If you’re trying to become an “it girl,” here’s how to look the part with minimalist ease.
Creating multiple outfits and building a wardrobe that is fashionable sounds expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s all about being strategic.
A limited, minimalist amount of pieces in your wardrobe can create many different outfits. Now, you might be wondering how less can mean more.
Follow along with this article and we will guide you on how to build a capsule wardrobe that you will love!
Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.
In This Post ➜
- What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
- Reasons You Should Have a Capsule Wardrobe
- How to Build A Capsule Wardrobe
- Basic Capsule Wardrobe Example
- What Should I Buy First In My Capsule Wardrobe?
- How do I Build a Cheap Capsule Wardrobe?
- Do I Need To Build A Wardrobe From Scratch?
- How Many Clothes Are Enough In A Capsule Wardrobe?
- Are Capsule Wardrobes Considered Trendy?
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
Also known as a “capsular wardrobe”, this refers to your collection of clothing that’s made up of items that can be worn in many different ways and many different pairings.
This is simply to promote versatility in your style and ensure you have a new look most of the time. If one top can be worn in four different ways, you have one part of four different outfits already!
This idea is already popular with minimalists. It involves owning staple pieces of clothing that can be paired easily. Keep reading and I will show you how.
Reasons You Should Have a Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is a no-brainer because there are so many advantages that come with owning one, so let’s get into them.
1. Goodbye Decision Fatigue
Deciding what you would like to wear every day can be a chore. When you have a capsular wardrobe, it means that you have fewer pieces to choose from.
Not to mention the fact that these pieces are meant to match each other. This means that you can easily put an outfit together with less effort on outfit coordination.
2. Less Money Spent
When you have a capsule wardrobe, you do not need to spend a lot of money on clothes. This is because your intentionally curated closet capsule has everything you need and can be styled to cater for almost every event.
You throw away that myth that you always need to buy new clothes because you “never have anything to wear”.
3. Time
When you aren’t spending tons of time planning and coordinating your outfit, you’ll get more time back for yourself. Your time is valuable, so use it efficiently!
This is combined with the lack of decision fatigue, which just improves your standard of living and reduces headaches.
4. Sustainability
A much more sustainable approach to your closet is a capsule wardrobe. That’s because this method helps you build your style, rather than focusing on trends.
I recommend investing in high-quality pieces that will last you years. Trendy fashion and fast fashion typically fall out of style quickly or lack quality overall.
5. The Environment
One of the greatest spoils of fast fashion is the fact that it ruins the ecosystem. It encourages fashion consumers to dump millions of clothes each year.
Considering that clothes are not degradable, this makes up a large portion of waste that will continue to take up space in our landfills.
To add more points to its sustainability, a capsule closet will help you use fewer clothes. Therefore, you are contributing to the safety and green spaces of the world.
How to Build A Capsule Wardrobe
If you have read up until this point, then congratulations! You are about to learn how to build a capsule wardrobe.
In the following steps, we will show you a simple and easy capsule wardrobe formula that there is.
Step One: Plan
Like they say, everything good requires preparation. You will need to choose a color scheme. Most people go for neutral colors, such as gray, white, black, and brown, because these colors are easy to pair with almost anything.
Think about your lifestyle, weather, and style preferences. Also, look on social media, such as Instagram and Pinterest for outfit ideas. Save the outfits you like for inspiration.
Once you have your ideal capsule closet mapped out, you are good to go!
Step Two: Sort Out Your Closet
If you are anything like a lot of the girls out there who don’t have capsule closets, then that means all your clothes are disorganized and sitting in one place. Sorting out your closet will help you figure out a use for each item and act accordingly.
You can decide which fits into your closet, which is seasonal, occasional, or just a waste of space. There are multiple ways to help you with this task and figure out which categories these belong to.
For example, you can sort it by how often you wear it or how versatile it is. How you choose to do this is purely subjective and up to you. Now get categorizing and organizing!
Step Three: Make Room For The Essentials
In the next section, we are going to show you the essential things we believe should be in every girl’s capsule wardrobe. You need to ensure you have these things and that you do not throw them out. They’re essential after all, but keep in mind that rules can be broken too! 😉
If your closet can’t turn into a capsule closet, then you might need to buy some items to help build it up.
Step Four: Execute
Lastly, once you have all you need, you can then proceed to reorganize your closet. Figure out how you would like it to be organized.
Don’t be afraid to purchase some nifty closet organizers to compartmentalize all the different types of clothing.
There you have it! The capsule wardrobe that was just an idea in your mind is now a reality.
Basic Capsule Wardrobe Example
If you are still scratching your head about what a capsule wardrobe should look like, allow me to paint you a picture.
An ideal 40-piece capsule wardrobe can be made up of
Tops
For tops, you will need the following:
1. Three basic t-shirts
2. Two basic tank tops
3. Two shirts
4. Two blouses
5. Three sweaters
6. Three jackets
Bottoms
1. Two office trousers
2. Two Pairs of Jeans
3. A pair of shorts
4. Two skirts
Overalls
1. Two Dresses
2. One jumpsuit
3. One Romper
4. One Trench Coat
Shoes
1. A pair of loafers
2. Two sneakers
3. A pair of mules
Handbags
1. A bucket Bag
2. A tote Bag
3. A purse
Accessories
1. Sunglasses
2. A baseball hat
3. A belt
4. A bracelet
5. Two necklaces
If you take one thing out of each section and pair them all together, you have an outfit! The idea is to mix and match them as you go.
The tops all go with the bottoms, so you can alternate and create more outfits as you need.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this concept.
What Should I Buy First In My Capsule Wardrobe?
Well, that solely depends on you and what you need. After sorting your closet out and making a list of the clothing items you need, you can then choose which items are your top priority.
The best thing to buy first is an item you do not own or have an alternative to. Once you figure out what that is, you have your answer. Check out my basic capsule wardrobe list above for ideas.
How Do I Build A Cheap Capsule Wardrobe?
The best answer to this question is to go to a thrift store. A lot of people make thrift stores sound like dumping grounds, but they are one of the best places to find high-quality staple pieces that will not only be useful but will last a long time. Nevertheless, you need to be alert and inspect them.
Not all thrift stores are high quality, but there are some in which you might even find designer clothes for regular prices. A useful hack might be to visit thrift stores in high-end areas as they usually have higher-quality clothes.
Do I Need To Build A Wardrobe From Scratch?
Well, not exactly. It’s highly likely that you already have some of the items we mentioned in the example capsule wardrobe above.
These pieces you already own can be a foundation for the wardrobe and you can add more to the collection over time. Therefore, you do not need to build a wardrobe from scratch!
How Many Clothes Are Enough In A Capsule Wardrobe?
If someone walked up to you and said “build me a capsule wardrobe”, how many items will you need? Considering that the idea of a capsule wardrobe is borne from minimalism, you do not need that many pieces to build one.
Some people say thirty-seven items are enough, while others say fifty. Depending on your style, budget, and preferences, this is yet another thing you will have to figure out all on your own.
There is no set rule on how much you need. It’s more important to be strategic.
Are Capsule Wardrobes Considered Trendy?
Capsule Wardrobes are not trendy, but they are stylish and classy. Trendy clothes are not sustainable with time and trends come and go over a few months.
On the other hand, the clothes that make up a capsule wardrobe are so simple that they stand the test of time. This doesn’t compromise style either, so it is a fair win for all.
Conclusion
Creating a capsule wardrobe is one of the best things you can do for your style and outfit coordination. With the example capsule wardrobe above you can comfortably create over 80 different outfits that would suit tons of occasions.
I hope you enjoyed this article and I also hope you excel in your capsule wardrobe journey!
Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.
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