It’s now almost November, and I’ve officially just completed my second month living with a capsule wardrobe. If you’ve never heard of it before, a capsule wardrobe is a miniature wardrobe made up of intentionally versatile pieces that are meant to fit any occasion, and you might want to check out my first article on capsule wardrobes from the beginning of the semester!
I’ve gained a lot from the experience so far, and you can read about my thoughts, feelings and progress below:
Before starting this, I would have never expected to be able to pull it off. If anything, my biggest worry was that I would get bored of my limited choices. However, so far the verdict is the opposite. If anything, narrowing down my wardrobe has inspired me to become more creative. I’m constantly coming up with new and unique outfit combinations every day.
On another note, it has given me a better relationship with my clothing than I ever had before. It’s taught me to respect my clothing in an entirely new way. I firmly believe that one of the largest contributors to clothing waste is the attitude that we, as consumers, have towards our clothes. Perhaps if we all took more time to appreciate each garment, over-consumption would not be as large of an issue as it is.
Challenges:
I would honestly say my biggest challenge is something that I hadn’t given much thought to before: laundry. Lately, and especially with the heat cranked up in every building, I’m often sweating through a lot of my clothing. Where, a few weeks ago, I didn’t have to wash an item after the first wear, I find that lately I do. When I have only a limited number of each type of shirt or blouse to begin with, this problem is proving to be a little inconvenient. However, I haven’t yet found myself running out of appropriate clothing for each occasion, so the problem has not escalated too greatly.
Changes:
A fall semester capsule wardrobe is more complicated than other seasons might be. Starting out in the summer during early September and ending in mid December is a huge shift, and I had to account for it. Due to the weather shift, I did end up taking home five items of clothing (a summer dress, a pair of shorts, a lace cardigan, a denim jumpsuit).
I also found that there were other items I was neglecting to wear at all, including a lace blouse, a pair of linen trousers and my Adidas Gazelle sneakers, which I also removed from my wardrobe. In place of all the items I set aside, I added a new (and more weather-appropriate) black jumpsuit, a rain jacket and a pair of more sturdy sneakers (to accommodate recent foot problems). This now puts my wardrobe at 27 items!
Pasted below are 10 of my favorite outfit combinations (all using clothing that I outlined in my first article). These also include accessories, which I didn’t count within my capsule.
Outfit 1
Black turtleneck, button-down striped blouse, high waisted black skinny jeans, ankle combat boots, pink velvet scrunchie.
Styling: I wear the button-down blouse over the turtleneck for a fun layered look, and tie it at the bottom! It feels very Diane Keaton, and it’s great for extra warmth.
Outfit 2
Striped blouse, mom jeans, Allbirds wool sneakers, red bandana.
Styling: A nice striped blouse is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can wear, in my opinion! It can be easily dressed up or down for any occasion, and in this one, compliments a nice casual look. The banana can be worn around my neck as a neckerchief or wrapped around my head!
Outfit 3
Grey mock-neck knit sweater, white oversized overalls, ankle combat boots, pink velvet scrunchie.
Styling: These overalls, passed down to me from my friend’s mom in the 90s, are one of my favorite pieces. They translate from summer to fall easily with a swap in layering pieces and a pair of simple black tights.
Outfit 4
Black turtleneck, pinstripe linen pants, wool sneakers, tassel earrings.
Styling: The black turtleneck strikes again, and proves to be an ultimate staple piece, while it works for layering and on its own.
Outfit 5
Striped turtleneck shirt, high waisted black skinny jeans, ankle combat boots, round-rim hat.
Styling: I always know it’s fall when it’s time to pull out the Charlie Chaplin hat. I’d also call this shirt one of my statement pieces, it’s a lot more colorful than most of my monochromatic wardrobe, and I love to have a least a few pieces like that.
Outfit 6
Local Natives graphic tee shirt, black slip dress, ankle combat boots, tassel earrings
Styling: Another layering outfit that transitions easily from summer to fall. Add a pair of tights, or even a long sleeve shirt instead, and this dress can be worn all year round.
Outfit 7
Black tank top, pinstripe linen pants, grey cardigan, ankle combat boots, red bandana.
Styling: This outfit can also be recreated with a lot of other pieces by mixing-and-matching, including other shirts, cardigans and accessories – because of course I do have way too many neckerchiefs.
Outfit 8
Black turtleneck sweater, graphic tee shirt, mom jeans, loafer clogs, pink velvet scrunchie
Styling: Another favorite way to layer is by throwing a tee shirt on my black turtleneck. Again, it’s fun and adds an extra element to every outfit.
Outfit 9
Grey mock-neck knit sweater, pinstripe linen pants, wool sneakers, pink velvet scrunchie
Styling: This is one of my favorite outfits to wear on-the-go, and can be worn more casually or more formal with a change of shoes.
Outfit 10
Black turtleneck, burgundy oversized knit sweater, pinstripe linen pants, ankle combat boots, round-rim hat.
Styling: My epitome of fall, with comfort and style combined, this outfit is always a win for me.