It’s funny! I was driving from the airport to our retreat and my friend Bonnie and I were talking about Capsule Wardrobes! If you’re in the blogging world or super active on social media, these topics are common to us… for the rest of the population, not so much! It’s funny when I forget that I live in such a different world based on the work I do, so when I announced that I was doing a capsule wardrobe, I was greeted with a lot of confused faces. “Why are you throwing out all of your clothes?” was a common question I was getting and so before I start to share the process with everyone, my wardrobe, and how I chose each piece, I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what a capsule wardrobe is and why you should totally consider it! It’s changed my life, for real.
What is a capsule wardrobe anyway? A capsule wardrobe is a curated collection of clothes that are versatile pieces that you LOVE to wear and fit you right now. Think about your closet for a minute: it’s overflowing but you can never find anything to wear. You don’t like anything and you are always willing to shop to try and find the pieces you are “missing.” You still have jeans from high school that you are convinced you’ll someday fit into and that blouse that you could wear to an outdoor meeting on a patio in Arizona (you know, if that ever were to happen.) You have a few things with the tags still on them because you never did find the right place to wear it and the clothes that you can’t let go of because “they would be so cute with….” yeah, I had all of that too. If you know me, you know I love my yoga pants. I live in them, but I realized I was living in them because I was so overwhelmed by the excess in my closet that I could never find an outfit that fit and that I liked to wear. When you really think about it, we wear about 20% of our clothes 80% of the time! There’s a reason for it: it takes the guess work out, it’s easy, and we know it fits and looks good! Am I right?
What is a capsule wardrobe:
- It is a curated collection of clothes that changes each season!
- A capsule wardrobe generally consists of under 40 pieces of clothing! It includes: tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes.
- WHAT?! Only 40 pieces?! Guys, 40 pieces is a lot when you think about it. Okay, moving on.
- You get rid of the mediocre, the stuff that doesn’t fit and start to invest in quality pieces that you LOVE and are versatile.
- Shopping generally happens once per season (every three months) where you give yourself a budget.
- When shopping you just pick out the pieces needed to complete the capsule, you can carry over past items of course.
- A capsule wardrobe does NOT include: work out clothes, (thank heavens) pajamas, or formal wear! Sound better? It should.
- Mix and match, choose your pieces carefully and enjoy a cohesive collection of clothes without the overwhelm!
I am all about simplifying life, less is more has been my motto all year but my closet was the opposite of that. It was overwhelming me and I would just stay in my work out clothes because it was easier and expected. I first heard of this idea years ago when a friend of mine emptied her closet and posted outfit photos everyday of her 40 piece collection. I loved seeing how she paired things together, mixed and matched, and really made it look beautiful and effortless everyday. I was then challenged even more when I travelled to Italy and lived out of a carry on suitcase for ten days. As an over packer, this was a feat for me and it proved to me that I could pick out versatile, neutral pieces that could be worn a million ways! That thought stayed with me for awhile and the final straw was when we put an offer in on a gorgeous old home (that had way smaller closets than our current place.) I convinced Drew I could survive with less space and really made it happen when I dove into my capsule (and magically emptied my entire half of the dresser and half of the closet!) I got rid of FOUR stuffed garbage bags of clothes and have three totes in the basement with my formal wear, summer gear, and seasonal shoes!
Would you consider doing a capsule wardrobe? In my next post I’ll share how starting this process has changed my life, (in so many good ways) and how to start your own capsule wardrobe! I promise it’s not daunting, it’s fun!
My favorite capsule wardrobe resources: Un-Fancy Blog // The Refined Woman
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I want to see your capsule wardrobe! xo
i am slowly trying this! but i realized if i emptied my closet as much as i SHOULD, i would have 4 hangers and probably be naked too often. so far, 13 things are gone and i can not WAIT to keep eliminating more! i love how modern camelot always shows how you can wear 13 things in 30 ways!
I love this post! It’s so true what you said about how we own so much clothes and yet we reach for the same stuff over and over again! It’s such a simple concept, why not only purchase/keep the things you know you’ll want to live in?! I recently emptied out my closet too and plan to chronicle how I mix/max the pieces I kept. I can’t wait to see your next post!
<3 Rie