A Professional Organizers Guide To A Capsule Wardrobe
At Elegant Simplicity, we’re committed to creating a home that you never want to leave. Though you won’t find many of us referring to ourselves as experts in the fashion world or pouring over the latest fashion trends for the upcoming season — here we are talking capsule wardrobe *wink*
Which is actually how we came to the decision that our perspective, as professional organizers, on what a capsule wardrobe really looks like might be a lil different.
So, yeah — we’ll dive into what a capsule wardrobe is, what the benefits are + what a capsule wardrobe for women, men + even kids might look like.
But, we’re also no strangers to going against the grain. And so, we’ll also explore why you might feel a capsule wardrobe won’t work for you + what to do about it.
What Is A Capsule Wardrobe
According to Susie Faux, who revived the term “capsule wardrobe” in the 1970s, it is a collection of essential items of clothing that do not go out of style.
Knowing our philosophy around creating an intentional home, a capsule wardrobe sounds pretty darn in line with purposeful curation doesn’t it *wink*
But the objective of having a capsule wardrobe is more than simply minimal items that all work together. In fact, the goal is to have clothes that are suitable for any occasion without owning excessive amounts of clothes.
In other words, the purpose of a capsule wardrobe for your closet is a lot like Elegant Simplicity for your home… to have everything you need + nothing more™.
And before we go into detail about how you create a capsule wardrobe for yourself — let’s look at some of the other benefits.
Benefits Of A Capsule Wardrobe
I wish one of the benefits of a capsule wardrobe was never having to do laundry again *wink* but unfortunately, that’s unrealistic… for now. Come on Bezos or Musk!
That said, there are several benefits to your day-to-day life that come with having a capsule wardrobe.
You Save Time
While you’ll still have to do laundry — you will get the benefit of doing “less” laundry which in turn saves you some time. But daily, you’ll reap the benefit of feeling like everything in your closet can work together.
That blouse, those pants. That dress, those heels :)
More Confidence
This one sounds a little odd at first but hear me out. Because you’ll know right off the bat that the items you’ve curated all work together — you’ll get dressed every day with ease-feeling more confident in how you look.
And because John’s a former college football coach, I know this saying… “if you look good, you play good + if you play good, you get paid good!”
You Save Money
We love this one because it’s not simply what you think. Certainly, you save money because you’re buying less clothes and in return that helps.
BUT more importantly, you’re also investing in quality clothes so the clothes you buy + wear last longer.
You Can Donate Responsibly
One of the benefits of having a capsule wardrobe is when it does come time to refresh your capsule wardrobe (which can be seasonal) — because you’ve invested in quality — you can donate responsibly.
How To Create A Capsule Wardrobe
If you’ve made it this far, a capsule wardrobe obviously interests you quite a bit. But how do you actually create one for yourself? Well, truth be told — a capsule wardrobe is achieved in a similar fashion *wink* to a beautifully organized home.
Be Intentional
First, by being intentional about what you like + what you’ll wear… then there’s no sense in buying (or keeping) clothes in your closet that you won't actually wear.
And I know that sounds obvious but when it comes to our lives, our homes and yes our closets… So many of us skip the step of “assessing” what we actually want.
So, boo — don’t do this :)
Determine Your Base
Like anything good in life — a solid foundation is how a capsule wardrobe works. And while we’ll get into the particulars of what these staples are for men, women + kids in a minute know that some fashion experts call these “key” items or “staple” articles of clothing.
We’re calling them a base because that’s what they are. Foundational pieces that give you functional flexibility to have as many outfits as you can pull together.
Decide What’s Enough
So, how many tops, bottoms, shoes etc should you have?
Well, that’s where this process is a bit cyclical. What we mean is that, what one person determines as enough — might be too many for someone else. And so making the determination of how many pairs of pants you need or the specific number of shoes that you keep is really about getting back to the first step, being intentional about what you’ll actually wear.
For some that number might be a total of 15 articles of clothes while for others that means 60. The number is simply an irrelevant benchmark.
What matters is wearing what you have.
Have Multiples Of What You’ll Wear A Lot
On the surface, that might sound like it goes against the grain of a capsule wardrobe but it’s true. If you’ll wear a white v-neck shirt or a black-top more often than not — don’t be afraid to have an extra for when one is in the laundry.
Capsule Wardrobe For Women
Ladies, these are intended to be guides so here is what a capsule wardrobe for women might look like.
Jackets (leather, denim, winter, blazer)
Tops (t-shirts, sweaters, cardigans, button downs, blouses)
Pants (tailored dress pants, jeans)
Shoes (boots, flats, shoes, sandals)
Special Occasions (a little black dress, jumpsuit, pencil skirt)
Activity Specific (yoga, workout, etc)
Capsule Wardrobe For Men
And below is what a capsule wardrobe for men might look like. Remember guys, only have in your closet what is necessary for you.
Jackets (formal, casual, winter)
Tops (t-shirts, button downs, henleys, polos, sweaters)
Pants (formal pants, jeans, khaki’s)
Shoes (boots, shoes, sandals)
Special Occasions
Activity Specific (workout, outdoors, etc)
Capsule Wardrobe For Kids
Lastly, below is what a capsule wardrobe for kids might look like. Keep in mind, kids are growing so the less is more approach is perfectly appropriate :)
Everyday Tops
Everyday Bottoms
Special Occasions
Shoes (boots, shoes, sandals)
Activity Specific (playing in the dirt, etc)
Why You Might Feel A Capsule Wardrobe Won’t Work For You + What To Do About It
Let’s be honest… a capsule wardrobe might not work for you. And ya know what, that’s ok. Because labels are often irrelevant.
What you're after may not be a capsule wardrobe at all. What you’re after may actually be a better way to simplify your wardrobe.
Whatever it is for you, lean into it with intentionality + purpose.
That said, let’s dive into a few myths about capsule wardrobes.
A Few Myths About Capsule Wardrobe
Capsule Wardrobes Are Limiting
A lot of people think capsule wardrobes make you minimize color, limit personality or deter you from having more than (insert obscure number of clothes).
What a capsule wardrobe does is actually afford you the clarity to consider how you might get the most out of what you have + what you buy.
That’s not limiting at all — that’s freedom :)
Capsule Wardrobes Are About Getting Rid Of Everything
Sure, the benefits of a capsule wardrobe are that you may make a few clothes donations *wink*. You may consistently declutter your closet for the upcoming season.
And you may save some time by having only what you’ll actually wear in front of you — but that’s hardly getting rid of everything.
Capsule Wardrobes Never Change
Nope! It’s actually the opposite.
We haven’t talked too much about the rotation of seasonal clothing as it relates to a capsule wardrobe (but check out this blog on maximizing clothes storage space).
A capsule wardrobe can be rotated seasonally. In the summertime, store your sweaters away + pull out those summer blouses boo! In the wintertime, pull out your puffer jackets + oversized sweaters.
So there you have it my friend, a professional organizers guide to a capsule wardrobe. And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home
Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, book a FREE 30min. Clarity Call and… let’s chat!