Curating Your Capsule Wardrobe
Image Credit: Maddy Henry
Do you feel like you have a closet full of things with nothing to wear? Does selecting an outfit for the day take up your entire morning? Choosing an outfit shouldn’t be the most stressful part of your day. If you feel like you’ve got a closet full of nothing useful, a capsule wardrobe just might be your new best friend.
Defining a Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is a compact closet of interchangeable pieces that work together to create cohesive outfits. They’re fantastic for an efficient, clutterless closet. Neutral shirts, pants, jackets, shoes, etc. can easily be intermixed, leaving you with endless variations of sleek, beautiful outfits. By having a smaller amount of clothing, you can create a wide variety of outfits with ease.
Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe
Avoids decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue happens when there's way too many options to choose from. Making a choice can become overwhelming, and feel impossible as the day wears on. A capsule wardrobe helps eliminate this decision fatigue by compacting your closet and limiting your choices to a few polished options.
Better for the environment.
The less clothing items you buy, the less waste you create. When you continue to re-wear and repurpose the clothing you already have within your capsule wardrobe, you lessen your carbon footprint!
Save money and afford nicer pieces.
The less money you spend on cheap clothing you might only use once or twice, the more money you’ll save to afford more eco-friendly, durable and timeless pieces.
Steps to Begin A Capsule Wardrobe
Go through your closet
Create different bins for donation, selling and recycling. Get rid of pieces you don’t reach for often. Donate items that you aren’t excited to wear or don’t fit you anymore.
Clothing is supposed to fit us. We are not supposed to fit ourselves into clothing.
Re-organize your closet
Make some space in your closet. Having a clean, organized space has a calming effect and will make it easier for you to make those early-morning outfit decisions.
Tips to Build Your Capsule Wardrobe
Building your own capsule wardrobe takes time. Consider the following questions and suggestions to construct your high-quality capsule wardrobe:
Assess what pieces make you feel good.
Which pieces make you feel confident? Which pieces make you feel your best? Consider your profession. Do you need more business casual clothing or will you be primarily at home, reaching for loungewear most days?
Select your color scheme.
Neutral colors are encouraged in your capsule wardrobe, but the colors you select surrounding those neutrals are all up to you! Pick colors that you enjoy wearing and will be easy to pair with your neutral closet and with other pieces.
Look for high-quality fabrics and long-lasting materials.
Recycled cotton, linen and other plant-based fibers are fantastic options to look for when buying capsule pieces.
A capsule wardrobe will make your life easier by eliminating the overwhelming amount of outfit options. By investing in durable, timeless pieces you will not only reduce waste, but you’ll be creating a closet that can last you years! So, what will you put in your capsule wardrobe?
Written by Maddy Henry
Maddy is a 24 year old Graduate Student at Marquette University, studying communications and media studies with a focus on feminist and queer theory. She loves writing, reading fantasy books and has a huge passion for sustainability and environmental activism. After graduation, Maddy plans to move to Sweden and hopes to work for a publishing company as an editor or at a sustainable fashion company as a Public Relations Practitioner.