At the start of the new year, I’ve decided to start a capsule wardrobe. It’s something I’ve talked about for a long time, yet I’ve never grasped hold of the idea fully. I like the look of the end goal – a streamlined collection of clothes that all work together – but I’ve never quite known how to get there!
Why a capsule wardrobe?
There’s a few benefits to curating a capsule wardrobe. The first is that the clothes you put in it will, in the words of Marie Kondo, bring you joy. At least once a week, I wake up and feel grumpy that my favourite clothes are in the wash. In fact, I bet I’m less productive because of it! I end up spending time digging to the back of my chest of drawers, finding old clothes I’ve forgotten. It makes me feel like I’m a less-good version of myself, a past version of the person I want to be.
Instead, I would like to like all the pieces in my wardrobe, and know they’re not going to fall out of style, that they are high quality, made to last, and all have an ethical story to tell too.
Another benefit is that you’ll end up buying less. I’m already quite particular about the clothes I buy, with strict shopping budgets and an even stricter list of sustainable and ethical policies I look for. Why not save some energy and only worry about my clothes once per quarter/season?
An ethical twist
The source of my capsule wardrobe inspiration comes from the Unfancy blog, The Anna Edit, and the newest book on my bookshelf: The Curated Closet by Anushka Rees.
All three of the women behind these brilliant resources dabble with ethical fashion, but not to the extent that I like to. As part of building my own capsule wardrobe, I’ll be following their example and tying it in with my favourite ethical brands, as well as my existing wardrobe. I hope to be able to put together something that hasn’t been done before (that I’m aware of): an ethical capsule wardrobe.
Make a plan
The first step I’ve taken is to sit down and plan, plan, plan. The Unfancy blog offers a free wardrobe planner you can download and print, and it was my first port-of-call before looking more in-depth using The Curated Closet and it’s prompts to define my style.
Both devices detail the same philosophy: this wardrobe is all about you. Forget fashion trends, forget stereotyped styles; it’s about finding out what pieces work for your mind, body, and even the weather outside.
I’m still working out exactly what I want to move forward with, but I’ll be sure to post an update once I’ve defined what truly speaks to me. I’m sure you’ll see it across my outfit posts!
Minimal as a style
A key note in The Curated Closet is that minimalism isn’t in fact a style – it’s the paring down of a style, and is transferable to everyone’s wardrobes. You’ll see from my Pinterest boards that I love a bit of minimalism – vast white space, black lines and only small splashes of colour – so perhaps this will translate into my overall style, sat somewhere between Parisian and Scandi influences.
How to join in
It’s not too late to start – in fact, it never is! Whether you’re reading this in January or in 2032, a capsule wardrobe is meant to be timeless. It will be full of pieces that are functional and suit you down to a tee. I would recommend going through the process fully rather than copying an infographic or magazine style post too. It will be more mindful to really drill down and understand your likes and dislikes, rather than doing it on a whim!
