What is a capsule wardrobe and why should I create one?
Capsule wardrobes are becoming increasingly popular, more so in recent years. A capsule wardrobe is a curated selection of timeless clothing. This can vary from person to person depending on your lifestyle but it is often neutral pieces in shades of black, white, grey, tan, and denim. They are classic, versatile designs with clean lines like a white shirt, or tailored trench coat that can easily form the base of an outfit and be dressed up or down with ease.
It is about buying fashion with intention, being more conscious of your choices, and the longevity of the fashion pieces you choose. Whilst it may sound limiting to have a capsule wardrobe it really isn’t. It gives you a chance to get to know your style and define what you truly love to wear. There is no right or wrong way to go about creating a capsule wardrobe and it can be whatever you want it to be.
The fast fashion and consumerist culture have been leading us to believe we need to own everything and always have the latest trends. But with Netflix series likes Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Get Organised with The Home Edit, living more minimalist or making sure everything you have has a purpose or “sparks joy” as Marie Kondo would say, more people have been leading towards a sustainable fashion way of life.
Instyle says: “Streamlining your wardrobe streamlines your life”
Why have a capsule wardrobe?
Fewer decisions and stress
Having a capsule wardrobe makes it a lot easier to get dressed. You have pieces that you love and that work well together, so choosing an outfit is much easier. No need to waste time staring aimlessly into your wardrobe thinking you have nothing to wear, a capsule wardrobe makes this process much simpler.
More Time
A very big pro of the capsule wardrobe is that it saves you time, in more ways than one. You know your style, what to buy, and don’t waste time shopping mindlessly. It is easier to buy online or to shop with intention and purpose knowing exactly what you need. As well as the time you can save getting ready and choosing an outfit. No being late to an event because you couldn’t decide what to wear.
Sustainable
It is a far more sustainable way to approach your wardrobe. Owning timeless pieces that don’t go out of style and the pieces you do own you know you wear, nothing goes to waste. Often the capsule wardrobe fashion is more high quality, sustainable clothing. and can last for many years, unlike the fast fashion industry.
Save Money
Shopping smarter and buying less saves you money! Your clothes are interchangeable and versatile, you wear them regularly so they all serve a purpose in your capsule wardrobe.
Simple steps to build your casual wardrobe
Do an audit of your current wardrobe
Go through every piece you own and assess if you wear it regularly. If you haven’t worn it in the last few months then you don’t need to add it to your capsule wardrobe. Think about your lifestyle, activities, and work, this will help to make sure you are keeping pieces that are necessary for you.
If you are doing this over a period of time you can use the trick of turning all the coat hangers back to front and once you have worn something put them back the usual way. This will help to clearly identify over some time the clothing that doesn’t get worn. Also good to see if what you have chosen for your capsule wardrobe is getting a decent amount of wear or needs tweaking too.
Plan your capsule wardrobe
Assess your colour palette to see what colour tones you wear a lot of and what colours look good together. Creating a Pinterest board of ideas can be really helpful for this. You don’t have to follow any rules but picking your neutral colours first is a great place to start as they are easily interchangeable.
Map out your outfits and create a plan of what is missing. Consider capsule pieces for each season, for example, you might not have enough light cotton tops for summer or enough warm jumpers for winter.
Declutter your wardrobe
Let go of pieces you don’t wear or that don’t fit with your capsule wardrobe plan. When it comes to getting rid of items you no longer wear be sure to donate them or give them away rather than throwing them in the bin.
Do your best to use what fashion items you have rather than purchasing new ones as much as you can. No need to declutter everything and start from scratch, be realistic about what pieces you love and wear, keeping in mind your colour scheme.
A capsule wardrobe is a work in progress, reassess from time to time especially in the changing seasons. There is no right or wrong way to create your capsule wardrobe but hopefully, this helps you on your sustainable fashion journey to make the best choices for yourself as an individual.
Below are some of the hand-picked Only Limited fashion pieces that would be fantastic for a capsule wardrobe:
Dresses From Left: Black Enya Wrap Dress by L'aura The Label, Bronte Dress by Alyssa Lloyd Design and Puff Sleeve Wrap Tiered Dress by Tiny Dancer.
Tops From Left: Laguna Cami by Binks, Dea Shirt grey/blue Unisex by L'aura The Label and Rotoma Tee Unisex by The Know.
Outerwear From Left: Windows 97 Ladies Crew by The Know, Big Ted Coat Jet By Sweepstake Winners and The Juno in Cream by Donkey Knits.
Bottoms From Left: Anna Tie-up Black Skirt by L'aura The Label, Organic Cotton Cassy Pants by Anthology and Laguna Skirt by Binks.
Accessories From Left: Granite face Earrings by Arias Design Co, Costa Sunglasses by Neufound and Freshwater Pearl Earrings by Inky Daze.
Shop the growing range of fashion pieces on Only Limited in the Fashion Collection.