So perhaps you’ve heard of the “capsule wardrobe” concept. It can work various ways, but basically you create a small wardrobe {often 30-40 items} of high quality pieces that mix and match easily. You swap out your small wardrobe each season, so you might have two to four rotating collections, and you literally get rid of the rest of your clothes. Anything that doesn’t fit, doesn’t flatter, doesn’t gel with the rest of your clothes… you just get rid of it and simplify your life. In any given season, you are wearing only the pieces that look best on you and look good together.
Maybe you’re intrigued by capsule wardrobes, but you are scared to take the plunge. Maybe your closet is stuffed and you are overwhelmed by the idea of going through it all piece by piece. Maybe the concept of fewer clothes sounds attractive, but you really enjoy fashion and could never limit yourself to just 30 items. Maybe, like me, you live in a really extreme climate where there are not four clear seasons during the year, and you know your closet would need extra warm-weather or cold-weather clothes at any given time. Maybe you are in your child-bearing years and between pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum weight fluctuations you can’t even remember what your “style” is anymore.
I am operating off what I like to call a “halfway capsule” wardrobe right now. I have slashed my closet to about half of what it used to be, but I still have far more than 40 items in it at any given time. I am shopping less frequently and training myself to spend more on high quality, versatile items instead of surrendering to every sale. I am swapping out some items seasonally, but I haven’t fully started a four-season rotation since Arizona {and Southern California} don’t really have a winter.
Here are my tips for easing into the capsule wardrobe concept without getting overwhelmed. You can start with a few of these methods and move toward a more minimalist closet gradually or just give your closet a one-time cleaning and call it good enough for now…
Rotate seasonal items. Take out sandals, sundresses, and tanks in the winter. Remove heavy sweaters, jackets, and boots in the summer. Leave versatile pieces like short sleeve tees and lightweight cardigans to wear year-round. This way you will get to open up at least one box when the weather changes from cold-to-warm and vice versa, and your old clothes will feel new again because you haven’t been staring at them all year.
Clean out closet seasonally. I highly recommend cleaning out your closet seasonally, at least twice a year at the (summer/fall and winter/spring transitions), but ideally four times a year. Consider which sweaters you haven’t worn at all during the cold months and get rid of them. Those shorts that fit funny and sat in drawer all summer? Sell them or send them off to the thrift store.
Keep a list. Jot down a list of items you need and only allow yourself to purchase those items. As you notice gaps in your wardrobe, add them to the list and start to browse for them online and in stores when you have a chance. This way you will only buy items that serve a purpose for you and can say “no” to impulse purchases that don’t mesh with the rest of your wardrobe. {For example: I currently don’t have a navy cardigan and have realized I would wear one all the time. I’m on the hunt and waiting for the perfect blue sweater to present itself.}
Banish ill-fitting clothing. If you wear a piece and realize something isn’t quite right about it, remove it from your wardrobe instantly. My friend once noticed I sold something in my shop she had seen me wear recently. The day she saw me wearing it was the day I realized it didn’t fit me right {sometimes it takes a few hours of running around town to realize this}, so I got rid of it instead of letting it linger in my closet or forcing myself to wear it again despite it’s unflattering or uncomfortable shape.
Give yourself a challenge. They say most people only wear about 10% of the clothing in their closet, so give yourself a closet challenge to help you wear more of your clothing and mix outfits together in new ways. One fun challenge is the 30 for 30 remix. Another thing I have done is turned all my hangers backward in my closet. Once I wear something, it returns to the closet with the hanger facing the right way. I try not to re-wear anything until I have worn everything on the backward hangers.
Take pictures. I think Cher had it right in Clueless when she used a software program to visualize her outfits in advance. For some reason, I often can’t tell if an outfit looks good just by looking in the mirror, but when I see myself on camera I can instantly tell if my outfit is flattering or not. I haven’t actually done this yet, but I’ve considered taking pictures of each of my “dressier” outfits, so I can reference them in the future and remember which pieces look good together.
Make fit a priority. I used to try on clothes and get sucked in by a cute pattern or a good price. Now I am a stickler about fit. A ten dollar shirt that is slightly too wide in the shoulders? No, thank you. Jeans that will look stunning when I lose the last of my baby weight? Not a chance. If you find a really amazing piece on sale that doesn’t fit quite right, consider paying a little extra to have a tailor alter it to fit your body perfectly.
Experiment when pregnant or breastfeeding. If you want to test a smaller wardrobe without getting rid of all your clothes, use the season of pregnancy or breastfeeding to mix or match fewer items. Since you usually wear fewer clothes during these time periods, work on curating a small, versatile closet and style your items creatively. When you are done growing and feeding a small human, apply what you learned with your maternity clothes to your regular clothing.
Unsubscribe! Spoiler alert: J.Crew and Gap {or fill in the blank with your favorite store} offer 30 and 40% off sales practically every other day of the week. Don’t get sucked in by email promotions tempting you to buy clothing you don’t need. I have unsubscribed from all promotional emails, because I know I can find a sale or a promo code at any given time. If you know you need to buy an item this week, check out this list to see all current sales.
