A capsule wardrobe is an edited version of your whole clothing collection. It is a simplified, smaller assortment that only contains the things you really, really want to wear right now. Get everything else out of your closet – donate it or pack it away out of sight.
For my first capsule, I decided to work with 40 total clothing items and wear only those items for three months. You can make up your own guidelines or find inspiration in someone else’s capsule.
(Related: Capsule Wardrobe For Men: 6 Essentials For 2022).
These are the rules I made for my first capsule:
- I have chosen 40 items, including shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, shoes, boots, and jackets.
- I only wear those 40 items, mixed and matched, for three months.
- Jewelry, underclothes, pajamas, lounge clothes for inside the house, and workout clothes are not included. I also exclude a hat, gloves, and scarf from the 40-item limit.
- If an item of clothing gets ruined or no longer fits, I will swap it for a different item.
- I chose and assembled the majority of the pieces before the 3-month season began (I still had to round up a few things in early September).
Some additional rules you might consider are:
- Only shopping during the two weeks before the new season begins.
- Rolling over a certain number of items from one season to the next (limiting how many new clothes you buy each season).
- Limiting spending on the items that are excluded from your capsule. (accessories, underwear, lounge clothes, etc.).
What are the benefits of creating a capsule wardrobe?
- Spending less money on clothes.
- Spending less time shopping.
- Spending less time trying on your clothes to find something that fits and looks good – everything in your capsule should be just right for you, right now.
- Eliminating the frustration and disappointment of trying on clothes that don’t fit or that need mending, stain removal, or tailoring.
- Enjoying the serenity and peacefulness of a clean, orderly closet where everything is the good stuff. The inconvenience of searching through the not-quite-right stuff can be removed.
- Getting rid of the mental weight of the clothes you donate or sell – the ones that never looked quite right or weren’t the best color for you, the scratchy sweaters and stained shirts. You don’t have to keep that stuff! If you have three black skirts and you always wear your favorite one, that’s probably the only one you need.
Do you think you’ll give it a try? I’d love to hear about your experience!