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Back in 2016, I wrote a post about the wardrobe capsule and how I was using the minimalist approach to simplify my life and reduce the stress of trying to find what to wear.
I am revisiting this idea and decided to create a wardrobe capsule. In this post, I’ll be sharing a little bit about what the phrase “wardrobe capsule” means, the benefits of having one, and a glimpse of my personal capsule that I’ve curated for summer.
“Those who adopt minimalist principles in their wardrobe choices are discovering more productivity, less stress, less distraction, less expense and more peace.” – Minimalist Blog
What is a “Wardrobe Capsule”?
Well, allow me to take you through a quick history lesson. “The term was coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique called Wardrobe, in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe contains a few essential and timeless items, such as skirts and pants, that can be supplemented with seasonal pieces. The concept peaked in 1985 when designer Donna Karan introduced a capsule collection of interchangeable workwear attire called “Seven Easy Pieces,” and has floated around ever since.” – Nicole Anzia, Washington Post
In lament terms, a capsule is basically putting together a few basic pieces and only rotating through those pieces while occasionally adding seasonal or statement pieces.
The Benefits of Having a Wardrobe Capsule
- Less stress when getting dressed: the same meaning for the analogy “more money, more problems” could be used for clothes. More clothes, more problems. The less you have to choose from, the easier it is to get dressed on day-to-day.
- You actually care about the clothes you have: My Haitian grandmother always hounds me about being careless with my clothes. She always refers to her childhood in Haiti, saying “I had two sets of clothes to wear, only two. I would wear one today and have to go to the river on the same day to wash the other one so I could have something to wear the next day. I cherished those two pieces because they were all I had”. This guilt trick works EVERY TIME.
Tips for Creating your Own Capsule
- Start with the basics: to make life easier on yourself, start with basics like these. Bodysuits, tank top, V-Neck shirts, and some of your favorite statement tops. For bottoms, start with your favorite jeans (preferably one pair of each color). Then, add a few shorts and 2-3 regular pants.
- Choose items you absolutely love: it’s important to choose clothes you wouldn’t mind wearing over and over. So, those jeans you wear every day, add them.
- Swap out your statement pieces out: if you feel like you’re getting bored with such a small selection after a while, switch out the statement pieces for some new ones.
- Only have 25-35 pieces: I recommend only have this many items in your capsule because the point of the capsule is to have less to choose from. That number includes shoes as well.
Some Key Pieces in My Summer Wardrobe Capsule
My capsule mostly consists of basics T’s and dresses and universal pieces that I can wear on a day-today. In the images in this post, you can see how I’m styling some of the items in my capsule. Check out how I’m styling pieces from my capsule daily on my insta-story (@bellarosablog).
I hope this was helpful and I hope it inspires you to create a capsule of your own. If you try this, please tag me on Instagram.
