Capsule wardrobes are dead. Yeah, I said it!
If you’re even a little bit interested in your personal style you’ll have come across the concept of a capsule wardrobe. They’ve been the hottest thing for a minute now, but if we’ve reached peak capsule wardrobe, why am I proclaiming they’re dead?
Cookie cutter wardrobes
A lot of advice out there simply provides a ‘set list’ of pieces you should own, sometimes even dictating the colour. I’m sure you’ve seen them. A list of commonly acknowledged ‘staples’ that you ‘simply must own’ (otherwise you’re not stylish apparently) usually in a muted colour palette; think white, grey, black, with the occasional flash of navy or beige.
Rather than helping people, these kinds of articles have simply created misconceptions and confusion about what a capsule wardrobe actually is.
They’re taking the buzzword and creating an aesthetic from it. An aesthetic that suggests one rule, one set of colours, for everyone.
This ‘capsule wardrobe’ aesthetic then fuels misconceptions:
! | They’re minimalist
! | They don’t feature much colour
! | They don’t work with my style
! | They only work with certain clothes
However, they don’t have to be any of those things. That’s the great thing about a capsule wardrobe; the flexibility.
A capsule wardrobe is essentially the ‘active’ part of your wardrobe. Everything after that can and SHOULD be tailored to you. So don’t be fooled by the kind of articles that prescribe a certain aesthetic or set of clothes.
! | They should fit your lifestyle.
! | They should give you the flexibility of being able to pick out pieces that all work well with one
another.
! | They should be unique to you and your style preferences
They’re also a great starting point for a full wardrobe overhaul. It’s far easier to overhaul a subsection of your wardrobe (and less mentally and physically draining) then it is to tackle the whole thing. If you chunk it up you’ll be more fired up to start.
Side note: I do this whenever I need to clean up. If I think about cleaning the entire apartment I’ll never start it. But if I think about just cleaning the living area, it makes it easier to start. Chances are once I’ve started, I’ll carry on going!
Blogs
You’ll find some influencers or bloggers will post up articles showcasing their own capsule wardrobes or their spring wardrobe or holiday wardrobe etc. This isn’t the cookie cutter advice I’m talking about and they can be quite good to get inspiration or ideas.
However, you can end up falling into the ‘Pinterest Trap’. This is where you end up liking something because it works so well for that person or the photo just looks amazing. The same advice applies here; approach with caution. Get ideas from them, that’s totally cool, but make sure it works for your style and most importantly your life!
If you’re keen on adopting a capsule wardrobe and want to do it the right way I wrote a post about it a little while back. It’s quite in-depth but will take you through the entire end-to-end journey of setting up a capsule that is totally your own!
Let me know what you think of capsule wardrobes in the comments below?
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Other than for packing for trips, I ignored the concept of capsules in a wardrobe, completely! I am a creative type that likes to tell my story through many ways and my wardrobe is one aspect of this story. The closest thing I come to is COLUMNS! I build columns of colors that I like and some are in neutrals. I look more for interesting shapes as the silhouette is my first concern. I have done this for decades. I have red columns (bottoms, top, tunics dresses, sweater, accessories are in a color column), I have black…of course…taupe, white, blue, green, chartreuse, grey, orange…. and have almost completed navy. I use black and white skirts with stripes and polka dots as they fit in two columns. I use pinks, yellows, coral, burgundy (almost have a complete column in burgundy)…. all those are accent colors. Accessories….are endless. I have never thought of columns….just my silhouette and the columns of colors that will give it a long, lean, dramatic look that fits my creative spirit
Thanks for the comment, are all your columns present in your wardrobe at all times or do you rotate them based on season, mood, emotion etc?
Great advice as usual. Another tip you gave once was turning the coat hangers around once you’ve wornan item, would this help to achieve your own capsule wardrobe over a period of time ?
This would help you identify the clothes you wear most often. But it’s main purpose is to give you a proper look at what you’re wearing compared to what you own that goes unworn. If you then separated your unworn clothes from the clothes you’ve actually been wearing I suppose you are left with a capsule.