The phrase “capsule wardrobe” has been floated around a lot lately as everyone swapped over their summer wardrobes for winter. I certainly felt a) shocked all over again by the amount of clothes I own and b) the sudden urge to stick to a style uniform, or at least wardrobe essentials, that will make getting dressed in the dark a little smoother.
While I’ll sadly never be able to have a minimalist, micro wardrobe (one can dream), I’m definitely a big advocate for owning style capsules or adhering to some form of capsule dressing, especially since learning that the average woman wears just 20% of her wardrobe 80% of the time. I know I’m certainly guilty of it.
We have wardrobes bursting full of clothes that we bought with every good intention, every specific occasion in mind, but for one reason or another – often our fear of stepping outside of our comfort zone in real life as opposed to confidently shopping online – they never get worn.
But do you ever think about the journey that that specific piece has been on prior to its destination at the back of your wardrobe?
With more and more awful truths about the industry’s ethical and sustainable failures being exposed every day, it’s time to really confront this issue of waste. One way of doing so, and perhaps the simplest, is to make sure that when you’re shopping, you’re really investing in timeless pieces that you’ll never grow tired of. Pieces you’ll happily wear over and over again. In other words, it’s time to jump on the ‘capsule wardrobe’ bandwagon.
Less cringey than it sounds, the concept really just refers to having clothes in your wardrobe that you actually wear and not having *any* that you don’t. It is, essentially, what a regular wardrobe should be, but we’ve misused them to such an extent that we now have to add the prefix.
But how do you build a capsule wardrobe? Below, we break down a few tips and share the 13 key pieces we find ourselves reaching for.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe consists of a carefully curated handful of key pieces you know you will always wear, which can be mixed and matched to suit your various needs. Minimal items, maximal use.
Where do I start in building a capsule wardrobe?
Start by identifying the 10 pieces you find yourself always reaching for when you’re in a rush to get out the door – Marie Kondo your wardrobe, if you will. These are often pieces that you know fit well and go with almost anything, and, most importantly, make you feel confident. This could be a crisp shirt you adore or a knit dress that makes you feel effortlessly polished. Once you’ve identified these items (try to stick to under 15), move to the next step.
How to identify what you’re missing?
After my seasonal swap last month, I noticed that I was seriously lacking in trousers. Often when I shop online, I’m often drawn to statement jumpers or dresses but forget to invest in good trousers. Perhaps for you it’s a versatile turtleneck or a pleated skirt. If, when you put on an item from your MVP staples, you find yourself going, “I wish I had something to wear with this,” take a mental note. Maybe your wardrobe is a little imbalanced.
Can I wear trend-led pieces and keep a capsule wardrobe?
It’s easy to get caught up in trends, especially with the speed with which certain items suddenly flood our feeds. The trick is knowing which ones have staying power, or that you will still love long after their shelf life. In my younger days, I was certainly a victim of these fleeting crushes, rendering my wardrobe a graveyard of neon tees and cowboy belts. Now, older and hopefully wiser, I’ve become better at identifying the trendy items that I will tire of by the next season. I stayed away from capri pants this summer, for example, because I know they never have and never will suit me.