No matter how many clothes I bought, every time I opened my closet I felt like I had nothing to wear.
So, every day I reverted to the default outfits I wear all the time. All this did was make me shop more and more until my closet was so big I couldn’t find anything in it, meaning, again, I had nothing to wear.
I first read about capsule wardrobes on Pinterest, but I had to search through countless articles before I fully understood what it is, why I need it, and how to create my own. I spent hours online and even more time organizing my clothes. But at the end of the day, my closet looked great.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a miniature yet versatile version of your closet. The size varies from person to person, but most include just 35-50 articles of clothing. This includes tops, bottoms, jackets, and shoes. Depending on the person, you may have a different capsule wardrobe for every season, or you may have one for the entire year. Personally, I like having a yearly wardrobe, which means I keep more items than the seasonal wardrobe.
Don’t get caught up in the numbers. It’s about creating a more manageable wardrobe, not hitting a quota.
Once I choose my capsule wardrobe, I put everything in my closet, even if it’s something I would normally keep in my dresser drawers. This way, I can see my entire wardrobe at one time, which makes it easier to visualize outfits in the morning as I peer groggily into my closet.
Why should I create a Capsule Wardrobe?
- It’s easier to pinpoint your personal style. When you narrow your closet down to only what you love, you’ll see what styles you naturally gravitate towards.
- With fewer options (read: clutter) in your closet, finding outfits is faster and easier.
- You’ll become a smarter shopper because you know which types of clothes fit into your wardrobe and which don’t.
- You’ll become more creative when pairing outfits because you’ll be able to see different possibilities that were hidden under a mountain of Ehh items before.
- It will free up a lot of space, which is vital for women still in college or living in small apartments.
How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe:
Step one:
Take everything out of your dresser drawers, your closet, even your jewelry box. Then go through each category piece by piece and separate them into three piles:
- Love It: This is the VIP section of your clothing. It is reserved for items that you absolutely love, and I mean legitimately cannot live without. Be very selective— just because something does not make it into the Love It pile doesn’t mean that you can’t keep it.
- Like It: This pile is for items that you like, but aren’t necessarily your favorite pieces. Odds are this is where the majority of your clothing will end up. Keep an eye on this one– we are going to come back to it later.
- Hate It: If you haven’t cleaned out your closet in a while, there’s a good chance that you have some pieces laying around that make you shutter, wondering “Why did I spend money on this?” It happens to the best of us: our style changes, and sometimes we realize that the impulse-buy from our last shopping trip was motivated by the sale price as opposed to the actual item itself. When I cleaned out my closet, I found a bright pink sweater made of some itchy mystery material I have never seen before. Horrendous. Get rid of it.
Step two:
Look closely at your Love It pile.
Can you find any similarities? Does a certain color scheme emerge? A certain style of top or pants? This is where you will pinpoint your core style (if you haven’t already). Looking at my pile, I realized that I tend to wear black, grey, or red. Some with patterns, some without. I also love high necked tops and high waisted pants. My accessories are all gold, and if they have a color, I usually stick with a light blue.
Recognizing these patterns will help you decide whether to keep or toss items from your Like It pile. While it’s always good to mix it up every once in a while, the best thing for your closet is to stay consistent. A purple top may be fun, but if you have nothing to match it with then what’s the point?
Step Three:
Go through your Like It pile to decide what stays and what goes.
Be harsh. When analyzing, ask yourself these three questions:
- Does it fit?
- You should never wear something that’s too tight or too big (unless it’s meant to look that way). Dress for the body you have today, not the body you hope to achieve. Choosing clothes that accentuate your best traits right now will make you look beautiful and confident, which will, in turn, make you love and appreciate your body just the way it is.
- Is it damaged?
- There’s nothing cute about coffee stains, holes around the hem, or shoes with broken bindings. If you can fix it, great; reevaluate the piece after it’s back in good condition. If you can’t fix it, it’s time to move on.
- Do you actually wear it?
- We all have those pieces of clothing that we buy thinking we love it, but then it stays hidden in the back of the closet with the tags still on. If you haven’t worn it in the past two months, odds are you aren’t going to start wearing it now.
- Do you already have it?
- Yes, I know—a white v-neck and a white peplum t-shirt are totally different (no matter how strongly your guys friends may argue it’s the same). But at the same time, you don’t need 5 grey crew-neck sweaters. Pick the best one and move on.
- Does it fit in with the items you already have?
- Like I said, the most important aspect of your closet is cohesion. If this item does not go with what you’ve already decided to keep, there’s no reason to add it.
If you find that there are items that don’t belong in your closet but you simply cannot give up, tuck them away in one of your dresser drawers. That way, it is out of the way but still in reach if you change your mind. If you find yourself pulling it out two or more times a month, add it to your closet. If by the end of the season you find you haven’t worn it at all, it’s time to let go.
Step Four: Declutter
Get rid of everything left in your Like It and Hate It pile. Find a clothing donation bin in your area or bring them to a local homeless shelter. If the clothes are still in good shape, sell them at local secondhand stores. I’ve made up to $200 selling clothes that I didn’t even notice were gone the next day.
Step Five: Repeat
When those feelings of frustration creep back into your closet, when you have to dig through mountains of clothes but still feel like you have nothing to wear, it’s time to start all over again. Get your piles out and dive in.
Capsule wardrobes are essential for women with every type of lifestyle. Since creating my capsule wardrobe, I can picture my entire closet in my head. It takes less than five minutes to choose an outfit in the morning. When I shop, I know exactly what I’m looking for because no matter how much I may like the pink t-shirt in my hand at the time, I know it’ll get tossed in the Like It pile in my next clean-out.
Whether you’re doing it to save space or you’re trying to curb your shopping addiction, capsule wardrobes will completely transform the way you view your closet.
The most important thing to remember is that everyone is different, and everyone will create their capsule wardrobe differently. Your closet does not have to look like mine, but by following these basic steps, you’ll be able to figure out what system will work for you along the way. The more you declutter, the clearer your vision will be. After all, that’s the whole point.