru purgatory? Probably not.
2. Laundry is easier with a capsule wardrobe
Fewer clothes means less laundry. It’s that simple! Your laundry mountain basket cannot overflow if there’s not much to add to it. Imagine throwing just one load of laundry in and being DONE. Another laundry bonus? You probably won’t accidentally shrink your favorite shirt because you missed it while switching the load over to the dryer.
3. Shop for new capsule wardrobe pieces without guilt
Each season will be an opportunity to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Should you need to add a new item or two, you can use your whole clothing budget on a couple of really nice pieces versus having to buy 20 things to get you through a new season. If you had the choice, would you rather have a new pair of Tory flats or a handful of random polyester cardigans and some big box store jeans? Over time, as you gauge what you REALLY love to wear, you’ll be able to add more high-end pieces to your repertoire.
4. You’ll always wear what you love with a capsule wardrobe
Why are you wearing that t-shirt you hate just because you’re only going to the grocery store? Stop doing that. Wear what you love even if the only person besides family you’ll see today is the Target Lady. With a capsule wardrobe, all the pieces in your closet are going to look stunning on you, so you never have to save your favorite sweater for a special occasion.
5. Your capsule wardrobe will look like those dream closets you pin on Pinterest
Those dream closets are more than fancy dressing tables and frilly chandeliers. They’re functional because they’re not stuffed with ultra low-rise jeans you just know you’re gonna rock as soon as your six-pack comes in. The stylist in charge of the photo shoot closet knows that a few strategically placed items makes the space look elegant. Luckily for you, you can get that look too, no staging required.
See? Less really is more. With a capsule wardrobe, you’ll always have something to wear. You don’t have to go full minimalist to have the benefits of a capsule wardrobe. At the very least, go through your closet and donate the items that you don’t love. Don’t forget the ones that you think you love but they don’t love you back (*cough* Abercrombie and Fitch jeans from high school *cough*). You deserve to look and feel put together in your clothes. Try out a capsule wardrobe and never say I have nothing to wear again.