It’s sustainable. It’s practical. It’s frugal. You know all this about the capsule wardrobe trend, but you’re still reluctant to sign up for an overhaul of your entire closet. You wouldn’t even know where to begin!

Worn in more than one way and that cater to different occasions. Image source: Unsplash

 

Fortunately, the whole process is easier than you might think. We’re about to explain everything there is about capsule wardrobe and help you figure out how to create your own.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

When you get up in the morning, how long does it take to put together an outfit? Can you get dressed in five minutes? Or do you have to carefully plan every outfit in advance if you want to look good?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of garments that all coordinate well with each other. Basically, it’s an organised, elegant approach to getting dressed that doesn’t leave much room for error. Instead of waking up to a chaotic closet full of mismatched pieces that you don’t know what to do with, you’ll have a little more order in your life.

A capsule wardrobe is not meant to stifle your creativity, it’s merely meant to be practical. Instead of stuffing your home with a lot of unnecessary garments that you rarely get to wear, you’ll save both time and money by having things that can be.

Where do I start?

We’ll give you some suggestions on what you might need:

● Good pair of skinny or straight-leg jeans
● Tailored trousers

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● Plain cotton t-shirts
● Cardigans

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● Black ankle boots

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● Little black dress
● Trench coat

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● Pencil skirt or A-line skirt

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● White blouse

These are some good basics that you can start with. The aim is to have around 50 pieces of clothing that are easy to mix and match and that always look good on you.

Another thing you might want to think about is how easy it is to maintain a specific garment. For example, does it wrinkle easily, how complicated is it to clean, do you need a special clothes hanger for it — these are things you need to consider if you want to fill your wardrobe with lasting items that don’t require too much maintenance.

The Art Is In The Accessories

Instead of a cluttered closet full of things that you don’t even remember buying, embrace minimalism. Just because your outfit is simple doesn’t mean it’s boring, and it doesn’t mean you can’t make it insanely glamorous with a few accessories.

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If you want inspiration, take a look at Aussie women. They don’t bother with fussy outfits with too many tacked-on details. Those ladies rely on their gorgeous beach tans, sunny smiles, light clothing, and fun statement pieces to show off their carefree, effortless elegance. They find gorgeous jewellery online in Australia and rely on it to bring some sassiness to their look.

And it’s not just jewellery. You can spruce up your plain white tee and jeans combo with a floral scarf and a cute hat. You can wear those same jeans and tee with a leather jacket and ankle boots for a whole different vibe. Fashion is art. You don’t always need crazy cuts and wild colours to stand out. You need skill.

Here are a few suggestions that will make any outfit pop:

● Colourful scarves

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● Big statement necklaces
● Print headbands
● Huge handbags

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● Cateye sunglasses

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● Black heels

Here’s a crazy thought: the best way to save money is to spend more of it. Initially, at least. While this sounds insane, hear us out. When you go to a sale, you usually find a bunch of cheap garments that you can buy in bulk. T-shirts, pants, skirts, sweaters, the whole lot. But since these garments are so cheap, most of them tend to be of very poor quality.

Those shirts might be only ten bucks a piece, but they look a little misshapen and they fall apart after only a few months of wear. You’re basically buying stuff that doesn’t even look all that good on you and that won’t last through the summer. Then you re-buy. Then they fall apart again. And the cycle continues. You waste a ton of money on clothes that look bad, feel scratchy against your skin, and that you have to throw away after a few seasons of wear.

The idea is to invest in high-quality pieces. The idea is to invest in clothes that make you happy. Instead of buying ten shirts just because they are on sale, buy a single one that makes you feel great and look great when you wear it.

Does everything need to be in neutral colours?

Nope. Colours such as black, navy, brown, and beige are simply easy to combine, but you are more than welcome to add some fun to it. Perhaps you’re a redhead that looks stunning in jewel tones, or maybe your bubbly personality can’t do without bright shades of yellow. Maybe you just look good in red.

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The best way to go fill up your capsule wardrobe with effective basics is to have a good selection of neutral pieces and then add a few colourful items that can break the monotony.

You are unique. Your fashion is an extension of your personality, and you shouldn’t fit yourself into a box. Basics such as plain black slacks might work for one person, but what if you’re the kind of gal who mostly wears skirts and dresses?

Everyone’s capsule wardrobe basics are different, because our fashion styles are different. If you don’t like our suggestions, that’s totally okay. Here’s how you can decide what kind of basic garments are right for you: try each and every single item from your closet on. Consider what kind of clothes makes you happy. Consider what looks good. Look at the colours that draw you in.

Once you’re done, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what kind of items you should stick to, and what you need to throw away and refrain from buying in the future.

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We love our shiny, pretty, impractical pieces of clothing. We love our sparkly disco dress even though we only wore it to the New Year’s party two years ago. We love our six-inch stilettos even though they make our feet hurt if we wear them too long. We love our skin-tight leather pants even though they always make us sweat and make a weird squeaky sound every time we sit down.

Our delicate pastel suede shoes that can only be worn when the weather is dry, our crop top knit sweater that doesn’t even keep our midriff warm, our chiffon blouse that can only be dry cleaned — these are our babies. They make us look hot. But damn, are they a hassle to wear sometimes.

When you’re rushing to work, when you’ve got to take the kids to school, when you realise your closet is basically falling apart under the weight of all your clothes — this is when you start realising capsule wardrobe might be a good idea.

Not to mention how you could reduce the enormous environmental footprint of fast fashion. With the threat of global warming looming over us, finding more ways to enjoy fashion sustainably is the key to helping our ecosystem survive.

This doesn’t mean you have to throw your old clothes away. Merely consider them. Go through your garments and see whether they are actually of any use to you and whether it makes you happy to wear them.

Final Thoughts

If you’re tired of trying to figure out your outfits every morning, if your closet looks depressingly chaotic, if you’re trying to find an easy way to look great without hassle — capsule wardrobe is right for you.