Do you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Have you ever been late to work because you couldn’t decide on an outfit? Most women will say yes to either or both of these questions. Most of the time, too many choices make it hard to settle on a decision. Fortunately, there is an easy way to stay stylish without wasting too much time.
A capsule wardrobe is slowly becoming a popular way to improve personal style. It is a collection of clothes and accessories you deem essential in your daily life. This means limiting your clothing choices to a select number of pieces per season; it can be as few as 19 to as many as 37 clothing items. The idea is to mix and match what you already have to create new and stylish outfits.
Creating a capsule wardrobe for your work clothes will help you spend less time putting together an outfit. It will also declutter your closet of unnecessary items and encourage you to shop for better quality clothes and accessories.
Build a Good Base
Start by listing down what you need from your work clothes. Let’s say you have a corporate uniform, but your company has casual-wear days. Although less formal, it will still need to be appropriate for the office. By knowing what kind of outfits you need, you will have an easier time choosing pieces for your capsule wardrobe.
Once you have your primary outfit categories, choose items based on (1) their compatibility with your categories, (2) the frequency they will be worn, and (3) how easily they can adapt to different outfit ideas. For every five bottoms, select nine tops of different fabrics and styles. Select three basic pairs of shoes, namely formal flats, sensible heels and casual shoes.
Choose Versatile Accessories
A capsule wardrobe follows a minimalist concept. Because your clothing choices are limited, you have to use accessories to elevate their styling. Rather than selecting pieces that only go with one outfit, choose accessories that you can use on any outfit.
- Outerwear – Select two types of blazers for your wardrobe, a traditional suit jacket and a linen blazer. The former is better suited for more formal outfits, such as cocktail dresses. A linen blazer, on the other hand, is more casual but it can dress up certain outfits, like when it’s worn over a t-shirt.
- Shoes – Most capsule wardrobes have five pairs of shoes. Aside from the three mentioned in the previous section, you can select anything from a pair of leather boots to a pair of comfortable trainers.
Keep a Style Journal
Since you will be mixing and matching your clothing items and accessories multiple times, you don’t want to accidentally wear the same outfit more than once a month. Keeping a style journal helps you keep track of the outfits you put together. Aside from this, you can use it to keep notes on which combinations worked and which didn’t.
A capsule wardrobe isn’t difficult to make. It’s only a matter of getting into the mindset of ‘less is more.’ With fewer items, you prevent decision fatigue in the mornings or whenever you have to go out. More importantly, a capsule wardrobe helps you hone your style because it makes more discerning in choosing outfits and shopping for new items.
