Capsule Wardrobe: What Is It and How to Build One?

Home » Lifestyle » Capsule Wardrobe: What Is It and How to Build One?

Last Updated on January 24, 2022 by Sagarika Kapoor

Do you often look into your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear? Are you struggling to come up with an outfit for the day that you feel comfortable in? You’re not the only one. We, too, have been in your position. It can be quite the challenge to take the supposedly easy decision of what you want to wear every day. But there is a super simple solution to this conundrum: just start a capsule wardrobe!

 

Having a capsule wardrobe will help you present yourself to the world with some well-curated outfits that you love. Ever wonder why Steve Jobs wore the same outfit EVERY SINGLE DAY? It was to reduce decision fatigue and capsule closets have the same effect. Not only that, they ensure that there is an intention to everything you buy. Now, if you don’t know what a capsule wardrobe is, let alone how to build one, fret not. We’ve got your back. All you have to do is sit back and read!

 

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

Rector defined a capsule wardrobe as “a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you love to wear”. In other words, it is a limited selection of pieces that are interchangeable and compliment each other. You can have one capsule wardrobe for the entire year or one for each season. It depends entirely on where you live and what you do.

 

The key for a capsule closet is that you should be able to build multiple outfits with very few clothes. Generally, the garments are pieces that never go out of style. But how many items does a capsule wardrobe even have? According to Rector, the golden number is 37. But of course, this number is contingent on season and lifestyle. If you’re Emily living the life in Paris, you’ll probably need a rather larger capsule wardrobe than 37 pieces for all the events you attend!

Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

Making the lifestyle change of having a capsule closet leads to many benefits. Not only are you being more sustainable by buying less and wearing more, but you are also spending less money. You also have more time on your hands and less decision fatigue because you can just reach into your closet and pick out literally anything to wear! The guarantee that you will consistently have chic outfits is also a major stress reducer.

 

Styl Tip: While a capsule wardrobe traditionally has timeless classics, it can include anything depending on your style.

 

Now that you know what a capsule wardrobe is, and the benefits of having one, let’s see how to go about building one.

 

How to Build Your Capsule Wardrobe?

There are a lot of ways in which you can go about building your capsule wardrobe. But that doesn’t mean that they will always work. Quite often, capsule wardrobe guides are based upon generic information or “rules” that may or may not fit your lifestyle. So, here we have curated a series of simple steps that you can follow to build a tailor-made capsule wardrobe for yourself.

Analyze Your Lifestyle

This is the first and most important step because your lifestyle will dictate every single thing about your capsule wardrobe. Awareness about your lifestyle is a key guideline to strategically shop for yourself. It will also help in understanding if you should have one capsule for the entire year or have multiple seasonal ones. To analyze your lifestyle, you just need to find the answer to a few simple questions.

• Where do you live?
• How many seasons do you experience in a year?
• Which daily activities do you engage in every day?
• What sort of work do you do?
• How do you utilize your free time?
• What staples predominate your wardrobe?

Analyze Your Style

It is necessary to build your capsule in a way that reflects your style. This ensures that you actually end up wearing what is already there instead of buying new things. For this, you just need to understand the items that are already present in your closet and that you wear frequently. Whatever category they fall into is your primary style. For example, if your closet consists majority of timeless pieces with a focus on tailoring and sophistication, your primary style is classic.

Notice What You Wear For 30 Days

This is a part of finding your style and being more intentional about what goes into your capsule wardrobe. By doing this, you can see what you truly wear for your daily activities and keep only those things.

Clean Out Your Closet

This is where we Mary Kondo our way through the clutter. Remove anything that does not spark joy in you. Remember tracking what you wore for 30 days? It comes to use here. The idea is to chuck out anything you do not wear in these 30 days. If you think that that is too restrictive, you can increase the limit to 3 months. Sell, throw and donate anything that is of no use to you.

Map Out Your Capsule Wardrobe

Now’s the time to get to work. You have all the foundational information you need to start building a capsule wardrobe. The remains of your closet cleanout should already have the beginnings of your capsule. So, you just have to see what things you need more of. If you have enough workwear but need more lounging options, add that to your wish list. Remember that the bulk of your capsule wardrobe should be things that you require regularly. Making a colour palette also helps here. It guides not only the direction of your capsule wardrobe but helps in future shopping.

Styl Tip: Have a majority of “basics” in your capsule wardrobe, with 5-7 statement pieces.

Go and Shop!

This is the fun bit. Now that you have your map and wish list, all you need to do is bring your capsule wardrobe to fruition. Make sure that you focus on buying quality over quantity. You’re going to be wearing the same things multiple times, so your clothes must last longer than two washes. Additionally, be intentional about what you buy. Impulsive shopping is difficult to give up. But if you remind yourself to only buy what you need and will wear, it helps.

Attention! If you are unsure about your ability to create a capsule collection and stick to it, relax. You can try one for two weeks or a month to see how strictly you can adhere to it. If it helps you have a more sustainable outlook towards what you buy and how you wear it, you still benefit. A lifestyle change like a capsule wardrobe can take some time to develop while looking different for everyone.

We hope that this article helped you understand what a capsule wardrobe is and how you can build one. For any queries, contact us at Styl Inc and one of our expert stylists will get in touch with you.

For more personal styling tips and tricks, stay tuned to the Styl Inc blogs.

Stay safe and healthy.

Keepin it Styl’ish

Signing off,

Shravani Priya