Most of us have more than 100 pieces and keep complaining about having nothing to wear. We even end up wearing the same clothes over and over again. We tend to buy the rest to follow trends without realising we don’t need it nor really like it! This is surely a problem since the unused clothes end up piling in our wardrobe. Not sustainable, huh? Therefore, we would like to walk you through the concept of capsule wardrobe. What is a capsule wardrobe? Why does it matter? And how to build a capsule wardrobe? If you are new to this concept or would like to know more, keep on reading!
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
First popularized in the 1970s by Susie Faux, a London boutique owner, a capsule wardrobe is minimalist. It counts less than 40 pieces of versatile clothing that still look cool no matter what. Those classic designs allows you to effortlessly mix and match regardless the season.
The idea of the capsule wardrobe is ‘less is more’. You simplify your closet and keep only a few items that you will wear for years. This has a direct impact on your sustainable fashion budget, you invest more at the beginning but save money on the long run.
Reasons Why Capsule Wardrobe Matters
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Save some money
A capsule wardrobe reduces the needs of buying new clothes. As we have mentioned in our fast fashion article, we are often tempted to buy unnecessary items. If you choose a sustainable lifestyle, it is definitely something to avoid.
Same goes with a capsule wardrobe so ask yourself the good question: is it versatile? Can I mix and match this thing with my other clothes? Does the price really reflect the quality? Is it really worth it to spend £20 on this shirt?
Moreover, with less clothing you can save more money on the maintenance such as doing laundry.
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Investing your money in the right place
Sustainable lifestyle means considering several aspects before purchasing something. With a capsule wardrobe, you invest your money on something that really matters. It is fair to buy expensive items when last and when they are ethically made. Therefore, you can appreciate every little details and quality of your clothing!
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Get creative
A capsule wardrobe forces you to get creative with layering, mix one colour with another, and taking different approach in wearing certain items. By getting creative, your confidence builds up because you can finally realise that you look good in any style!
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Save time in the morning
Once you get creative, it will be very easy for you to decide what clothes to wear in the morning. Admit it, sometimes we have to stare deep into our wardrobe for at least 5 minutes to decide what clothes to wear. When you’re used to it, it will save you more time and energy from all that decision fatigue! You will just need to know How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe?
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Save more space
if you live in a small apartment, having too much clothing can be overwhelming! With only 30-40 pieces of capsule fashion items, you can save some space for more important thing!
How to build a Capsule Wardrobe?
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Analyse
Take out all your clothes and other fashion items on the bed and see what you have. Make 2 piles: what do you wear and what don’t you wear? From this, you can see what sort of style is yours and what you need to avoid in the future.
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Sort things out
Once you’re done analyzing, sort those clothes out in 4 categories until you have 40 pieces or less of fashion items!
- The pieces you love, your go-to pieces.
- The pieces you keep. Even though you are not too sure about this certain piece but you might need it in the future.
- The clothes you leave. Those are the ones you probably never wear or that are too small for you. You can make a donation.
- You throw away the designs that look too poor
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See for inspiration online
Let’s say you managed to sort everything down to less than 35 pieces and would like to add one item into your capsule wardrobe. Check online for inspiration! Pinterest is our fav but you may also have a look at Emily’s!
It can be overwhelming to see so many sources of inspiration but make sure you bookmark the ones that suits you capsule fashion and sort down to the one you really love! You don’t need to copy another person’s style, just work with your own and see what you already have and what you need.
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Create wishlist of what you need
Once you know what you need, you can categorise each item according to its type such as bottoms, shirts, blouse, coat, accessories, bags, and shoes. Remember the golden rule, only keep 30-40 items.
Some ideas for versatile items can be white oversized blouse, skinny jeans, black winter coat, Chelsea boots, striped top, trench coat for autumn, little black dress, vegan leather jacket, cross body bag, flat shoes, stylish sneakers, knitwear, denim jacket, black leggings, black blazer, cardigans, sunglasses, scarf, gold earrings, tote bag, jumpsuit, dresses, and heels. Just make sure that all of the items versatile and wearable in any occasion and season!
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Stick to your style and commit to it
Once you’re done getting all the inspiration that suits your style, stick to it! The most important thing in capsule wardrobing is to commit to it. Get creative, always find a way to create some statement look, reassess your wardrobe every 3-4 months and see which one you actually like and the one you actually get bored of easily. Don’t worry, it’s not wrong to be bored! It means you’re learning what you love so that you can spend your money wisely in the future!
From here we hope that you can see why capsule wardrobe is a small part of committing into a sustainable lifestyle. Once you will you will get used to How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe, you will appreciate every little thing we have whether it is money or belongings. So are you ready to start doing capsule wardrobe? Share us what you think!
