How does your wardrobe make you feel? Is it cluttered and overwhelming? Do you find yourself uninspired by your clothes or mentally exhausted when trying to decide what to pack? If this sounds like you, then a capsule wardrobe may help simplify your life! In this post, I walk you through the concept of a capsule wardrobe and its many benefits.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a thoughtfully chosen selection of versatile clothing pieces that can easily be mixed and matched. These are often timeless clothing items that do not go out of style, and they tend to be in mostly neutral colors for added flexibility.

Why should you have a capsule wardrobe?

The key benefit of a capsule wardrobe is that it allows you to create a variety of different outfits with a small selection of clothes.

Less decision fatigue

Reports have shown that, on average, we make over 35,000 decisions a day. Faced with decision after decision, our brain eventually feels drained! A capsule wardrobe helps reduce decision fatigue. By having fewer clothes to choose from and items that work super well together, you’ll have fewer (and more intentional) decisions to make, so you can save your brainpower for your other priorities.

More sustainable

With a capsule wardrobe, you'll wear more of what you have and will tend to hold on to what you have for longer. Your timeless items will be with you, season after season! Buying fewer clothes means you can invest in better quality and in durable fabrics that are made to stand the test of time.

Saves time, stress and money

A capsule wardrobe helps you do more with less! With clothing pieces that are versatile and basically interchangeable to create different outfits, you’ll get more wear out of each item, lowering the cost per wear of each piece. A capsule wardrobe also saves you time while dressing or packing. You won’t have to spend time rummaging through your closet or drawers to figure out what to wear. Picking an outfit becomes more mindful and fun when you know exactly what’s in your closet and you love everything you own! When getting dressed is simple and easy, it boosts our confidence, so we feel great and look even better. A capsule wardrobe also saves shopping time; as you focus on clothes that mix and match well with your existing items, you’ll already know what to look for as you shop.

So, now that I’ve convinced you, here’s how to create a capsule wardrobe you’re sure to love.

How to build a capsule wardrobe?

The first step is to do an audit of your current wardrobe. Assess what you wear and what you totally forgot you had! Think of the cost per wear of each time: the price you paid for an item divided by the number of times you’ve worn that item. A very low cost per wear basically means that your dollar (and fabric) went a long, long way. Declutter anything you do not love, that doesn’t fit the way you’d like, that isn’t in your color scheme, or that has gone out of style.

Then, start building your capsule wardrobe based on what you already own.

Choose a color palette with different colors that are easy to mix and match such as white, black, grey, navy, cream. You can add a couple of irresistible colors that look great on you like green, blush or red.

When available, choose fabrics like bamboo rayon, tencel, organic cotton or merino wool which are more sustainable.

If you want to be a real pro, add reversible clothing to your capsule wardrobe and get two outfits in one. No one ever said functional can’t look fabulous!

When building your capsule wardrobe, begin with the basics and focus on choosing items that can be layered, dressed up and dressed down.

Here’s an example of what to include in your capsule wardrobe:

3 basic tees in different cuts and colors

3 basic tanks in different cuts and colors

2 basic long-sleeve shirts

2 sweaters

2 dresses or tunics

2 leggings or pants

Excited about the idea of doing more with less? Read about our reversible clothing items and new colors to our collection.