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I love shopping. Growing up, I enjoyed picking out new clothes at the beginning of each school year. Even in the years when I wore a uniform, I found ways to accessorize. Middle school was probably the peak of my expansive wardrobe. Each day, I would adorn a matching headband and scarf to coordinate with my shirt.
Now that I’m older, keeping individual pieces for a long time has been a game changer. However, I’ve reached a point where my closet at home induces a paralysis of choice. I found myself with too many clothes—especially clothes I can’t wear often.
My journey to college and then to Spain required two major fashion resets. When I moved into college, I knew I couldn’t bring every single piece I owned. I struggled to narrow down what I wanted to bring and ended up with far too many clothes for my tiny freshman-year dorm room.
Traveling abroad presented another challenge I know all of my friends who’ve gone abroad can relate to: fitting my life into two suitcases. Somehow, I managed to downsize my wardrobe into one large suitcase, one carry-on, and one backpack.
This experience made me evaluate which kinds of pieces should make up a capsule wardrobe. As much as I love a fun fashion statement, basics became key. Plain long-sleeve and short-sleeve tops—especially in neutral colors—became the building blocks for my outfits. Since athleisure is practically forbidden in Europe, jeans became even more of a staple than they already were in my wardrobe. Another classic: the white sneaker, which I consistently relied on.
The idea of owning a variety of basics isn’t new, but if you’re thinking about creating a capsule wardrobe, these basic pieces really become essential. If you think these outfits sound too boring for your taste, I have some ways to switch it up. Fun jewelry, shoes, or sweaters are my favorite ways to spice up an outfit. I also think hair is an underrated asset when it comes to elevating your look. If you have a basic outfit but style your hair in a new way, the whole outfit instantly feels cuter.
Slimming down my wardrobe abroad has definitely made me approach my current wardrobe with a different perspective. Now, when shopping, I try to make a conscious effort to focus on pieces I’ll actually wear again. Shopping secondhand is one of my favorite ways to expand my capsule wardrobe.Â
{Shameless self-plug for our HerCampus Holy Cross Thrift Store on Monday, April 28th from 6–8 pm to shop sustainably :)}
By trying to maintain more of a capsule wardrobe, I’ve become more mindful about my shopping while still enjoying fashion. I may no longer match my headbands and scarves like I did in sixth grade, but I still love exploring fashion in new ways.