A 6 Step Guideline on Making a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

By Ainaz

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” – Coco Chanel

Women wear approximately 50% of their closet. Having clothes that complement each other can save you so much money. If you stick to a capsule wardrobe you can have a variety of different outfits with limited pieces that are minimalistic and never go out of fashion. This guideline is a great choice for beginners and starters. Keep on reading to find all about minimalist wardrobes and capsule wardrobe meaning.  

Meaning and a brief history

Have you been thinking what a capsule wardrobe is? Capsule wardrobe, capsule meaning “small” and “compact”, is a term used for describing a combination of classic and minimalist clothing items that have neutral colors and make great outfits in combination. This concept has been proved very popular in the past years. This term has been brought to life by Susie Faux, a boutique owner in London, in the 70s. According to her, a capsule wardrobe is a bunch of clothing items that don’t go out of fashion. Capsule wardrobe is used widely in British and American fashion media.

Why use a capsule wardrobe?

Primarily, using a capsule wardrobe can help you save the time of digging into a pile of unmatched women's clothing to find an appropriate outfit every morning.

Secondly, you can save money by buying a set of limited and useful clothing options that can make multiple stunning outfits that you’ll love.

If you’re tired of stressing over what you should wear to different events, and you have a clutter of useless clothes, build your capsule wardrobe today!

6 steps on how to build a capsule wardrobe

1.  Choose a base color. Your base color can be navy, black or dark gray
2.  Choose a neutral color. You have a variety of choices like white, beige, ivory…
3.  Choose an accent color. They’re used for emphasizing a color scheme and creating rhythm.
4.  Select clothes with patterns or animal prints              
5.  Add layers such as jackets and coats                                              
6.  Add shoes, bags and accessories                            

You should find clothes of the following categories in your capsule wardrobe: work and office, casual and daily, formal dresses, lounge and fun events like date nights.

Based on the main activities you have daily, you can choose 9 tops, 5 pants or skirts, and 5 pairs of shoes. Choose the outfits you love and you are willing to wear every day. If this is your first time making your own capsule wardrobe, you don’t necessarily have to buy new clothes, you can use the clothing items you already own.

Items you can include in your wardrobe: A pencil skirt - A sundress- Skinny jean - A trench coat - A pair of long boots- A pair of flats - A clutch bag - Sunglasses

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Some tips on designing your wardrobe

① only use one or two accent colors

② quality is so much more important than quantity in this kind of wardrobe

③stick to classics and minimalism

④don’t be afraid to get creative

⑤ pay extra attention to the weather of your location  

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 Some seasonal tips for minimalist wardrobe women

Oversized pullovers, cotton cardigans, camel wool coats and basic long sleeves are a must for your winter capsule wardrobe 2021.

Use silk loafers from brands like Gucci, denim jackets, Chelsea boots and cotton cardigans to complete your spring capsule wardrobe 2021.

Don’t forget a plain white t-shirt, vest tops, sandals and sundresses if you’re designing your summer capsule wardrobe 2021.

For your fall wardrobe in 2021 use trench coats, Chelsea boots and knitted oversized sweaters and turtlenecks.

Minimalist wardrobe men

To make a minimalist capsule wardrobe for men you have to add timeless designs that never go out of fashion which includes jeans, leather and denim jackets, boots and plain white t-shirts. Essential items for your wardrobe are going to be:

1.  A formal and a casual jacket
2.  Three pairs of shoes; one formal, one sneaker and a pair of rugged boots
3.  Add maximum of 8 tops that consists of items such as t shirts, polos and flannel shirts
4.  2 or 3 pair of pants due to your own preference

Some items you might like to include: A clutch bag - A jacket- A silk scarf- A knit scarf- Sunglasses - A wool sweater- A suit

Last on Your Capsule Wardrobe

There is so much benefit to designing your own capsule wardrobe. Now that you know all the essentials you need to know you can go shopping and you can create your capsule wardrobe in less than a week. Save time, money and your energy and start right now!

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