I just did an Instagram Live chatting about capsule wardrobes and what it actually is, but I thought I would talk a little about that here too! I will also link the video at the end of this post in case any of you want to check it out! When it comes to my style- I love classic, timeless, elegant- so without even trying, I sort of transitioned to a capsule wardrobe without much effort. A capsule wardrobe is when you scale your wardrobe down to favorites that you can mix and match. In turn, you end up shopping less and are more intentional with your money. The pieces should be able to be dressed up or down and for the most part never go out of style.
When I was in the pregnancy/ breastfeeding stage (where I spent quite a bit of time), I would never really shop or buy “nicer” items because I felt like there was just no point because I would not be able to wear it for very long before I was ready to get pregnant again. Once I had Vivi, I started to shift in a lot of way, but one was my love for fashion. I slowly transitioned to a capsule without even realizing it. It takes so much pressure off of you to keep up with the trends, only to clean out those items the following season and need new pieces all over again. Having a capsule built up also allows you to know what is well worn and needs replacing each season.
When I am shopping for new pieces of clothing I ask myself a series of four questions to determine whether or not this is something I truly want/need to buy. The first question is- will this item go out of style? If that answer is yes, then keep moving. In order to have a functional capsule wardrobe, each item should be able to be worn season after season. Some examples would be a basic white tee, a trench coat, a flannel shirt, a good pair of white jeans, some good faux leather leggings to name a few.
The second question is – can this item by styled multiple ways? If an item can’t be styled multiple ways, it’s definitely not a capsule piece. The whole point of having a capsule wardrobe is to have minimal clothing items, but still be able to achieve multiple looks with what you have. I love taking items in my closet and coming up with fresh new looks that others maybe would never try. When your pieces are timeless and classic you can make a lot more looks with each piece. If you subscribe to my free monthly capsule wardrobe, then you get a customized list of capsule wardrobe items with enough outfit combos to make it through the entire month!
Question number three is- Do I love this and will I wear it? I know you are probably thinking that if you’re trying to buy it then duh, obviously I love it, but more times than not I will sleep on things when I am making purchases. I try to think through when and where I would wear this outfit and would I easily get tired of it. The beauty of capsule closets is that when you buy something you love and that can be styled all different ways, you are more excited to wear it and style it!
And the last question I ask myself is – Is this item good quality? I look at my clothes as an investment since I know that I will be wearing them with many different outfits. I’m not saying everything you buy should be expensive, but with capsule items you are able to wear them year after year since they don’t go out of style. With that being said, I would much rather buy something a little more expensive that will make it through multiple years and seasons than something cheaper that will barely make it through one. Some of my most favorite pieces and ones I have been including in my recent capsules for you guys are items I purchased a year or even two years ago and still love and wear all the time. This is the point of a capsule wardrobe so I will forever preach quality over quantity.
I hope this helps you guys when you are shopping for capsule pieces and switching things out of your closet! You are not in a rush and don’t have to throw everything you own away and start from scratch. My advice would be to start with a few basic staple pieces, buy them as you can and start working them into your wardrobe to see what looks you can make with them! If you need help with items to start with, make sure you subscribe to my monthly capsule wardrobe! It’s free and would give you a good starting point.
You can check out the Instagram Live video HERE. If you have any questions leave them in the comments below! Happy capsuling!
xoxo,
Lindsey
