Hi, everyone! Today I will giving a brief rundown of what a capsule wardrobe is and how you can create on. A capsule is essentially a limited collection of clothing us for a general purpose. Some examples are decluttering your closet, having a quicker system for getting ready for a specific function, or maybe to rebel against over-consumerism. Capsule wardrobes take many forms including the 10 x 10 capsule challenge, the sudoku method, 333 challenge, 54321 challenge, and so on ( I just know I forgot some, lol). There are literally no one way to make a capsule wardrobe, so do what fits into your lifestyle. I personally have multiple mini wardrobes for things like work, weekends, and date night. This system works for me because its less restrictive than having a set number.
Here is my first attempt at making my own capsule wardrobe way back in s/s 2017. Unfortunately, I don't have some of these items anymore. I tried my best at the time to do away with them responsibly.
Start With Your Closet
Before you start buying more clothing and fill up your closet with even more clothing than you need, remember that the most sustainable thing you can do is just use what you already own. Look through your clothes and take note of things like themes, colors, and brands. Also see which season (autumn/winter, spring/summer) you have more or less of. Taking note of what is already is in your closet will make it easier to plan and to budget in the future. Also, if there is a garment that you own and love that is from a major fast fashion company, keep it! Sometimes, people do not have the ability to just quit fashion fashion and go thrifting or shop from sustainable brands. The best thing to do would be to hold on to what you have and use it up until there is nothing left of it.
What To Do With Unwanted Clothing
Always see if there is a way to mend or revamp your clothing that is in good condition. You can also just give your gently worn garments to friends and family. Repurposing garments into new items is also a good way to extend its life. T-shirts make great shopping bags and old denim jeans can be cut into shorts or skirts. The possibilities are endless. Donating items is fine but be sure to donated to a reputable source and that the items you donate are still in good, almost new condition. Because of poor condition clothing, they area tossed away or even burned up.
Start Construction
Now that you have all the pieces that you want to keep for your capsule, its time to start building your first capsule. Assess what you have and what you don't have and write it down. This would be a good time to create as many outfits as possible. I like to have more tops than bottoms and full body garments, like overalls and pinafores, because I feel its more versatile. For one top, there can be multiple outfits for that one top.
Instagram and Pinterest are great places to look for inspiration when you get stuck on the one item that you just can't part with. Its always amazes me how creative people can be with their outfits. Flat-lays are also really inspiring. If you need a little pit more inspiration, you can look at my Pinterest boards for some guidance!
Based on what you have, it should be easy to see what you can add to your shopping list if you fill the need to shop for items to add to your capsule. Be sure to bring that list with you when you shop to avoid impulse buying.
Capsules are a way to keep organization when it comes to ones wardrobe. Our sense of style is what makes us all unique! I love knowing that the outfits I created are the only variation of outfits that in my closet and my closet only. Like I said earlier, there is no right or wrong way to make a capsule. Just have fun and make changes along the way.
Thank you for making it to the end of this post!! I hope that I have inspired people to try something new! If you have any questions about capsule wardrobes, please comment down below or you can email me at geobo.cs@gmail.com.
See you soon!