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To capsule or not to capsule
thoughts from a maximalist minimalist
👉 NEW: My Capsule Wardrobe | Fall 2024 lookbook, links and guide is now live! More info and to purchase here.
To celebrate this launch - today’s Vogue[ish] is all about the concept of capsule wardrobes. Read on!
Note: this is separate from the quarterly Vogue[ish] Style Guides. Style Guides are exclusive for paid Vogue[ish] subscribers. The Style Guides are thematic, centered around things I’m loving, and are often one-off pieces. The Capsule Wardrobes are designed as a complement to the Structure of Style methodology and for those wanting to build a cohesive wardrobe.
Building a capsule wardrobe is often seen as the pinnacle of achieving great personal style.
Capsule wardrobes promise simplicity, the ability to seamlessly mix and match pieces, fewer clothes, more sustainability, reduced shopping stress, classic, timeless style, and never having to shop again.
In reality, building the perfect capsule wardrobe can be a lot more complicated and chock full of so. many. questions:
What is the perfect number of pieces?
What color palette do I go with? Aren’t these always best in black and white?
What if I don’t like neutrals and feel my best in colors?
Are the brands that make a complete capsule wardrobe worth it?
Do the “basics” - like a white button down and trench coat - really apply to everyone?
What happens when something no longer fits or I no longer love an item that is in my capsule?
As someone on Reddit put it: “There is no wardrobe philosophy or shopping methodology that is ever going to result in an end-state, whereupon you are done choosing and purchasing clothes forever.”
In other words, you will - most likely - be buying clothes for the rest of your life. The question is - how do you then determine what you buy, especially if you are looking to curate a specific wardrobe (capsule or otherwise)?
The short answer is: create your Structure of Style. This is my personal style methodology that is based on uncovering and exploring your 4 Style Foundations:
Vibe
Body
Colors
Silhouettes
Once you work through the series of questions and exercises, you’ll have created your Structure of Style. This then guides you in building your wardrobe however you want - even into a capsule wardrobe.
Let’s Explore Why You Might Want to Build a Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways to cover a variety of outfits and occasions. Usually created out of “staple” or basic items in coordinating colors (thanks Wiki).
People are endlessly fascinated by capsules and create them for a range of reasons, such as:
Creating a wardrobe (often in neutral colors) that can mix and match (everything goes together)
Embracing minimalism and a desire to have a very small wardrobe (less stuff, less clutter)
Cultivating a style uniform (less decision making over shopping and getting dressed)
Being more mindful of their purchases and reducing consumption (less waste)
Exploring their creativity (stretch boundaries)
Streamline shopping by focusing on very specific items (less stress, less time)
When working with a client to create a uniform capsule several year ago, I had her track her outfits for a week and documented them in this blog post. Here’s what she said:
“Creating a capsule wardrobe has been my goal for a while. I love the idea of a uniform to free up the mind to focus on other stuff. Especially since starting a business, the last place my mind needs to be is on what to wear in the morning.”
Another client needed a travel wardrobe that could cover 3 weeks, 3 different climates, and a multiple of specific activities - so we created it, complete with outfit photos (seen in the linked blog post).
Depending on your style, shopping, and getting dressed goals, having a capsule -inspired wardrobe, even if only for specific instances like a trip, can be incredibly helpful.
“On a scale of 1-10 where do you see yourself falling on the minimalist scale?”
Not all capsule wardrobes are minimal and not all minimalists have capsule wardrobes. When I spoke on a fashion panel at The Broad - we were taking on the topic of using capsule wardrobes to design a more conscious life.
Perhaps you can infer from the outfits above where we each fell on the minimalist question. I represented what I called the “maximalist minimalists” by coming in around a 4-6. I explained this as: I approach a lot of things with a minimalist mindset. I love clean lines and I don’t like a lot of wasted things. But I am also a collector. My vintage accessories (think: jewelry, scarves, belts and hand bags) take up an entire 6 drawer dresser. While I recently sorted out 19 pieces from the rest of my closet for a capsule wardrobe collection, those other 1000+ pieces aren’t going anywhere!
You can read my thoughts on Capsule Wardrobes here (and see Kristen’s - a 3 or under on the scale - incredibly minimal closet!). If you’re interested in exploring the concept of a capsule wardrobe, this is a great question to ponder that will help you decide exactly what “capsule” means to you:
Thought for you: On a scale of 1-10 where do you see yourself falling on the minimalist scale?
Things to Plan for When Building a Capsule Wardrobe
“Admit reality and it works, deny reality and it doesn’t.” - another wise Reddit soul
Planning to create a capsule wardrobe takes inventorying a lot more than your closet. You will want to be mindful of these things if you want to make building a capsule wardrobe work for you:
Laundry. If you have a very small curated wardrobe, keep in mind how often you want or will be washing clothes. You may want to actually have 5 sets of tights, or 5 sports bras in order to only do one load per week.
Activity Specific Needs. Exercise, art, hobbies, gardening, etc. What do you need for these specific activities in addition to your “daily driver” capsule wardrobe?
Climate. Where you live plays a big part in your wardrobe and needs will differ drastically based on climate. You will need certain “extras” depending on where you live (i.e. snowy or rainy locales vs. beachy ones).
Body type / fit. You will want to have a good handle on your body type, what shape/silhouettes you like and that you feel look good on you (or at least want to buy) to help make putting together a capsule work for you.
Colors. Consider what colors you’re drawn to and like to wear over what a prescriptive color analysis. Capsules can be fun, feminine, bright, and/or colorful. Be intentional of expressing yourself and not feeling suck in the black/white vortex that can be capsule wardrobes.
Intentional purchasing. You do not need to buy the most expensive item or the one from the latest sustainable brand to have a capsule. You just need to know what specific item will make the most sense for you in your wardrobe - then you can buy accordingly based on how much you’d like to spend.
Thoughts from a certified personal stylist (me):
Breaking down a few myths + truths of capsule wardrobes.
Creativity - I love the creativity that a capsule wardrobe provides - restrictions breed creativity! Working within a limited range of pieces stretches your imagination of how to combine and/or layer your pieces to create a range of outfits. Personally, I enjoy having a lot of clothes - I like the history, the fashion, and the possibilities. I don’t have a large closet, nor do I have a super minimal closet. I can create mini capsules from my existing closet. In fact, I just created a mini capsule of 33 items for an upcoming 2 week Italy trip. It’s in a color palette I adore (black, denim, olive, shades of red, white/cream, and brown) that 10 years ago I would have said couldn’t be a capsule because there was too much - GASP - color.
Mixing/Matching - Hot take: not everything in your closet will go together 100% of the time. The goal of having your entire closet mix and match feels insanely stressful to me. If you have a very small capsule wardrobe, sure, this seems doable. But for most people, it’s not. Release yourself of this burden! Once you begin adding pieces and no longer have a tightly curated 15 item wardrobe (for example), not everything will go all the time because you're getting dressed for different seasons, events, and even for yourself. Yes - the intention of choosing a color palette is to help items mix and match, but it’s like the Law of Style (or something!) nothing everything will always go together! And you know what? That’s fine!
Sustainable / beneficial for the planet → Not always. Fashion is rarely super sustainable. Some of my favorite podcasters used to say (paraphrased) - you can choose quality, cost, or sustainability - but you can’t have all three, you need to choose what is most important to you. In my mind, a piece is sustainable when you’ve put thought into what you’re buying, why you’re buying it, and what specific wardrobe problem it’s solving. You can buy a “sustainable” or even quality piece, but if you only wear it for one season, that’s not that sustainable. You can shop at ethical brands, but if you’re buying and returning packages often, that’s not giving good carbon savings for the planet.
“Timeless” pieces CAN (and do) go out (and in) of style. While jeans are timeless, the shapes and styles of jeans can vary dramatically across decades, or shorter if you consider the saga of skinny jeans. Pieces like blazers and trench coats morph over time - recall the shoulder pad heavy style of 70s/80s blazers compared to the slouchy, relaxed, and oversized blazer that we see in stores today.
Be aware of getting “stuck” in a silhouette, shape, or color/pattern. While capsules can force creativity, they can also limit you. If you’re set on adhering to a certain number of pieces, you may not shop at all or you may find yourself wanting to mature your wardrobe, but finding certain styles or colors don’t work with the shapes you already have.
Your wardrobe finally reflects your style → Maybe. But creating a capsule is not a guarantee for great style. For creating simplicity? Sure. The greater key to using a capsule wardrobe to get to your true style is to carefully consider what is YOU.
Marketing gimmicks. Let’s face it - capsule wardrobes are hot, trendy, and everyone wants one made for them because they can be hard to nail. Brands have caught on to the popularity of the term and use it often (and often to not mean a truly cohesive wardrobe, but rather, a release of their own pieces). A LOT of brands will release “capsule wardrobes” to entice you to shop small and purposefully (while spending a lot on items you might not need).
Farm Rio did this in a marketing email I got. Sure, Farm Rio is great, love the colors, but their “pre fall capsule” is really just a dress release (click the link).
Have you seen the Alexa Chung x Madewell capsule? You’ll need to be really into denim, but at least this one has a variety of pieces. I spy some fun items that could be added to my own capsule / core wardrobe (the flared denim skirt). But in reality - this is a marketing campaign leveraging “it” girl Chung with “it” brand Madewell. What fashion oriented person can resist the siren, whether you truly need it or not? Do I need a flared denim skirt? No. But can I make the case for one? Definitely.
As a stylist, I’ve created my share of traditional capsule wardrobes - for myself and clients. At times, I’ve also found the concept of a “capsule wardrobe” to be too limiting and started using the term “core wardrobe” instead. I think of a core wardrobe as a concept that adheres to the essence of a capsule wardrobe, but grants more leniency in terms of colors, number of items, and a more fluid approach to closet additions / subtractions.
So am I yay or nay on capsules? Like I say to my client all the time (and probably very annoyingly) - it depends! Does a traditional capsule wardrobe work for you? If yes, then YAY. If you like the tenants but want to be more fluid with your wardrobe, then YAY. Hate the idea of capsules because it’s just not you? Then NAY.
Bottom line - I work with clients (and myself) to create wardrobes that work for them, not against them. I use curated color palettes of often 7-10 different colors and encourage clients to add more. I try on different shapes often. I love clothes and experimenting and believe that creating capsules is a fun and useful exercise in establishing your wardrobe and style.
I’m a 4-6 maximalist minimalist - where are you on the scale?
Summary:
Building a capsule wardrobe depends on your personality and how you want to interact with your clothes! It can be as involved or as simple as you want. Use my personal style approach, Structure of Style, as your guideline to knowing what to buy/wear for any type of wardrobe. Want to jump start your own capsule wardrobe? Check out the Capsule Wardrobe | Fall 2024 guide which is now live here.
THOUGHTS FOR YOU:
What’s your take on capsule wardrobes?
Have you ever tried to create one?
Was it easy / hard?
Related style programs:
👉 NEW! Capsule Wardrobe | Fall 2024 Guide is now live!
This is a 33 item capsule wardrobe - you get a digital look book with 36 outfit combinations and 59 shopping links.
Unlike most capsules, there are 3 price points for most items - $50 and under, $50-$100, $100+ to a variety of budgets.
Each capsule I create (expected quarterly), will stand alone, but also build on each other in an effort to help you create, curate and build a sustainable, yet capsule based wardrobe.
👉 Style Lab is open! Style Lab is a 6 week, self-led style program. You’ll get a downloadable e-work book with chapters full of prompts and experiments to work through. This is the starter for creating your Structure of Style.
Related style articles:
〰️ Shopping Sucks. A few tips to make it better.
〰️ A Wardrobe Theory. The more I come to know myself, the more authentic my wardrobe, and style, will get.
〰️ How to “Un-settle” Your Closet. 5 tips for a closet purge and a text convo with a client
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