This is a guest post from Resa of Domesticating Mom.
It’s 7am. You have to get out the door. You’re staring at your closet, thinking “I have nothing to wear.” Well, maybe it’s not that you have nothing to wear, but you don’t want to wear anything that’s in front of you. Maybe an item just don’t fit right or you don’t like how it looks with the other options, maybe it’s just that it’s situationally inappropriate. “I’m just dropping off the kids at school, why do I have so many skirt suits?”
But you have LOTS of clothes. Like lots. Like you can’t slide the hangers across the bar in your closet because it is so packed lots, and let’s not talk about the state of your dresser drawers.
It’s time for a closet intervention. You need a capsule wardrobe.
What Is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a simplified wardrobe made of pieces that can easily be mixed, matched, and accessorized to be dressed up or down for any occasion.
First Things First – Declutter!
Start by decluttering. The best way to declutter once and for all is to take every single item of clothing out of your closet, dresser, seasonal storage, coat closet, and pile it all in an open space. Grab each piece by hand and ask “does this bring me joy?” If it doesn’t, it’s time to let it go. Keep in mind that it’s hard to feel joy when something doesn’t fit quite right and brings a feeling of guilt or insecurity.
Don’t worry about the “what-ifs.” If you have something in your closet that you’ve only kept because “maybe you’ll need it later,” let it go. Seriously. Worst case scenario? You find a replacement if you ever need it, but the likelihood is that you won’t.
Feel guilty about having spent too much on something? Sell it on E-Bay and be thankful for the lesson it’s taught – just because it’s pretty on the hanger doesn’t mean it’s right for me.
By letting go of the things that come with feelings of worry or guilt, you’re giving yourself permission to simplify your life and surround yourself with things that spark joy.
Analyze What You Have Left
Look at what you have left over. What do these pieces have in common? Are they structured? Do they share a particular color palette? Do your tops share a particular neckline? Are your pants all boot cuts or straight-legged?
I can guess one thing they do have in common, without a doubt – the pieces you have left over are classics. I’ll bet they’re mostly timeless basics that have transcended most trends and still work for you right now, just as they did when you bought them. This is going to be important for the next steps because those are going to become the core of your capsule.
Assess Your Needs
Now for the fun part. You need to figure out what kind of clothes you actually need in your wardrobe based on your lifestyle. Are you a stay-at-home-mom? Your wardrobe may be more casual with jeans & tees, easy pants, casual dresses, and maxi skirts. Do you work in an office? Your wardrobe might look more professional – structured skirts, button down tops, a couple great blazers, a good pair of chic but casual pants. Maybe you’re somewhere in between, like a home-based business owner. You’ll probably want a mix of structure and casual style – a couple pairs of dark jeans you can dress up or down, interesting tees that you can layer with a good blazer, a couple nice blouses that you can dress down with jeans or dress up with a pencil skirt.
After you’ve figured out your needs, consider your aesthetic. Are you a more modern dresser? Girly? Bohemian? Edgy? Romantic? Figure out how you want to express yourself outwardly – clothes don’t have to be wholly utilitarian, after all! This all comes back to feeling joyful, so wear things that let you feel good.
