Sufferers of the I-have-nothing-to-wear syndrome, bad shoppers, anxious dressers, people who pick out the same 3 clothing items to wear and those who are not passionate about putting OOTDs together everyday- your life is about to get a whole lot better!
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A Capsule Wardrobe is a scientifically designed mix of clothing and accessories that converts minimum effort into maximum fashun.
The basic idea of a capsule wardrobe is to own a limited number of high quality, long lasting and well fitting interchangeable pieces to maximise the number of outfits that can be created. This allows you to trim down the number of items you own and fully utilise the few key items that you do own- making sure that they all go with each other.
image courtesy: ca.oakandfort.com
“I have never been very fashionable or enthusiastic about putting outfits together. But as I started working and entering professional spaces, I realised how important it is to look put together”, says 21 year old Law student, Mishri Jain, who started her capsule wardrobe last year. “Decluttering 75% of my wardrobe gave me more joy than buying anything ever has”, she states. Besides being inclined to a minimal lifestyle, Mishri wished to cut down her fast fashion consumption as well. These factors, along with her basic taste in clothes made it extremely easy for her to transition into using a capsule wardrobe.
The only challenges she faced? Finding high quality, well-fitting basic clothes for her body type.
Capsule Wardrobe: Generally accepted norms:
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Pick 2/3 base colours: generally neutrals like black, grey, brown, beige- colours that go with everything. Jackets, trousers, shoes, bags can be of these colours so that they can be matched will all the items in your closet. Your accent colours would be brighter than the base palette, and should also go well with each other. These colours would show up in tops, shirts, dresses etc.
image courtesy: ladydecluttered.com
- Choose classic shapes and patterns of clothing that won’t go out of style anytime soon.
- Consider your body type, complexion and personal preference of fitting to make sure you only have pieces you think you look good in and you’ll be comfortable wearing.
Here's a Guide to dressing according to your body type.
- Invest in high quality fabrics that will last a long time, and care for them properly to extend their life.
Your first steps to start a Capsule Wardrobe:
So if you’re ready to Mary Kondo your wardrobe, step one is to begin with what you already have. Start by pulling out all your clothes from every room, cupboard, box, drawer, every crevice, every corner.
Keep the pieces that will work for your capsule, donate the ones that won’t. Unsure if you’ll use something? Keep it, but away from your capsule. If you don’t miss it for the next 6-8 months, you’ll know that you can give it away.
Next, we encourage you to fill the gaps in your capsule setup by purchasing high quality and preferably eco-friendly garments. There are a bunch of sustainable fashion brands around. You can check out our collection of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible clothing here.
Save on time, space & energy, travel light, minimise your belongings and reduce your consumption and ultimate waste with a capsule wardrobe. It can become the first step in your sustainable fashion journey.
We highly recommend this detailed Masterclass on building a capsule wardrobe by Tan France. Here's an extremely comprehensive capsule wardrobe guide for men by emilylightly.
Remember, there are no fixed rules, and a bunch of resources to help you along your journey. Happy conscious shopping!