Do you feel overwhelmed in the morning when you go to get dressed? Are you faced with tons of clothes that don’t fit or you just don’t like anymore? When we change our health or our lifestyle significantly we often are left with a closet that doesn’t match our current reality. How can you make a graceful transition while still holding to your values?
One of the solutions that I have found to simplifying your closet is a capsule wardrobe. You’ve heard of highly successful people who always wear the same thing every day, Steve Jobs being one of the most notable- black turtle neck- every day. The rationale behind this is to keep it simple and not spend time thinking about what to wear each morning.
You don’t have to wear the same thing to make it simple though. A capsule wardrobe is whatever you want it to be. But the idea is to stick to a small number of basic (and sustainable!) pieces that can be easily interchanged. Some people go really small and use less than 10 items while some go bigger and could have up to 30+ pieces in a capsule wardrobe. The main thing is to use pieces that easily are interchangeable and don’t require a lot of thought when creating daily outfits.
So what does this look like in action?
I am currently using a capsule wardrobe because I’m pregnant and have very limited clothing options. I try to keep all my clothes in an earth tones- black/grey/brown/green/blue color scheme, so that everything is easy to mix and match. BUT if you like color and prints then express this through your capsule too!
Here is my list:
- Bottoms/Pants
- 2 pairs of wool leggings
- 2 pairs of cotton leggings
- 2 cotton rompers
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of linen pants
- Dresses
- 1 winter wool dress
- 2 business casual spring dresses
- 2 nice spring/summer dresses
- 2 casual sundresses
- Tops
- 4 tank tops
- 4 casual cotton tops
- 2 cotton sweaters
- 2 wool sweaters
- 2 wool cardigans
- Shoes
- 1 pair of winter boots
- 1 pair of slip on flats
- 1 pair of nice sneakers
Things I didn’t include: outerwear, workout clothes, underwear/bras, accessories. Many people don’t include shoes in their wardrobe, but I keep a very minimalist footwear selection so it’s easy to include.
When creating your capsule, pull out the items you’re going to use and push everything else to the back of the closet or put away in storage. Try it for just a week and see if it feels good.
This is also a GREAT thing for kids. Too many options for kids can lead to decision fatigue and acting out. Simplify their getting dressed process too by having less.
Getting dressed in the morning doesn’t have to feel daunting. You can make it simple!
Here are a few resources I love that give more information about capsule wardrobes: