We all have so many more items in our closet than we need. In fact, we are living in a world of fast fashion, low prices, and a throw-away attitude. But what happens when you cut back on buying clothing for the sake of it, and instead, we buy select items only when we need them.
Paradox of Choice
If you have too many things to choose from, the fact is it actually becomes harder to make a decision. And, when it comes to clothing, we typically have much more than we need. We pack too much in our suitcases, and yet – we wear the same things almost all of the time.
You technically already have a capsule wardrobe, you probably just don’t think of it that way.
Capsule Wardrobe
It is a bit of a buzzword. It does the rounds in eco-friendly articles, clothing, time-saving, and so much more. If you head to your closet right now, and you browse what you have, then look at how much you actually wear, the chances are there is a big difference. By stripping out the things you don’t wear – or don’t like, and leaving only what you do like, you are going to give yourself more space, more options, and less fuss. And who doesn’t like saving time in the mornings?
Owning less isn’t a sign that you can’t afford to own more either, it just means that you have a more refined taste.
Designers
Typically you will find that designers will release collections. In almost all cases, anything from the collection can be paired with anything else in there. Why? Because it has been carefully curated to mix and match. Higher quality pieces that work together and are based on the capsule concept.
The Good and The Bad
There are always going to be pros and cons to curating and cutting down your clothing. The obvious one is it can get boring. Choosing only from the same items all the time. Depending on your style, people might actually point it out to you too. If you haven’t prepared your closet correctly, you’re likely to find you are missing things like custom made suits for things like weddings, job interviews, and meetings. The advantages are that it is time-saving, you can get dressed much quicker. Fewer options mean you need less time to make a choice. It is space-saving – you’ll find that you have less mess and less washing too. If you travel a lot for work or fun, you won’t have so much to pack and will be able to pick almost anything, and it will work together.
Money
While fast fashion is cheaper, in the long run, the rate you will replace low-quality items will be pretty high. They aren’t usually designed with more than the immediate trend or season in mind. So the wash and wear you will get isn’t as high and a higher quality item of clothing.
Another issue is, you are much more likely to buy many more items than you need, and because it’s so cheap, it seems not to matter if some get thrown away. If you purchase items of clothing that have a more classic cut and color to it, you’re more likely to take care of what you own and only replace or buy more if it is really necessary. The upfront expense is usually a lot higher, but the quality will last.
Starting
You don’t need to suddenly start throwing everything away. Instead, you should, over the space of a month, look at what you are wearing most often. We gravitate towards the same things because we like how they look and feel. You’re probably going to find that there is a lot of similarities in what you wear. Every week, remove a few items that aren’t getting used, and you can donate them or sell them – whatever makes sense for you.
Finishing Up
You will still need to make sure that you have enough items to last a week or so. There are a few recommended items too.
- 5 or more white/black T-shirts
- 3 shirts
- 1 or 2 blazers
- 2 pairs of jeans
- Sneakers – classic white is usually the best bet
- Ankle boots – tan or brown
- Trench coat
- Bomber Jacket or Short jacket
- Suit
- Chinos
Try to get each item in colors that complement each other, tans, browns, and navy blues will always look classic and are slightly elevated from the black and white, which is a pretty safe choice.
