In the fall of 2014 I did a major wardrobe overhaul and started my experiment with capsule wardrobes. The concept worked well for me, and I continued to create capsule wardrobes for two seasons after that (winter 2015, spring 2015). While I reached a point where I no longer felt the need to follow the capsule “rules” exactly, I learned a lot from the experience and hoped that those lessons would bring lasting change to my wardrobe.
Nearly two years later, I still keep some of the principles of a capsule wardrobe (less is more, quality over quantity, only buy what you love) at the forefront of my mind when I’m shopping. Because I had such a great experience doing a capsule wardrobe, I was happy when Cladwell contacted me about Capsules, a wardrobe-building tool.
Capsules walks you through the steps of building a capsule wardrobe, from breaking down what kinds of clothes you need most in your wardrobe, to choosing a color palette to help you streamline. I had fun playing around with it myself, and using it to help me continue to build a wardrobe that I love.
In using the Capsules tool, I made a few discoveries about my wardrobe. It helped me identify which items are my current “can’t live without them” staples, which items my wardrobe is missing, and which items are destined for the sell/donate bags.
{my 5 winter staples}
These are the items that I’ve been reaching for again and again this winter.
taupe ankle boots | black checked button-up | black ponte pants | plaid blanket scarf | gray long cardigan
!function(doc,s,id){ var e, p; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; p = ‘//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js’; var cb = new Date().getTime(); p += ‘?cb=’ + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === ‘object’){ if(doc.readyState === ‘complete’){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, ‘script’, ‘shopsensewidget-script’);
{5 items on my winter wish list}
I don’t have a large clothing budget, so I want to make the most out of what I buy. Here are 5 items I know I would get a lot of use out of.
Berry colored pants | ivory cable cardigan | denim pencil skirt | blue blouse | black ankle boots
{5 things I’m saying goodbye to}
It can be hard to get rid of clothing. I may have spent a lot of money on it, or maybe it was a gift and I feel guilty giving it away. But I’m committed to having a closet that’s filled with items that I love and will wear, so I’m ditching clothing that meets the criteria below.
{one} Clothes that don’t feel like me. (Example: my striped dress turned mini dress that I don’t feel comfortable in.)
{two} Clothes I don’t love. (Example: an embellished sweatshirt that for some reason I just never loved.)
{three} Clothes that are worn out. (Example: my black pants that have permanent knee-bagginess.)
{four} Clothes that don’t fit well. (Example: my blue pants that I love the style of, but not the baggy fit.)
{five} Clothes that are uncomfortable. (Example: a pair of jeans that got so stretched out by the end of the day I couldn’t wear them without a belt.)
I know that capsule wardrobes can be a hot-button issue in blog-land, but have you ever done or considered one? If it’s something you’re thinking about, I recommend signing up for the Capsules tool. It does cost $5/month to use, but if you’re serious about building a wardrobe you love and don’t know where to start, I think it’s money well spent.
Disclosure: I was given free access to this tool as part of this collaboration. All opinions are very much my own.
