Recently we showed you the perfect example of a capsule wardrobe in action. Our boss lady had to go to Melbourne for work for 7 days. She packed roughly 17 items plus some underwear and heels. She needed a mix of work, casual, dressy-casual and dressy function outfits over that 7 days and her schedule meant she was wearing 2-3 outfits per day for various events and needs.
You'd think 2-3 outfits per day for 7 days would be almost impossible with a suitcase containing on 17 items, right? Wrong! The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is that it is concise and cohesive.
Being concise (simplified, core, high-quality pieces, not a wardrobe filled we junk we don't need) makes it SO easy to see what you have and what goes with each other. That 30 minutes you used to spend in front of your wardrobe which usually still resulted in "I have no thing to wear" or "I have nothing I'm happy to wear" turns into 3 minutes and a cracking outfit you'd be stoked to wear anywhere and represents who you are and your own personal sense of style perfectly.
Cohesive means you've purposefully bought these high quality investment pieces with your own personal style and this capsule wardrobe in mind, such that EVERYTHING goes with each other and can be dressed up or down with ease to create a multitude of options. More than you can ever probably wear in a few weeks to a month!
That's what Courtney found. She had more outfits in her suitcase than she actually needed.
So how do you build a capsule wardrobe?
Here are our top tips!
Step 1: Analyze your style and lifestyle
The most important step to build a wardrobe that you love and that ensures you ALWAYS have something FAB to wear for all occassions is to know our style. You can take this style quiz to get a broad sense of what your style is then ask yourself these questions:
- What are the primary activities in my life? Work, outside of work?
- What do I like to do in my free time?
- What staples do I need in my wardrobe to suit these activities?
- What do I currently have in my wardrobe that suits this and what is it missing?
Step 2: The wardrobe clean-out!
With that in mind, cull your wardrobe right down! Get rid of all the things that aren't serving your personal style and lifestyle. Check out our blog for previous posts on the wardrobe clean out process! BUt with your capsule wardrobe in mind, you can be brutal!
Remove the noise from your wardrobe! It will SERIOUSLY help with that wardrobe confusion. Never stand in front of your wardrobe for 30 minutes again wondering what to wear. Reduce that to 3 minutes because your capsule wardrobe is clean, clear and obvious and save yourself 164 of wasted, unproductive time a year! What could you do with that extra 164 hours that adds more joy and value to your life? Read a book? Take a long, hot, relaxing bath? See more friends and family? The possibilities are endless and they're all better than standing in front of your wardrobe confused and frustrated!
Step 3: Define your colors/create a color palette for your capsule wardrobe
A color palette is optional but very useful when building a capsule wardrobe because it is a reference guide for future shopping and also helps to make sure your capsule wardrobe is SUPER cohesive. Design a colour palette that goes together and your capsule wardrobe will forever be complementary.
Step 4: Map out your capsule and create a wishlist for missing items
Now that you have narrowed your wardrobe down to what you need to suit your style and lifestyle, and selected a colour palette, map out what is missing to bring it all together and create many, cohesive outfits. Make sure you select enough pieces to cover the activities you determined in step 1: work, non-work etc.
Now create your wishlist and stick to it.
Avoid sales. 90% of what you buy on sale sits in your wardrobe not getting worn and adding now value to your wardrobe because the main urge to buy it was the bargain! Bargains do not belong in capsule wardrobes! They derail capsule wardrobes! Buy with purpose and stick to your purposeful capsule: your style and your lifestyle. Forget the noise. Stay true to what you've mapped out and you'll never go wrong. You won't fill your wardrobe with junk you don't need and you won't find it bursting at the seams, confusing and full of items that make your life harder not easier!
Step 5: Invest in quality over quantity, your clothes shouldn’t cost as much as your cup of coffee, and here’s why
If you want to become a more intentional shopper it’s important to educate yourself about the quality of fabrics on the clothes you buy as well as the effects of throwing away clothes. Did you know that Australia is the second highest consumer of textiles per person in the world, after the US. Each Australian consumes an average of 27 kilograms of new clothing per year and disposes an average 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year, or 93 per cent of the textile waste we generate.
You can reduce your fashion footprint by buying intenationally and wearing your high quality, Australian designer pieces to death! And high quality pieces will usually last you 10+ years! (if you take care of them well and our Tutorial Tuesday email will talk you through care to prolong the life of your wardrobe!).
Quality costs. It just does. It's the price we pay for longevity, timelessness and a lower impact on both our wallets and the environment! Fast fashion is HORRIBLE for both. Your clothes shouldn’t cost as much as your cup of coffee. We have to learn to pay the fair prices of things. For our own good and for that of the environment, and the fashion industry as a whole.
Step 6: Become an intentional shopper
Trends will come and go but the clothes that make you feel good are already in your closet, and if they are not make a plan to purchase them, save up for quality garments, have a strategic idea of exactly what you are looking for. Look for what is on your wishlist or suits your style, lieftysle and capsule wardrobe colour palette. These three guides will help you buy only high quality, cohesive pieces that ADD to your capsule wardrobe, not detract. Never end up in the position where your capsule wardrobe has exploded and is confusing and not doing its job again. Stick to this plan and you'll have a stunning wardrobe with LESS in it, but MORE options. We guarantee it. Courtney has been living her capsule wardrobe for a month now and has never been happier, better dressed or less stressed when it comes to throwing something on and running out the door looking FAB with minimal thought or effort!
So what's in Courtney's capsule wardrobe?
Check out the video Courtney recently made on our her capsule wardrobe but a portion of that went with her to Melbourne recently and here's what was in her suitcase:
- The brand new Ena Pelly Classic Biker Jacket - super high quality and timeless, this will serve her for decades
- The Camilla Rocket Woman Drop Shoulder Ruffle Blouse and Double Frill Maxi Skirt
- Camilla Hyped Up Hippie Round Neck Kaftan
- Camilla Hyped Up Hippie Full Hem Pleat Skirt
- Camilla Gothic Goddess Harem Pants and matching Sweater
- The latest Ena Pelly tees for some mix and match options
- PE Nation Freeman Sports Bra and Legging
- Ralf Studios Avalon Dress
- Ena Pelly Ally Assymetrical Denim Skirt
- Camilla Come Down from the Cosmos Lace Up Racer Back Dress
- Nobody Denim Darcy Jean
- A blazer and some wide leg white linen pants - staples in the wardrobe for years
- Heels and sneakers
And look at all the fab outfits they made for her! This wasn't even all of them. She could have made so many more. The PE Nation could have been paired with heels and the Ena Pelly leather jacket for a sports luxe look and she didn't even wear her Ena Pelly denim skirt which could have been paired with all the tees, sweats and also tucked the Hyped Up Hippie Kaftan in for a beautiful billowing, dramatic top with hees and the leather jacket! She also didn't wear the Camilla Down from the Cosmos Lace Up Racer Back Dress! But it was a super light addition to the suitcase that gave extra dressy options as well as a work option with the blazer and heels.
So what are you waiting for? Start creating your capsule wardrobe and reaping the time, financial and style benefits they bring! Not to mention the environmental benefits! |
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