Minimalist Fashion Tips – How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe might be just what you need if you want to make your getting-dressed routine less stressful and keep your closet from getting overrun by clutter. Although there are no set rules on how to create one (and people’s wardrobes can be as different as they are), there are a few things you should keep in mind when you create yours.

Step one: Get rid of anything you don’t want or that doesn’t fit anymore – donate or sell it sustainably.

Start with What You Already Have

Shopping for a capsule wardrobe calls for a bit more forethought than your typical grocery store shopping list; it means writing out an itemised list that will make sure you have everything you need, and everything will mix and match well. Leather belts help pull in your waist and emphasise your shape, and tote bags make it easy to keep your hands free. Accessories ‘book-end’ the outfit in this way. They create a svelte setting that enhances an outfit and creates a coherent ensemble. With a simpler wardrobe, you can focus on gently and affordably building a timeless wardrobe of things you’ll wear to death, freeing up your time (being in a position to buy less, thereby spending less time shopping and less money on trends and poor choices in fit that nobody looks good in anyway!) – and your money – and therefore freeing up those resources for pursuing other more fulfilling things in life! Not to mention the environmental advantage of purchasing less!

Choose Timeless Staples

By purchasing less clothes, you will save not only a lot of time, money and energy from shopping, trying on, returning/exchanging/laundering/organising and purging, but also potentially keep a lot of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. If you are buying new clothing, buy quality and look for timeless classics that will not go out of fashion, and you will not waste money on clothing that is out of fashion after a year. First, collect all your basic bottoms (pants, skirts) and look at which tops they go with so that you can figure out which of those are foundational pieces.This will inform any additional basic tops you might want to add moving forward.

Focus on Functionality

A well-executed attempt at the capsule requires clothing you like to wear almost every day and look at. You will also get more wear, and more admiration, from good-quality fabric than bad. You don’t need to start with a blank canvas and declutter, ie, doing this is a huge mistake, an expensive way to limit your psychological choice space and a massive waste of your time and resources. Take your existing closet and check each item against your guidelines selling and gifting anything that doesn’t make the cut to charity shops, providing a great jumping-off point upon which new pieces can be added – saving time spent shopping/preparation/dressing rooms/returning/tailoring/laundering/organising. You. Will. Save. Time. Money!

Choose Versatile Pieces

A strong capsule wardrobe begins with choosing clothing basics that work for a range of occasions from basic separates in black, white and grey, and those designed for special events. For the basics in particular, choose colours that make you feel good! Tidy up your current wardrobe, as Marie Kondo writes, and take stock to figure out which are your best pieces. Then, discard any clothing that fails Marie Kondo’s question ‘does this spark joy?’ – those clothes that no longer serve a purpose in your life or that could be improved by tailoring to fit you better. If the former, donate. If the latter, tailor – or opt for a tote bag.

Make It Easy on Yourself

If you’re building a capsule, then it’s crucial to invest in items that are timeless, functional and multiuse – which means that you should be able to build multiple outfits from just a handful of clothing items, and be able to suit entirely different lifestyles. Think timeless and functional, and you’ll be able to tick all the boxes of your own needs and desires. You might have a hot pink sequined top that you have in your wardrobe, and just tend to think that could be useful sometime. You could really transition that piece into an everyday look by creating this silhouette, adding a hat, larger tote bag and perhaps a sneaker or slide. The smaller your capsule wardrobe, the more chances you have to create new looks. This definitely requires a level of self-discipline. It’s often painful to let go of the items that you don’t wear frequently anymore, and it can also be difficult to discard those that you might need occasionally. But a smaller range of clothes will lead to making it easier when it comes to choosing an outfit.