Capsule Wardrobe 101: What Is A Capsule Wardrobe?

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You may have seen all the capsule wardrobe blog posts on Classy Yet Trendy and you may already be using a capsule wardrobe in your closet. If you are new to the “capsule wardrobe” concept, let’s explore a bit as to why capsule wardrobes are so popular, what kinds of capsules you can have and why they work so well, especially if you have a busy life!

What Is A Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a small and clutter-free wardrobe. It is a small collection of clothes you LOVE, that look and feel great on and that can mix and match to make many outfit combinations. Most capsule wardrobes are seasonal, meaning you rotate some or all of the items seasonally (about 3 months each). You can also have a year-round capsule wardrobe, where you have a set number of items in your closet that you wear throughout the four seasons of the year.

white tee / striped top / tab sleeve top
black pants / skinny jeans / black skirt
camel cardigan / denim jacket / trench coat
red top / olive jeans / striped blue top
black sandal heels / beige pumps / black flats

Benefits of a capsule wardrobe

There are many benefits of a capsule wardrobe, including:

• Your closet is neat and organized and easy to maintain.
• It’s easier to decide what to wear because you have less items to choose from.
• There is virtually no stress or decision fatigue about what you’ll wear.
• You have confidence knowing everything in your wardrobe is comfortable and looks great on you.
• You spend less time and money buying new clothes because you commit to owning fewer piece
• You may find that your habit of keeping a neat closet will carryover to other areas of your house, where your whole house can be neat and tidy as well!

Since you are able to get dressed quickly everyday, knowing you have many outfits ready to wear, you can focus your time and energy doing the things that matter the most to you!

What Is Included In A Capsule Wardrobe?

Number of Pieces:

So, how many pieces make up a capsule wardrobe? It varies from person to person. Seasonal capsule wardrobes on average have 22-35 pieces and a yearly capsule wardrobe has 50-65 pieces.

Types of Pieces Included:

You always include tops, bottoms and/or layers you wear everyday. You can include shoes and outerwear, but it’s not required.

Types of Pieces NOT Included:

• Jewelry, handbags and accessories (these are completer pieces which complete your capsule wardrobe)
• Workout clothes (unless it’s an all-athleisure capsule wardrobe)
• Undergarments (underwear, bras, socks)
• Swimwear
• Formal wear (fancy dresses, skirts, business clothes, etc.)

Tips Before Your Start A Capsule Wardrobe

Invest In Your Core Closet Essentials

What are Core Closet Essentials? They are clothes that are solid, neutral colors, in basic styles that never go out of style are “basic essentials”.  I talk about basic essentials a lot here on the blog!  They make up the core of our closet…the foundation in which we build a wardrobe upon. If you have your core closet essentials, then you can create your capsule wardrobe each season! Examples include, black pants, a white tee, a black blazer, blue skinny jeans, white blouse, black skirt, etc. You can find all the recommended core closet essentials, with over 400+ outfit ideas, checklists, season capsules and more in Simplified Style®: A Year-Round Core Closet Essentials Capsule Wardrobe.

Start With All Neutral Colors

If you are just starting your first capsule wardrobe, include clothes with just neutral, solid colors (no patterns), like black (or navy), gray, white, ivory, tan, brown or camel. Neutral colors coordinate well with each other almost 100% of the time, so regardless of what top or bottom you pair up together, they will coordinate. When it’s time to create your next capsule, you can add a couple of clothes in an accent color in solids or patterns or stay with just neutrals. You can find all the recommended core closet essentials, with over 400+ outfit ideas, checklists, season capsules and more in Simplified Style®: A Year-Round Core Closet Essentials Capsule Wardrobe.

A Capsule Wardrobe For Your Lifestyle

Think about your lifestyle and what you wear everyday. Identify all the activities you do day to day (i.e. work, taking care of the kids, running errands, going out with friends, etc.) and how you spend the majority of your time. You’ll want to create your capsule wardrobe based on your lifestyle. Example 1: If you work in a business office throughout the week, but are off on the weekends, then your capsule wardrobe needs to have a majority of dressy clothes and a few casual clothes. The Workwear eBooks series, The Essential eBook Series or The French Minimalist eBook series are pre-made capsule wardrobe plans (with shopping links and outfit ideas) for this lifestyle. Example 2: If you are a stay at home mom and are busy with the kids and live a casual lifestyle, then your capsule wardrobe needs to have all casual clothes. The Stay At Home Mom eBook series would be perfect for this lifestyle. To match your lifestyle with a capsule wardrobe eBook, see the How It Works page!

Find Out Your Signature Style

What types of clothes make you look and feel great? These are the style of clothes that should be in your capsule wardrobe. To discover your signature style, find out how HERE.

Other Capsule Wardrobe Resources

How To Start A Capsule Wardrobe: A 5-Step Visual Guide
How To Create a Core Closet
How to Build A Travel Capsule Wardrobe
Travel/Mini Capsule Wardrobe Ideas
How To Clean Out Your Closet

When you are ready to create your capsule wardrobe, click HERE to start your capsule or click the button below.