We’ve all had those days where we’ve had to try on at least 3 different outfits before finding the right one. Whilst it’s all fun and games playing “dress ups”, it’s not so fun when the clock reads 7:40 am and you’re meant to be out the door by 8. Keep in mind you’ve yet to do your makeup and attend to the fact your hair looks like a birds nest. This far too regular occurring problem happens to the best of us, but what if there was a way to enhance your style whilst making your morning routine that little bit easier and better yet, enjoyable. Well I think you’ll find that you’ve come to the right place. Together we are going to turn that fantasy of being able to put together an outfit so effortlessly into a reality.
Lets Understand What Exactly a Capsule Wardrobe Is
The concept of a capsule wardrobe has been around for many years but it’s only recently that the topic has become of interest to so many. The term capsule wardrobe was coined in the 1970s by Susie Faux, owner of a London-based boutique called Wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing pieces that seamlessly work together and have been specifically curated to cater for a variety of occasions. The idea behind this is to embrace the new-found trend of minimalism by investing in quality over quantity. A typical capsule wardrobe consists mostly of neutral toned pieces with the occasional pop of colour.
Things to Keep In Mind When Creating Your Capsule Wardrobe
It is important to be very selective when creating your capsule wardrobe. It’s very easy to get caught up in trends and buy pieces on a whim, before even thinking about how they will work together with your existing pieces. You are going to want to ask yourself before making the purchase, how regularly will I reach for this item? Versatility is what’s going to make getting dressed in the morning a piece of cake. Now, don’t get wrong, having a few special and unique pieces is wonderful; key word few… but in terms of creating your capsule wardrobe you’ll need to be focusing on finding those timeless and classic clothing items. Throughout this process its important that you remember not to lose your personal style. The idea is not to replicate another’s wardrobe, you more so just want to take inspiration.
Where Do I Start?
This whole process can seem rather daunting at first but it doesn’t have to be once you actually get started. You want to allocate a solid couple of hours to work on this project. The last thing you want is to make it halfway and then lose motivation because you went in with the wrong expectations as to how long it would take. Let’s make one thing apparent, you most definitely do not have to clear your whole wardrobe and start with a clean state. Creating a capsule wardrobe means ascertaining which of your current pieces you wear a lot, deciding what you want to keep and then identifying what’s missing from your wardrobe. Evaluate you wardrobe, ask yourself what pieces work together. Put together all sorts of outfit combinations, have some fun with it. Once you’ve exhausted all avenues with your existing clothing items, it’s time to go shopping.
Now, this doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. Yes, at some point you may want to think about investing in a select few dearer priced items, but to start off with, how about checking out some ops shops near you. This is a great way to incorporate uniqueness into your capsule wardrobe whilst also keeping costs down and not having to support fast fashion.
What Pieces Should I Be on the Lookout For?
Though there is no complete guide as to the exact type pieces one should include in their capsule wardrobe, there are certain things you should keep in mind. Traditionally the so-called capsule wardrobe is made up of around 10 – 20 staple pieces, such as dark washed blue jeans, a crisp white t-shirt, and a couple dresses that can be styled up or down. Having that one quality trench coat and/or blazer is also important to consider. You may want to incorporate knitwear into your wardrobe as well.
The process of tailoring your capsule wardrobe to your personal style is going to take time, but by carefully planning out the various pieces you need to incorporate, focusing mainly on versatility, you will find it to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Never again will picking out an outfit cause you stress and be the reason you have to rush your beauty routine in the morning.
