A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways to cover a variety of outfits and occasions without owning excessive items of clothing. This is usually achieved by owning what are considered to be “key” or “staple” items in coordinating colors.
Capsule wardrobes appeared in American publications as early as the 1940s. Susie Faux, owner of London boutique “Wardrobe”, revived the term in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that do not go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. The concept took off in 1985 with designer Donna Karan’s first capsule collection called “Seven Easy Pieces.” The collection included a bodysuit, skirt, tailored jacket, dress, something leather, a white shirt, and a cashmere sweater. It was designed to take a woman from a day in the office to an evening out.
Today, capsule wardrobes are back. The idea is widely promoted on social networks, and if you never owned such a wardrobe, you might get confused on why and how you should build it. Let us share our thoughts with you on this:
Save energy – you stop worrying about what to wear.
Save time – by worrying less you get dressed in a lesser time.
Save money – by knowing what to add to your next capsule ahead of time you stop buying things you won’t ever wear.
Save the planet – by not buying things you will never wear you help spend fewer natural resources.
Develop your taste – by owning less items you get more space for personal creativity.
You can start with evaluating the reality of your wardrobe. Put all of your clothes, accessories, jewelry, and shoes on your bed, so it is al before your eyes, and decide which items you like to wear most. Items you haven’t worn in a year you can donate to the local charity, and items in between you can set away for later.
Key for mixing and matching your items is keeping most of your essential pieces neutral in color. Neutral colors can include black, navy, gray, brown, camel, taupe, cream, white —or any shade in between. Look in your closet and notice which neutrals work best with your skin tone.
If you can’t decide which items to keep and which to part with, you can consider the reality of your lifestyle. Why keep three pencil skirts that you bought on a sale when you hardly wear them even to religious meeting? Stick with trousers! Or combine your favorite jeans with blazers to feel casual yet business. You decide how far each way you go.
And never forget about the reality of your body. Keeping shoes that make you want to walk barefoot or shirts that are so tight or long that make you constantly worry about fixing them in different places is the opposite of capsuling. Keep clothes that complement you yet are comfortable enough to allow you to forget about how you look.
Don’t be limited by a certain number but think “packing”. When it comes to how big or small your capsule should be, there are no strict rules. The trick is to keep items you would take with you on a trip – and yes, you can create several capsules. You can own a business capsule, a work-from-home capsule, you-design-it capsule – as long as it includes only needed items.
Fabrico creates its designs based on capsule thinking. Create with us, and build your perfect capsule wardrobe!
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