How To Create A Capsule Wardrobe For Women

In today’s fast-paced world, the concept of a capsule wardrobe has gained significant popularity among women seeking simplicity and versatility in their fashion choices.

But what exactly is a capsule wardrobe, and how can you create one that reflects your personal style while meeting your lifestyle needs?

Let’s delve into the essentials of building a capsule wardrobe that ensures effortless elegance and timeless appeal.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe can be defined in a variety of ways, such as a method to decompress in the morning, an excuse to organize your closet, or a well-considered wardrobe where less is more.

Although the idea of a capsule is not new, it seems relevant now more than ever. Susie Faux, a British fashion star and novelist who first used the term in the 1970s, defined a capsule wardrobe as “a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion.”

To put it another way, a capsule wardrobe is an edit of well-chosen, classic pieces that you love to wear and that are suitable for your particular style, way of life, and price range.

The benefits of a capsule wardrobe

We adore the capsule wardrobe mentality for the following reasons, and we know you will too:

You’ll be able to save money and buy better things: You’ll find yourself wealthy if you take out all of your impulsive purchases (you know, the ill-fitting clothes you bought because, well, SALE).

You should definitely treat yourself to items that you will enjoy wearing repeatedly when creating a capsule wardrobe.

Consider all the money you’ll save by not adding more inferior items to your basket each time one finds its way in.

You’ll get back more hours of your life since your closet will be organized and you’ll be able to get ready faster. Who wouldn’t desire that?

You’ll experience less overwhelm and decision fatigue: A capsule wardrobe might be the solution to your prayers if you’re someone who finds it difficult to choose what to wear in the morning, cannot recall what’s recently cleaned, or frequently finds yourself surprised by the discovery of a long-forgotten or missing skirt.

You can wear anything you own in a capsule wardrobe, so you won’t run out of style.

Your wardrobe will be full of interchangeable pieces that you can’t wait to restyle, as opposed to a few pieces you absolutely love and a ton more that you’ll wear occasionally.

You’ll come to understand that you don’t have to follow every trend simply because everyone else does. For now, how about that?

How to build a capsule wardrobe: A step-by-step guide

Unless you’re an avid adopter of the capsule wardrobe (in which case, you can probably ignore this section anyway), you may find yourself purchasing a lot of things that you don’t really need and, in some cases, even particularly like.

But fortunately, things are going to become better, and I’ll show you how to do that in just four easy steps.

Step 1: List all of your current possessions and tidy up

In order to construct a capsule wardrobe, you must first learn how to reduce the size of your wardrobe. Take a deep breath. And taking everything out and trying it all on is the first step to simplifying your wardrobe.

Your collection should be reduced to your base wardrobe, which should consist of the items you presently wear on a daily basis. Bid farewell to any garments that you dislike, hardly wear, or that don’t fit well.

When it comes to creating a capsule wardrobe, efficiency is essential. Examine what you have carefully and arrange the parts into four piles:

• Keep: Arrange your favorite basics into a pile and alternate between them. You will use this pile as a starting point while assembling your capsule clothing.
• Put away for later: Classic clothes that you adore but won’t be wearing for a time because of the weather, or ones that you only wear on particular occasions.
• Donate or sell: Items that still fit your body type, lifestyle, or style but are in poor condition should be sold or donated. Giving to charitable organizations and used-car websites are thoughtful substitutes for getting rid of stuff.
• Recycle: Used, soiled, or irreparably ruined clothing.

Step 2: Map out your capsule wardrobe and make a wishlist of what’s missing

Decide on your style and take your lifestyle into consideration.

A capsule wardrobe has the advantage of being totally unique to you.

Take note of the combinations you enjoy wearing and begin to search for similar characteristics in the items you find yourself going back to time and time again.

Why do you like them? 

With the aid of these insights, you will be able to identify your own uniform, which is a selection of clothes that fit and exude confidence.

No, it doesn’t mean you have to dress like Steve Jobs every day in just jeans, sneakers, and a black turtleneck (unless that’s how you feel, of course). You can make it as easy or difficult as you like.

Consider your lifestyle after you’ve determined your style.

What is your line of work? Are you mostly WFH or do you work in an office? Which pastimes do you enjoy?

Next, begin making a list of the clothes you require for each day of your life.

Step 3: Shop with intention

Now for the exciting part: armed with your want list for your wardrobe, it’s time to go discover your new faves.

However, make a budget first. This will assist you in staying on budget and preventing overspending while purchasing new items.

Don’t buy everything at once in a hurry. It’s acceptable to gradually convert your existing clothing into a capsule collection as opposed to throwing everything away and frantically purchasing new necessities.

Don’t take any short cuts. Don’t buy something if it doesn’t exactly meet your needs. Instead of settling for something mediocre that you won’t wear, wait until you find the ideal piece.

Step 4: Practice styling everyday outfits (Plan outfit ideas)

Having a compact wardrobe is all about simplifying the dressing process.

It is therefore a good idea to set aside some time after your capsule wardrobe is ready to put together a few outfit ideas. In this manner, you are already aware of the parts that are interchangeable.

This should be simple and quick if you’ve followed our guidelines and guiding principles because you can’t go wrong with anything in your closet. For extra ideas for clothing pairings, browse through your Pinterest boards and Instagram feed.

Brands we love to shop for elevated essentials

When adding more pieces to your wardrobe, think about buying used goods or endorsing companies that practice greater ethics and consciousness (think recycled materials, natural fabrics, and social empowerment).

For some inspiration, peruse our list of the top websites for women shoppers.

You can find out more about the brands we adore and their backstories by visiting our Better Brand Series.

What are the best colors for a women’s capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe usually consists of one base color (I choose black) and a few year-round neutral color basics (beige, white, ivory, grey, or camel) that serve as the basis for your color scheme.

Seasonal colors that complement different times of year or events make up the second level.

Patterns, prints, and vibrant hues are entirely optional. You don’t need to include a vivid pink jacket or a lime green sweater just because they’re trendy if you’re someone who just wears neutral hues.

However, we don’t think you have to adhere to a strict palette if you don’t want to. The only guideline in this case is to go for complementary hues for greater style options and variety.

See our color wheel guide for ideas if you’re not sure how to choose complementary colors.

Add accessories

One of the greatest places to showcase more or less of your individuality is through accessories for ladies.

We advise applying the same organizing and simplicity ideas to your closet when selecting accessories as you would to the rest of your outfit.

Consider features like quality, durability, adaptability, and something you’ll be pleased to wear often.

Capsule wardrobe essentials: Our checklist

Are you unsure of the ideal number of items for a capsule wardrobe? According to Marie Kondo, you should get rid of everything that doesn’t make you happy, and according to Caroline Rector, you should only own 37 things.

The truth is that it truly is up to you.

At Luxe Digital, we think it’s critical to customize your capsule wardrobe to best suit your style. Meaning:

Rather of treating your capsule wardrobe as a rigid, predetermined ensemble, view it as a system of interchangeable clothing that should represent your unique style and self.

If you spend a lot of time at home, for instance, you’ll probably want more loungewear and less formal attire. If you’re someone who doesn’t really wear jewelry, you might find yourself wanting to add an extra accent color to your capsule wardrobe to mix things up a little.

Think of our capsule wardrobe guide as a road plan that, for best results, you must customize to your tastes and taste. Our list of elevated staples is a great place to start if you need some inspiration.

In order to optimize the usefulness of this guide, we will concentrate on the categories of clothing that you will probably require. From our list of necessities, select what you find useful and discard the rest.

What to do next

After creating (and snapping photos of!) your go-to ensembles, arrange your capsule pieces in a separate area of your wardrobe. Better still, take everything that remains and put it somewhere out of sight.

Fight the want to put things back. Allow a few weeks for yourself to adjust to your new, more modest clothing and reap the rewards.

Please feel free to add anything necessary from your other clothes to your capsule if you locate it. I’ll dare you, though, to only bring back pieces you adore and can style in at least five different ways.

FAQs – How To Create A Capsule Wardrobe For Women

What should be in a woman’s capsule wardrobe?

Typically, capsule wardrobes consist of items such as a basic sweater, khaki trench coat, and straight-leg jeans that go beyond trends. You can play around with textures and colors within those basic parameters to see what feels authentic.

What is the 5 4 3 2 1 capsule wardrobe?

Its take on the 5-4-3-2-1 format is “five tops, four bottoms, three accessories, two shoes (a nice pair and a practical pair), and one swimsuit,” but, similar to the Times, it gives you flexibility to change up the accessories according to your itinerary and mode of transportation.

What is the 333 method capsule wardrobe?

Choose 33 items (or less) including clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories. Pack up and hide everything else and then you don’t have to think about shopping or what to wear for the next three months.

What are the 37 items in a capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe of 37 pieces will allow you to own 9 pairs of shoes, 9 bottoms, 15 tops, 2 dresses, and 2 coats or jackets. This will enable you to focus on the things in your closet that you genuinely adore.