A minimalist wardrobe of dreams.
Capsule wardrobe: the buzz word of the organizational world. There is something alluring about having a wardrobe where you enjoy every single item and can mindlessly pick out any two items that will go together in an Instagram worthy way that has always appealed to me. They’re flawless, minimalist, have an effortless color palette, and look oh so chic!
Taking a step back; what is a capsule wardrobe? It’s traditionally a wardrobe of 37 pieces that includes everything from tops, outerwear, bottoms, and accessories. It wouldn’t include sleepwear, athletic gear, or undergarments. These 37 items should ideally be everything you need and you’ll probably be doing a full wardrobe load of laundry every week.
Most people have started with the traditional since and then modified the process to something that works for there lifestyle. Anna Newton of The Anna Edit is the absolute goddess of this. She’s been curating her capsule wardrobe for four years now and it has evolved into a kind of art piece. He method is a bit less refined, but still minimal. Her style is a wardrobe which is changed out and reassessed seasonally. This means that you’ll only have the clothes that are seasonally appropriate in your wardrove at a time and the remainder of your beloved items are hidden away in a suitcase so that you can shop them again come next season. Genius!
Let’s be honest, I’ve had an inkling of attempting the capsule wardrobe. And have 40% tried. I’ve minimalized my clothes quite a few times, put away items for seasons, and have stood staring at my rack of clothes for an hour envisioning the stunning masterpiece I could create. Let’s break down the reason’s why I haven’t bit the dangling carrot already:
Only quality items. For years I’ve told myself that I will only purchase items that will last. This means that every item is thoroughly assessed and I have a few rules about it: no sheer items, no cheap shoes, and the garments have to fit perfectly. This has led to my style to revolve around only a few brands – which is fine, but it is also limiting. This seems perfect for the capsule wardrobe lifestyle, yes? Well it is except that is also means that I have items in my wardrobe that I don’t particularly like just because I haven’t found the perfect item to replace them with. If I did start a capsule wardrobe with my current garments then I’ll probably be left with a chunk of them that I don’t enjoy or I’ll declutter the bulk of items that are the only cohesive part of my wardrobe.
I love a good pattern. It’s my jam. Top, bottom, shoe, doesn’t matter. I’ll take anything with a good print. If I have a patterned top, I’ll wear a neutral bottom and shoe. A patterned bottom calls for a solid top. And a statement shoe calls for a minimal outfit to let that lovely item shine. Why am I so afraid of mixing patterns?! An all neutral outfit isn’t something that I tend to go for – it feels a bit bland and not exactly my style. Neutrals are the basics of a wardrobe, the core, the fundamentals, the bread for the avocado toast. The only problem: I’m rubbish at it. A plain back tee sparks no joy in me thus my wardrobe is lacking in what traditionally a capsule wardrobe is 95% made up of.
Design worthy color scheme. I’ve longed to look at my wardrobe and see an effortless scheme of color that emulates perfect pairing bliss but alas, I love color. Most of the capsule wardrobe I’ve seen have a base monochromatic scheme and maybe a piece or two of color. Two items??? Geeze would that be hard. I haven’t been able to wrap my head around what my basic colors would be either. Black, white, grey, beige, brown, blue? How do you pick your basic colors? It’s a puzzle for sure. And equally, if you do choose to add colors, are you limited to how many colors you can add before it all goes to the gutter again?
The dream job. Here is the big one and probably the main root of my skepticism. Are you in a job that has the dress code of your dreams or are you still dreaming of that position? It’s hard whenever you’re in a position where half of your weeks is spent in clothes which don’t make you feel great. I’ve spent over a year wearing a gym kit, others that only allowed to wear black or white, and my favorite *rolls eyes* which involved a button-down gray shirt the staff graciously referred to as trash-bag-chic. It isn’t fun. I ended up reaching for even lazier outfits when I wasn’t at work and my creative styling juices were all out of citrus fruit to squeeze. This is actually when a capsule wardrobe might be the best to have. Hear me out. You can’t do anything about the uniform unless you get a new position. But when you aren’t at work instead of reaching for your fleece-lined joggers and oversized cardigan everyday (which yes, I realize is my exact outfit I’m writing this post in) you’ll be able to create a look, in YOUR STYLE, with ease, that’ll make you happy and confident about yourself. There is nothing worse than looking at clothing garments that you adore and yet have no plans to wear. Trust me.
It’s daunting. Plain and simple. It’s a commitment that is a lifestyle change. The end game is to make your life easier which should make you jump for joy. If you’re like me, you might tend to ponder over everything a tad bit too much then it might put a lump at the back of your throat. How do you pick your favorite items out of everything you already own? What if you think an item doesn’t make the cut and then end up wanting it six weeks later? I think the only option here is to have a trial run. Instead of chucking everything at the door of the nearest donation bin, put the items away either in a suitcase of box and trial it out for a few weeks to see if it is actually feasible for your life.
Maybe this post is the push I needed to actually start this adventure. All my insecurities about the process are out on the page and now all I can do is actually start.
In My Wardrobe
