You know those silly little ideas that get stuck in your head and you just can't let go of it? Well, meet my silly little idea: The Capsule Wardrobe.
I'm sure it is a concept that has been around for ages, but the gist of it is that you narrow down your wardrobe to a select few pieces and then rotate between capsules every season, creating 2-4 distinct "capsule wardrobes". In my case for this Fall capsule I have 30 items of clothing in my daily wardrobe + 4 church dresses and 4 pairs of shoes.
The fact that I only have a few items of clothing to work with means that every item in my closet is well thought out and something I wear often/love.
I first heard of the idea thanks to Hey Natalie Jean's post, but Unfancy and Into the Mind are both great resources if you are considering designing your own.
Let me backtrack a little, this all realllyyy started last year when I realized that I had a bunch of clothes I hardly ever wore, plus I had pieces of clothing that literally dated back to 7th grade!! How absurd! So I sold or donated everything I didn't use. Then, last March I came to some important realizations about who I am, what I value, and how I want to learn/grow. I drafted a mental manifesto of sorts, and part of that is embracing minimalism, thoughtfulness, and simple utility. So the idea of a streamlined wardrobe is right up my alley!
Another aspect of the capsule wardrobe that I love is that you only go shopping once every three months. I kind of do this by default already since I am away for most of the year, but I'd like to be more purposeful about it. Hello money saver! (and yep, that goes straight into the Travel Fund!)
Plus, as a student moving dorms every year and having to haul my wardrobe across continents, I would definitely benefit from a lighter closet!
So, here we are today and although I have about 1/20th of the wardrobe I did a year ago, I feel 10x more "stylish". I've never been a fashion trendsetter, but I do think that the way I dress is an expression of myself and I have never felt so much like myself!
A lot of this last year has been about me becoming me! It's an exciting thing and part of being twenty years old I suppose, and I'm glad the way I dress is starting to reflect that.
Again, this whole post may sound like one big silly sentiment, and I am fully aware that a minimalist wardrobe isn't the end-all-be-all. But it has changed my life for the better in a lot of little ways.
So now that you've survived that long backstory, here it is! My wardrobe for the next three months!
The button ups! (4)
sources: white dot + navy gingham
The 3/4 sleeve tees (4)
sources: white + gray textured
The jackets! (4)
sources: green military + black leather
CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE REST
Lightweight sweaters (3)
pants: leather leggings, gray jeans, black harem pants, green cargo pants, black jeans (5)
the tanks (2)
the tees (3)
the hoodies (2)
basic blacks: dress, skirt, flowy shorts (3)
the dresses (4)
sources: black dot + black/white stripe
plus some accessories + shoes!
I am super happy with how it came together! The only thing I may add are two more pairs of shoes ( 1 brown boot and 1 ballet flat) but we will see what I can find here in Switzerland for a reasonable price, I may just deal with having only 1 pair of closed-toed shoes until I return home in December!
Is this interesting to anyone but me? haha, let me know in the comments below!
xx Jess
update: by popular demand, I added a few sources for items that are still available in stores!
Nicely done, Jessica! I followed you over here from Un-Fancy. I also share your love of the 3/4 sleeve tee. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! The 3/4 sleeve tees are just the best, narrowing it down to just 4 was a difficult task! :)
DeleteI've been thinking of trying something like this for ages! Though I struggle with throwing away as I'm one of those people who always find an excuse to keep stuff!
ReplyDeleteEmma @ The Little Fox Den
try just putting those items in storage for a while and see if you really need them or not! The top shelf of my closet used to be dedicated to these "someday" items. It was comforting to know that they were in reach if I needed them, but I never did, so after 6 months I just donated it all. It also helps that I have sisters who are more than happy to take stuff off of my hands :)
DeleteYou have created really good capsule. I like your idea to have only few basic bottoms and lots of opitons for tops.
ReplyDeletethank you! I think having a lot of different tops makes it easier to change up the look of my wardrobe.
Deleteseems somewhat impractical to have a single pair of closed-toe shoes, so i will say that this isn't as well thought out as it could be. similarly, did nobody ever tell you about white after labor day?
ReplyDeleteI live abroad and I mistakenly forgot to pack my other closed toed shoes, so like I said in the post, I am on the look out for another pair or two! And I guess you could say that I'm a rule breaker! ;)
DeleteThe rule about no white after Labor Day is very outdated and no longer applies (according to many many fashion editors).
DeleteAw, I had to comment now because Anna Windsor was so mean. She obviously didn't read your whole post, and white is totally in this season. Great choices, would love some sources. I also followed you from un-fancy :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Let me know what item(s) you're interested in and I'll be happy to source them! xx
DeleteI followed you here from un-fancy, too! Love your picks and would love sources...especially the tops:)
ReplyDeleteA lot of the items have been in my wardrobe for years, but I just included links for some of the newer tops. Thanks for reading!
DeleteHi! I'm here from Unfancy too. I love seeing everyone's capsule wardrobes, and I especially like yours. It's a good mix of casual and lady-like. It's also a lot like my style, and I'm getting some good inspiration from your collection!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tricia!
Delete