What exactly is a capsule wardrobe?

 A capsule wardrobe means one worries less every day.

In an ideal world, you wake up in the morning open your wardrobe, scan its content for 10 seconds and yarning you pick up a hanger or two, lay them on your bed and start dressing up. In real world, we all know that’s not the case.

Simply put, a capsule wardrobe is a system created by an individual to help with the eternal quest of ‘What to wear today?’

For a broader definition of the capsule wardrobe, here are 25 definitions to help you get an idea.

How to build a functioning capsule wardrobe?

A lot of bloggers, stylists and experts will promise you the perfect formula for building a capsule wardrobe. Now they must have the best intent and they’re probably fashion experts, the only problem is their style is not your style and their taste is not your taste. That being said, you can definitely get inspiration from the fashion gurus you follow on social media, but they can’t help you build a capsule wardrobe, you have to build it yourself.

So my promise is to help you discover, define or enhance your personal style while building your very own functioning capsule wardrobe.

Personal style it’s the overall image of an individual. In its broad definition, personal style covers so much more than clothes, shoes or accessories. Personal style includes anything from your presence, your attitude, your availability, and your relationships to the way you think, write, act, walk or talk - all those define and emphasise your personal style. So your future capsule collection should be built around your personal style. Learn how to find your personal style in this article Identify, define and embrace your personal style!

To start a capsule collection simply go through the clothes, shoes and accessories you already have.

Here are some guidelines for building your capsule wardrobe. Please beware you will not like some of my recommendations, but I choose to be straightforward and press some pain points rather than just repeat what every other blogger tells you. The following advice is not abusive and is not meant to discriminate or body shame in any way.

• In my opinion, a capsule wardrobe should not exceed 50 pieces, but there’s no magic number just the number that’s magic for you.
• I can’t stress this enough, find your personal style and your life will be so much easier, you’ll know what clothes to have, buy and wear. Focus on what you want to communicate through your style e.g. a chic attitude at all times, a relaxed look, athletic and sporty, casual, etc.
• If you buy cheap clothes you end up spending more in a year than buying quality pieces, you encourage and support fast fashion and what’s even worse you’ll look like everyone else in your social circles.
• Make sure you love the clothes you wear and that you’re comfortable at all times, otherwise it will be obvious. Except for when you wear some Louboutin (any other heels for that matter) and cocktail dress for a night out, you should wear the clothes, not the other way around.
• Are you a parent or not? It’s a big deal if you have to accommodate someone else in your house, wardrobe and in your schedule. And then there is laundry/dry cleaning.
• Learn to identify and prioritise quality in the clothes you’re about to buy, this trick will go a long way.
• Sizes are there for a reason and one size DOES NOT fit all, not even when it comes to socks. Next time you go shopping, go crazy and try other sizes than yours, you might be in for a surprise.
• The country you live in is a big deal because climate. Your wardrobe has to be adapted to the climate you live in. Also renewing your wardrobe every season is not a solution, it goes against the whole minimalist philosophy.
• Maternity, before and after is a whole chapter.
• Travel is another whole section you have to consider when building a capsule wardrobe. Don’t buy clothes for the holiday but rather clothes for daily use that you can wear when on holiday.
• Ironing your clothes is soooo underrated. What do you think ironing is for? The majority will think is for stretching the fabric so it looks good. Well, that too but the real benefit of ironing the clothes is to kill the bacteria and germs that survive washing and drying. Not all clothes can or need ironing but most of them should, it softens the fabric.
• Sentimental clothes, yes we all have a piece or two and that’s fine. But if you keep more than two sentimental items, you have a problem, get rid of them. Your body changes over the years and that’s the challenge and the beauty of dressing up. Your body is not the only one that goes through changes so do the trends and the way we perceive the fashion industry.

Let me give you an example: My grandmother had to make her own clothes, and so did my mother in her teen years, because they lived in a communist country where you had a salary but there was nothing to buy. You couldn’t find enough food to feed your family let alone to buy clothes, so they were forced to source hemp and cotton for fibre, grow sheep and goats for wool and so on.

That was Eastern Europe 30 years ago. Today I have clothes to donate and I made an intentional decision to stop buying physical items in general and live a minimalist lifestyle. We’re only talking about three generations apart to understand the speed the fashion industry moves.

• Home wear, gym clothes and other rags that no one seems to talk about. The world went through a pandemic so the pyjamas and leggings become the new office casual wear yet no one seems to acknowledge the importance of those pieces. Just because we wear them inside the house it doesn’t mean they’re less important, quite the opposite. All your home wear/lounge wear should be made of the highest quality fabrics because you wear them the most and you wash them the most. Pyjamas should follow the same rule. Organic cotton is exceptional for pyjamas and so is Egyptian cotton but if your budget allows you go for Mulberry silk sleepwear. Once you try Mulberry silk for your pyjamas and bedding there’s no going back. The silk has unique benefits for our skin that you simply can’t find in any other fabric.

• At the opposite end, we have the statement pieces, the unique clothes that stand out. A stunning cocktail dress, a pair of handmade leather boots you bought in Italy, an exquisite winter coat or a suit that fits you like a glove. Again, a handful of items like that will not disturb your capsule collection, you wear them occasionally, dry-clean and zip them up in plastic bags until the next event.

What are the benefits of having a capsule wardrobe? 

This system, once in place will benefit you in several ways like

• Simplifying. Living below your needs, simplifying your life, gathering memories or experiences rather than things and minimalism in general as a way of life have become increasingly popular over the past decades. So when it comes to your wardrobe the capsule one seems to be aligning with the concept of minimalism.
• Saving money. By buying high-quality clothes your wardrobe will contain pieces you can rely on for years to come. You won’t feel the pressure a regular consumer does because of great advertising from big brands and you won’t be an impulse buyer anymore.
• Reduces the daily stress of what to wear and the stress of spending too much on clothes. You’ll learn how to pick quality clothes and how to look after the clothes you have.
• Saving time comes as a bonus. The pieces you own will match and complement each other saving you tons of time every day. Your capsule wardrobe will have pieces carefully selected to mix and match, and will mostly have neutral colours, fabrics and textures that speak for themselves.
• Enhance your personal style. With a functioning capsule wardrobe, you will have a sense of personal style, you will look put together and always feel good in your clothes. Nothing’s too big, nothing’s too small and you’ll experience the feeling of perfect fit when it comes to your clothes.
• Sustainability. When you have a healthy lifestyle and attitude, it becomes so easy to do good and help the world around you that you barely even notice your impact. With a fully functional capsule wardrobe, you’re able to reduce waste and stop taking part in the fast fashion industry which is so harmful to the environment.

What’s in a capsule wardrobe?

Well, that’s a tricky question but the answer could not be simpler. A wardrobe should contain whatever fits your style, lifestyle and body, nothing else. 

1. Office classic suit
2. Oversized boyfriend’s blazer
3. Strips top
4. White cotton shirt
5. Silk shirt
6. Office classic suit
7. Laid-back cashmere jumper
8. Wool cardigan
9. Knitted oversized vest
10. Forever biker’s leather jacket
11. Tailored trousers
12. Wide leg pants
13. High waist blue/black jeans
14. Denim blue jeans
15. Skinny jeans
16. Denim shorts
17. PU leather leggings
18. Warm loose winter coat
19. Smart sleek winter coat
20. Trench coat
21. Puffa coat
22. Denim oversized jacket
23. The little black dress
24. Cocktail dress
25. High waist long skirt (tule)
26. Below the knees pencil skirt (leather)
27. Summer holiday romantic dress
28. Neutral linen dress
29. Cotton jumpsuit
30. 3 organic cotton cropped tops (sleeveless)
31. 3 graphic/branded cotton tops
32. Hoodie of choice
33. Organic cotton jumpsuit
34. Full gym/yoga suit
35. Running shoes
36. White sneakers (Air Force One / Converse)
37. Oxford shoes
38. Fancy flat slip-on
39. Chelsea boots
40. Ankle boots medium heels
41. Doc. Martens
42. Flat leather sandals
43. High heels sandals
44. High heels pumps (Louboutin)
45. Leather knee boots
46. 3 belts of choice
47. 4 hats (beanie, beach hat, fedora and workout hat)
48. 3 eyewear
49. 3 tights of choice
50. 3 scarfs (winter, summer and beach cover-up)
51. Swimsuit (one piece) / Bikini (two pieces)
52. 4 bags of choice (crossbody chain, leather backpack, clutch, tote)

So let me tell you the secret when it comes to the capsule wardrobe. Everyone out there offers to show you how to start/create one, but no one seems to bother about what comes after. It’s like every romantic movie where the protagonists overcome all the challenges and drive together in the sunset but no one talks about what comes after the sunset.

The truth is creating a capsule collection is quite easy, especially now that we have Pinterest and Instagram. What’s difficult is to create a functional capsule wardrobe, a system that simplifies your life and helps you achieve the fluidity you need when you’re about to get dressed every morning.

At the same time, this system is supposed to make your life easier, and not feel like the burden of starting a diet, we all know it’s not going to work. The secret lies in the degree you know yourself, your likes, dislikes, moods, routines, preferences and small habits, in a word your lifestyle.

When your wardrobe aligns with your daily activities, you will achieve the harmony everyone is talking about. I promise!