I’ve been using capsule wardrobes for about 6 years now. I find that they give me a way to get the most wear out of my clothes as well as mange, shop and care for them. It’s a system which I find to be practical, sustainable and allows me to take a slow fashion apprach to my wardrobe.
In a previous blog post, I explained exactly why I started using capsule wardrobes (you can read that here). I’ve also written a step-by-step 6-part series explaining how you can create your own capsule wardrobe (you can read those posts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).
Over the last 6 years, I’ve definitely experimented a lot. I’ve also learnt an incredible lot. So today, I'd like to share with you 5 things I’ve learnt from my capsule wardrobe journey so far.
Lesson #1 – The aim is not perfection but evolution
I remember that when I created my first capsule wardrobes, I wanted them to be perfect. Really and absolutely perfect. I was definitely (very) tempted to get rid of everything which I already owned and go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe of impeccable, perfect pieces. That, of course, would have defeated the whole point of creating a capsule wardrobe for a slow fashion purpose. Fortunately, I resisted and started to work with and use what I already had.
Slowly, over time, I realised that it was better that way. It’s 100% better if your wardrobe evolves slowly over time. For in reality, our wardrobes (and our lives) are not perfect. What we loved yesterday, we may not love tomorrow. What was in fashion last month, may not be in fashion next month. What fitted us last summer, may not fit us next summer. Fashion and our own sense of style evolve over time. So must our wardrobes too.
Lesson #2 – Clearer about my own sense of style
I’ve also become so much clear about my own sense of style. By whittling down my wardrobe to a few pieces each season, I’ve discovered the pieces, the shapes, the cuts, the colours and the fabrics which I love and which, most importantly, work for my life style.
I now steer away from buying special occasion pieces or anything red. I know that those are the clothing items which sit in my wardrobe entirely unworn.
And I have recently discovered that an outfit combination I wore aged 15 (classic jumper, shirt and jeans) is now one of all-time favourite uniforms to wear at any time of the year. Why did I ever stray away it?
In short, using capsule wardrobes has focused my sense of style. If you’d like to get a sense of my current style, take a look my Pinterest boards here and, in particular, my Spring Outfits board here.
Lesson #3 – We don’t need a lot of clothes!
Ha, it’s really true. Don’t they say that we only wear 20% of our wardrobes? By making that 20% my capsule wardrobe, my aim is that I wear 100% of my wardrobe!
We really don’t need a lot of clothes. We just need the right clothes. By whittling your clothes down (to say 30 each season), I’ve found that it really helps to work out which ones those are.
Lesson #4 – I’ve become a better shopper!!
Similarly, I’ve become a far better shopper. First of all, I can instantly dismiss whole racks of clothes in a store, as either being in the wrong colour, fabric or style.
Secondly, I no longer wander into stores, waiting for inspiration to grab me. Rather, I gather inspiration in advance and I write a yearly wishlist. So when I go shopping now, it's very targeted. That of course saves me both time and money. And most importantly means that any item I am adding to my wardrobe I am definitely going to wear.
Lesson #5 – Pay attention to fabric choices
In the past, I also paid little attention to fabric choices. But building a capsule wardrobe has completely changed that. Including only a limited number of pieces in a wardrobe means that every item has to count.
More than that, I want my pieces to last. My aim is for my wardrobe to be full of timeless, classic pieces, which are going to last me for years (- hopefully until they are threadbare!)
And natural fabrics are really best for that. I’ve also found that they are more comfortable to wear, look more elegant and keep you warm in winter and cool in summer.
Now I always check the fabric composition of a garment. I shy away from anything made from polyester and look for items made from cottons, linens, natural wools (merino and cashmere) and silk. They also happen to be the more sustainable fabrics. In my book, that's a definite win!
Final thoughts
So those are my 5 thoughts for you. I hope they are helpful to you too and provide you with some inspiration as you think about or build a capsule wardrobe. How are you getting on on your capsule wardrobe journey? What stage are you at? What have you learnt so far? I’d love to hear from you so leave me a comment below.
Next week, I’m going to be sharing with you my 5 favourites from Spring. I’ll hope you’ll come back for that. In the meantime, you may like to take view and shop my Spring Edit which you can find here. Til next time!
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