Everyone has their own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it – Audrey Hepburn. Another quote says “A woman has two problems: Nothing to wear and no room for all clothes.” Where are we going with this? Most times we get overwhelmed with what to wear and what not to. Let’s face the fact, despite a room filled with clothes you end up wearing the same two or three shirts over and over again – hence the need for a capsule wardrobe.
What exactly is a Capsule Wardrobe?
If the term “capsule wardrobe” is unfamiliar to you, it refers to a collection of clothes that can be combined to create a variety of looks. A capsule wardrobe is typically worn for three months before being updated for the upcoming season. You may limit your buying and save money by having a certain amount of clothes for each season. Shop for a replacement when an item is worn out or doesn’t fit properly any longer.
Pull everything from your closet so that the only thing you can see is the walls of your closet before you begin building a capsule wardrobe. You should immediately remove everything from your closet. If you’re using a clothes rack, take everything off and put it all in a separate location. You don’t need anything in your closet to put your capsule together!
How Do I Know A Capsule Wardrobe Is What I Need?
Be truthful to yourself when answering these questions
1. Do you consider clothes your major priority? Yes or No
2. Do you see yourself repeating clothes regardless of your full closet? Yes or No
3. Do you find yourself saying “I have nothing to wear” even though you have lots of things to wear? Yes or No
4. Do you sometimes find clothes at the back of your closet you have never worn? Yes or No
5. Do you find yourself buying clothes mainly because of discounts (sometimes the clothes are ill-fitting)? Yes or No
6. Do you find it overwhelming arranging your closet, so you just repeat clothes? Yes or No
7. Do you desire two things: Looking elegant without even trying or Having other things you’d love to spend money on? Yes or No
If you answer is 99% YES then a capsule wardrobe is what you really need!
How Many Clothes Should Be In A Capsule Wardrobe?
There is no right or wrong way to start a capsule wardrobe of your own. With that said, you can choose 30 to 40 different items to wear during a duration of 3 months. This includes shoes, accessories and jewelry.
How Do You Make A Capsule Wardrobe?
To build a capsule wardrobe
1. Select Your Base Colour
Decide whether you want to use navy or black as your base color first. If you’re creating your first capsule wardrobe, you might want to stick with just one base color—either blue OR black. Using just one makes the topic simpler to understand. As we progress through this tutorial, you’ll understand why it’s simpler. The two colors you’ll most often find in capsule outfits are black and navy. Because it complements so many other hues, black makes a fantastic base color for anything. If you’d prefer not to use black, navy works great with a variety of other colors as well. You can choose a hue of brown for your base if you don’t like navy or black.
Trousers
Denim and Jeans
LEVI Ribcage High Waist Ankle Straight Leg Jeans
BELDEN FITTED JEANS
The Mannei
Ventura Denim Pants
GOLDSIGN
Morgan high-rise straight-leg jeans
Hardworking Jeans
Women’s Lee® Legendary Bootcut Jeans
by Lee
$48.00 $24.00 at KOHL’s
501® Nonstretch Jeans
LEVI’S®
$89.50 $53.70 at NORDSTROM
AMI Paris
high-waisted flared jeans
GRLFRND
Liya distressed boyfriend jeans
Plain Skirts
Sleeping with Jacques
Francine velvet lace-detailed skirt
$210 at FARFETCH
Women’s Simply Vera Vera Wang Pleated Skirt
by Simply Vera Vera Wang
$58 at KOHL’s
ANOUKI
faux-leather pencil skirt
$400 at FARFETCH
Slit Hem Midi Skirt
OPEN EDIT
$49 at NORDSTROM
Midi Skirt
CHAUS
$49 at NORDSTROM
GIVENCHY
Belted leather maxi skirt
$6,250 at NET-A-PORTER
Erdem
Maira Fringe-Detailed Maxi Skirt
$1,795 at Moda Operandi
ANNE KLEIN
Women’s Pleated Pull-On Midi Skirt
$70.99 $119.00 at MACY’s
Neutral Jeans
Petite Croft & Barrow® Classic Pull-On Jeans
by Croft & Barrow
$34.99 $29.74 at KOHL’s
KHAITE
Ian mid-rise wide-leg jeans
$480 at NET-A-PORTER
Victoria Beckham
Mia Straight-Leg Jeans
$590 at Moda Operandi
Jeanerica
Fuji Stretch High-Rise Organic Cotton Flared-Leg Jeans
$240 at Moda Operandi
Denim Skirt
ANINE BING
Connie skirt
$179 at 24S
Stella McCartney
Denim Midi Wrap Skirt
$850 at Moda operandi
Khaite
Neer Denim Maxi Skirt
$420 at Moda Operandi
Basic Denim Mini Skirt
by English Factory
$60.00 at KOHL’s
Miniskirt
ISABEL MARANT
Guilayo ruched stretch crushed-velvet mini skirt
$635 at NET-A-PORTER
Paco Rabanne
Draped Sequined Jersey Mini Skirt
$850 at Moda Operandi
WEEKEND MAX MARA
Women’s Corduroy A-Line Skirt
$275 at MACY’s
PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SERAFINI
Vinyl miniskirt
$530 at 24S
BALMAIN
Leather skirt
$2,095 at 24S
Danielle Guizio
Micro Mini fitted skirt
$170
Wide leg Pants
TWINSET
wide leg trousers
$181 at FAFETCH
MSGM
leather-look wide trousers
$435 at FARFETCH
Tailored Trousers
Aleksandre Akhalkatsishvili
lace-up tailored trousers
$365 at FARFETCH
Wool Blend Kick Flare Pants
& OTHER STORIES
$99 at NORDSTROM
Victoria Beckham
Tailored Slim Pants
$590 at Moda Operandi
Off-White
contrasting trim tailored trousers
$940 at FARFETCH
Black Leggings
Sheer Spiral Stirrup Leggings
MUGLER
$690 at NORDSTROM
Control Top Faux Leather Leggings
COMMANDO
$118.00 at NORDSTROM
Toteme
Cork High-Rise Jersey Leggings
$195 at Moda Operandi
AZ Factory
x Thebe Magugu Sculpt Leggings
$420 at Moda Operandi
2. Pick Neutral Color For Tops and Bottoms
What are neutral-color coordinating essentials, you ask? I’ll start by defining what “essentials” are. These are timeless, solid-colored blouses and bottoms in timeless colors including black, white, gray, chambray, and beige. The following are some examples of necessities: a white button-up shirt, a gray short-sleeve t-shirt, a beige sweater, a white long-sleeve t-shirt, a black skirt, etc.
Make sure that the colors you choose for these essentials are all neutral, such as black, white, gray, chambray, or beige. A soft fabric called chambray has a denim-like appearance. It is available in mild, medium, or dark blue hues. These hues all complement one another beautifully.
Note: Make sure to choose items in navy or black from the list of necessities below to match the foundation color you decided on earlier. When worn together, navy and black look strange. For instance, a blue shirt and black pants don’t go together nicely, while a black top and black pants do. Additionally, navy pants and a navy top go great together.
Tops and Shirts
White Shirt
Citizens of Humanity
Kayla Oversized Cotton Shirt
$200 at Moda Operandi
Matthew Bruch
Cropped Cotton Shirt
$335 at Moda Operandi
Off the Shoulder Crop Cotton Blouse
& OTHER STORIES
$119.00
Patrizia Pepe
poplin shirt body
$226 at FARFETCH
Jacquemus
Le Bahia long-sleeve shirt
$460 at FARFETCH
Alexander Wang
layered-look jumper shirt
$482 at FARFETCH
Polo shirt
SAINT LAURENT
Cropped cotton-piqué polo shirt
$1,090 at NET-A-PORTER
MONCLER
Appliquéd cotton-piqué and shell polo shirt
$525 at NET-A-PORTER
ARCH4
Daffodil ribbed silk and cashmere-blend polo shirt
$293.17 at NET-A-PORTER
JACQUEMUS
Le Polo Bagnu open-back ribbed cotton-blend top
$350 at NET-A-PORTER
Tank Top
WARDROBE.NYC
x Hailey Bieber tank top
$150 at FARFETCH
Mugler
knitted corset top
$790 at FARFETCH
ROTATE
scoop neck tank top
$45 at FARFETCH
Gil Rodriguez
spaghetti strap vest
$90 at FARFETCH
KNWLS
Bone corset-style top
$775 at FARFETCH
Mugler
boned-bodice sleeveless body
$800 at FARFETCH
ALLUDE
Wool and cashmere-blend sweater
$205 at NET-A-PORTER
Brandon Maxwell
Fitted Silk-Cashmere Sweater
$895 at Moda Operandi
3. Choose Your Favorite Color as Your Accent Color (Optional)
It’s fun now, so here we go! Is blush pink, olive, royal blue, or crimson your favorite color? Don’t hesitate to stock your closet with a few blouses or bottoms in your preferred shade. Utilize the color palette for your wardrobe Make sure your base color and accent color are Complementary.
4. Don’t Forget to Add a few Patterned Items and Layers
Add one, two, or three patterned products now. Tops, bottoms, skirts, and dresses are all possible. A striped tee with horizontal stripes is the most popular pattern item that is even referred to as a “essential” (see the picture below). Typically, this kind of top has either black or blue stripes. This kind of top will match almost anything in your closet. Polka dots and floral textiles are other designs that go well with other pieces in your outfit. Make sure the colors of your top, pants, or skirt coordinate with your accent color and your base colors if you decide to wear a floral shirt or pair of pants.
Popular patterns include leopard prints, plaid, girgham willow pane. While layers include a denim jackets, utility jackets, black blazer and trench coats.
Add 1 -3 pattern items and layers to your capsule wardrobe. Patterned items can be tops, skirts, bottoms and dresses.
Slip Dresses
Significant Other
Aria Asymmetric Draped Satin Maxi Slip Dress
$248 at Moda Operandi
Polo Ralph Lauren
V-neck slip midi dress
$454 at FARFETCH
SKIMS
Soft Lounge ribbed stretch-modal slip dress – Camel
$78 at NET-A-PORTER
NORMA KAMALI
Maria draped satin mini dress
$255 at NET-A-PORTER
Lbd
NANUSHKA
Melba draped OKOBOR mini dress
$575 at NET-A-PORTER
Éterne
Stretch Cotton-Blend Jersey Mini Dress
$165 at Moda Operandi
Dion Lee
split twist slip dress
$790 -40% $475
DAVID KOMA
Flame Frame Net Insert Deep V Cut Dress
$1,400 -50% $700
5. Add Blazers, Jackets and Coats
Furthermore, if the weather permits, a few blazers, jackets, and/or coats. Your wardrobe can benefit from this addition of texture and color!
Blazers, Jackets and Coats
Oversized Blazers
VANESSA BRUNO
Virginia Oversized Jacket
$560 at 24S
SPORTMAX
Sabina blazer
$1,590 at 24S
Cutout Blazer
HOUSE OF CB
$179 at NORDSTROM
Violet Oversize Blazer
4TH & RECKLESS
$47.60 $68.00 at NORDSTROM
Blazer dress
Oscar de la Renta
Double-Breasted Mini Blazer Dress
$3,690 at Moda Operandi
Anna Quan
Chiara twist blazer dress
$582 at FARFETCH
Trench Coat
Levi’s
belted-waist trench coat
$157 at FARFETCH
JW Anderson
logo-print trench coat
$1,450 $595
Bottega Veneta
Removable Sleeve Crepe Trench Coat
$3,000 at Moda Operandi
BURBERRY
The Kensington Long cotton-gabardine trench coat
$2,250 at NET-A-PORTER
Jackets
ROTATE
Senna cropped denim jacket
$394 at FARFETCH
Stretch Denim Jacket
NIC+ZOE
Plus
$168.00 at NORDSTROM
Leather Jackets
Saint Laurent
shearling-trim leather jacket
$7,000 at Farfetch
MATÉRIEL
Belted Eco-Leather Blazer
$795 at Moda Operandi
6. Add Shoes and Accessories to Your Capsule Wardrobe
The number of pairs of shoes and accessories solely depends on your lifestyle.
You can add your shoes and accessories now that you’ve finished assembling the majority of your capsule wardrobe. You can add a pair or two of shoes in the same base color, like navy or black, a neutral pair of heels or flats, a pair of sneakers, boots, or sandals, or you can add a pair of shoes that are more casual, like boots or sandals. Your lifestyle will influence the number of pairs and styles of shoes you wear.
Select a handbag or two for your accessories. Because the colors complement your clothing, a black or beige purse is always a terrific addition to your closet. For your capsule to be complete, add a statement jewelry or one or two scarves.
| Clothes | Jewelry | Shoes |
| Jeans | Bracelet | Flats |
| Dress | Statement neckalces | Heels |
| Skirt | Sneakers | |
| Simple T-shirt or V-neck | Accesories | |
| Blazer | Sunglasses | |
| Button down shirt | Scarves | |
| Purse |
Shoes: Add a pair or two with same base color. Add a nude shoe – it not only elongates your legs but also goes well with everything in your wardrobe. Then add a casual pair, like sneakers, sandals or boots.
Accessories: One or two handbags will do just fine. Black or beige are great color combinations that would go well with your outfits. Add one or two scarves or statement necklace for a complete capsule wardrobe.
Ankle Boots
Paris Texas
Stiletto Slouchy Ankle Boots
$700 at Shopbop
A.P.C.
Georgia Boots
$610 at Shopbop
Jonathan Simkhai
Tanner Sock Booties
$645 at Shopbop
Stuart Weitzman
Lucite 100 Wedge Booties
$750 at Shopbop
Classic Belt
GUCCI
Leather belt
$520 at Net-A-Porter
ISABEL MARANT
Lecce leather belt
$160 at Net-A-Porter
VALENTINO
Valentino Garavani VLOGO leather belt
$590 at Net-A-Porter
SAINT LAURENT
Corset leather waist belt
$575 at Net-A-Porter
Do it All Bag
What Goes Around Comes Around
Chanel Red Caviar 3 CC Bucket Bag
$5,950 at Shopbop
Rag & Bone
Logan Tote
$395 at Shopbop
TOD’S
Timeless Hobo bag in leather – big
$1,531 at 24S
Versace Jeans Couture
scarf-detail tote bag
$207 at FARFETCH
Trendy trainers
GIVENCHY
4G City Sneakers
$950 $665 AT 24s
COMMON PROJECTS
Original Achilles leather sneakers
$445 at NET-A-PORTER
Rick Owens DRKSHDW
lace-up corduroy sneakers
$600 at FARFETCH
NIKE
Air Jordan 1 Elevate Low leather sneakers
$135 at Net-A-Porter
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