A “Capsule Wardrobe” is a collection of carefully curated pieces of clothing that speak of your personal taste, ethics, and lifestyle. A Capsule Wardrobe is meant to make your life simpler as well as more stylish. By creating one, you’ll be able to open your closet every single day and have something to wear that you look and feel phenomenal in. I know this sounds impossible, but I know it’s possible because I’ve been working on doing this for myself. Over the last few months I’ve vetted my closet and began to only wear clothes that make me feel like, “Anjelica Malone”.
When I think of “Anjelica Malone” the style, I envision:
- natural fibers
- vintage or repurposed designs
- ethnic pieces
- feminine silhouettes
- unusual prints
- simple but bold jewelry
If I were to use a few adjectives to describe my most favorite items in my current wardrobe, I’d use the words: : vibrant, cultural, vintage, quirky, and sassy. When you think of the clothes that bring you the most joy, what words would you use to describe them? Take some time and write them down. Then take those pieces out of your closet and observe what you love most about them. Maybe it’s the cut. Maybe the color. Maybe it’s the convenience of it never needing to be ironed and how it always pairs well with your favorite shoes.
I believe that every woman needs a Capsule Wardrobe. It’s even more important if you’re a busy student, small business owner, frequent traveler, or mama to little ones. You’re likely in a rush most days, though you desire to look presentable and maybe even a bit stylish. You don’t have a lot of time to go through your closet looking for the perfect outfit, and you’re focused on spending your money wisely on pieces that will last. Lady, your solution is a Capsule Wardrobe. In this audio tutorial below I’ll tell you exactly how you can create yours starting right now.
Next week I’ll be back with a pdf guide to help you as you begin curating pieces you absolutely love and I’ll also give you a look into my own capsule wardrobe.
(Please excuse the background noise…life happened. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and so I hit record and went with it.)
Recap:
Here’s how you can begin creating your personal Capsule Wardrobe today.
- Get rid of any clothes that are unflattering and that you don’t actually like. There’s no point in keeping clothes that make you feel bad about your body. This goes for undergarments and work out clothes too. I’d rather wear the same clothes over and over then wear something that emphasizes or places focus on an area of myself that I still need to work on.
- Pull out all the clothes you really love and feel great wearing. Place them at the top of your drawer and in the front of our closet. You want them to be the first things you see when you go to look for clothes each day. This will inspire you to put on things that look and feel great everyday. After you wear 2 or 3 of these outfits, go ahead and throw them into the washing machine. You want these pieces to be clean and on-hand. Take note of what you love most about these pieces. For me, I know that I love cotton pieces. I love woven material with embroidery, specifically Mexican tops. I also love a good pair of snug jeans. I try my best to make sure that one of each is always clean.
- Begin searching for clothes that you really love. Creating a Pinterest board (here’s mine) is one of the easiest ways to do this. If there is a top that you already own and really like, search for it on Pinterest and pin it. Pinterest will then begin to show other items that have a similar feel or design. Pin those items as well. Hopefully this will send you down a rabbit hole leading you closer and closer to creating a board full of items you’d love to purchase. Take some time and build this collection of pins. After a month or so there will be pieces that really stand out to you. Those are the ones that you should then purchase. Take it slow. I believe that it may take up to a year to create a really nice Capsule Wardrobe.
I recently heard a stylist say that you should name your wardrobe. I thought this was a fun and great intentional way of pursuing your personal style. I’m still trying to nail down the name for my collection of clothes but as of now I’ve come up with, “Summer Vintage”. I really love vintage clothing, for many reasons. Many times the clothes are of better quality; they’ve lasted this long and still look great. They are sustainable. They are unique and I won’t see someone else wearing the exact same thing. Since I live on Guam and it’s on average 90*F most of the year, I must find clothes that are breathable and will work inside (where the a.c. is on) and outside while wrangling my two Little Women.
If you’re wondering what to do with all the clothes you get rid of, well, you can donate them. I don’t throw mine in the trash unless they have holes or are badly stained.
A Capsule Wardrobe for Kids
For those of you who really love this idea and would like to create a Capsule Wardrobe for your kiddos, there is this amazing company that has done just that, called Wildly Co.. They’ve taken the work out of it, so no need to create a custom Pinterest board for your little one. The creator, Hayley Morgan and her husband have boys of their own and know the need for sustainable long-lasting kid clothing.
Wildly Co. is an ethical company, that says:
Wildly Co. designs, produces, screen prints, and packages ethically made kids clothes in the USA. So, you might be wondering what exactly does “ethically made” mean? At Wildly Co., “ethically made” is defined by: fair labor practices, empowering women, fair trade, giving campaigns, and creating sustainable jobs. Additionally, we hold that same standard with every supplier we have relationships with. Ethically made, for us, really means there’s no part of our business or process we will hide from our customers. It means the products we make and sell will not be made based on the hardship of another family.
Have you ever heard of the idea of creating a Capsule Wardrobe? Do you have a collection of go-to items already? Reply in the comments section below. I always respond.