But first a bit of backstory:
London boutique owner, Susie Faux coined the term “capsule wardrobe” in the 1970s. This concept became popular in the US in the 1980s as a result of the “Seven Easy Pieces” collection by designer Donna Karan. Back then, a capsule wardrobe was considered to consist of 30 items or fewer, including shoes and even in some cases accessories. This wardrobe was made up of everyday staples of high quality. Faux though argued that one only needed 12 of these items or less for the ideal capsule wardrobe, only updating it with a few new items here and there throughout the year.
I want to preface this with the fact that now there are so many ways to go about building a capsule wardrobe and so many different versions. That being said, there are no hard and fast rules. The capsule wardrobe is a flexible and malleable concept. I’m therefore not going to assign a number to it. Although, you might want to assign a number to it yourself because while goals and rules are great for keeping one on track, I think they should be realistic. Too much rigidity can easily cause one to give up or become bored with the system and fall back into old habits.
Regardless of how you go about doing it though, the point is to carve out a wardrobe that you love to wear, doesn’t stress you out, saves you money, and isn’t overflowing but fits in the space intended for it with space to spare.
I don’t believe that capsule wardrobes (or minimalism for that matter) are the keys to finding and having the perfect wardrobe. I think the point of both is to be able to find an ease and effortlessness with a perpetually imperfect thing like a wardrobe by, in part, streamlining it and making it more versatile but also by cultivating a much healthier relationship with material things.
This is my own take on how to build a capsule wardrobe, and I think this way is most helpful for those who don’t really know how or where to begin. When I started this journey, the thought of just diving straight into the sorting process was daunting. I found it difficult to think holistically about my wardrobe, so, as you will see, I structured this a bit differently than many of the guides out there.
Step 1) Find your style.
Now most guides have you start by taking everything out of your closet and start sorting right away. However, I had used this method so many times for cleaning out my closet in the past, and I had always managed to hold on to too many things. I’d end up putting so much back in my closet “just in case.”
So before beginning cleaning everything out, I started with an idea of what I wanted my wardrobe to look like and what I wanted it to consist of, keeping in mind my particular lifestyle, what clothes both suit me and what I tend to wear everyday, and what the weather is like where I live.
When I was building my capsule wardrobe, I found, when it came to my personal style, I liked to have a visual of this/ some kind of template to follow. I went to Pinterest for inspiration, and I took note of the pieces that kept popping up in my pins.
Step 2) Make a list of your must-have items with the goal of creating a foundation from which to build outfits from.
Step 3) Find the items from that list that you already own. Put these in your “keep” pile.
You probably have quite a few of these items already. If some of these items don’t fit you right or aren’t comfortable, I’d consider donating them or selling them and finding an alternative that does fit you and that you feel confident and comfortable in, because, chances are, if it doesn’t check those boxes, even if it is on your list, you won’t wear it anyway.
Step 4) Find the items in your wardrobe you love to wear and add those to your keep pile as well. These items will probably be a bit more trendy or seasonal.
I think it is sometimes easier to tackle this part by thinking about what you especially want to keep as opposed to what you want to throw away. I think pieces that you love wearing are memorable. It is sort of like, if your closet was on fire, what would you want to save first? What items of clothing immediately come to mind?
However, I think the Konmari Method is wonderful if you feel like you need to reacquaint yourself with your clothes or if you feel that you would benefit from seeing just how many clothing items you own. This method involves taking all of your clothing out and putting it into one pile, going through each piece one by one and asking whether or not it "sparks joy." If it does, you keep that item and if it doesn't, you let it go.
I knew going into this I had too many clothes. I didn't really need the visual for that realization. I just wanted a system I could use to hone in on my style and pair my wardrobe back to the things that I felt both great in and that would embody the style I was going for. I wanted a wardrobe with definition, that I'd love coming back to and accessorizing. I didn't want a closet just full of things that I liked but rather a closet that felt timeless and cohesive.
Step 5) Make two more piles: the maybe pile and the donate/sell/give to a friend pile. The remaining clothing in your wardrobe should be sorted into these two piles.
Of course, if you end up rediscovering a lost love in this phase of the wardrobe clear out, you are welcome to put it into the keep or maybe pile. Just be critical here. Maybe remove an item to make room for the one you have rediscovered.
Step 6) Put your maybe pile into storage.
Step 7) Wear what you decided to keep for 3 months to 1 year. Rotate in seasonal and trendy pieces that you decided to keep.
Step 8) After wearing your capsule for 3 months to 1 year, re-examine your wardrobe for any gaps.
Go through your maybes in storage and see if you have anything that fills any of the gaps. Otherwise, you can donate, sell, or give the remaining items. From there, work to curate your shopping list (if you still need anything).
I use the word "need" critically. I think it is important that the capsule wardrobe is not used as an excuse to shop in order to create the “perfect” wardrobe. Perfection is a myth anyway. There will always be things that we want or think we need to complete our current conception of the perfect capsule wardrobe.
But I also acknowledge that everyone has different lifestyles, incomes, spaces, and intentions for wanting a compact, streamlined wardrobe and that an effort to live with less still makes a difference.
