Refine Your Style While Saving Time: How to Build Your Own Capsule Wardrobe

by Mirella Marsilio

In today’s predominantly fast fashion industry it is easy to accumulate a lot of clothes but often these pieces are trendy and quickly go out of fashion. They can add to the fatigue of choosing an outfit and take up a lot of space in our lives. Creating a capsule wardrobe is a great solution to these problems and is also a more sustainable option in the long run.

Unlock the hidden potential in your closet with a professional eye that's been trained over 30 years of curating fashion with a closet-audit.

Wire clothing rack of closet essentials.

So What Is A Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a set of practices that will help you refine your closet to only pieces you will actually wear. Sounds great, right?

Generally a capsule wardrobe is a set number of clothing pieces, sometimes 30-40, that cover all the items you might need and can all be mixed and matched together. Depending on your climate you can have multiple capsule wardrobes that you rotate between for the different seasons. 

For some this may sound restrictive or boring as it is a smaller set of clothing pieces than you may be used to, but a capsule wardrobe should be tailored to your own unique style and the creativity comes from choosing how you put the pieces together. 


Building Your Capsule Wardrobe

The first important step is to think about your overall style. Reflect on the pieces you wear regularly and what you like about them. While a capsule wardrobe focuses on covering the basics there is opportunity to tailor it to your own personal style.

Once you’ve determined your style it’s time to start selecting your pieces. Using a guide for each item to have can be helpful for beginners. At the end of this article is a suggested list of items to create your capsule wardrobe. There are also many other resources online with different items that may suit your needs better, the important part is to find one that works for you. 

  
Woman seated on a bed, organizing her clothing.

You can also alter an existing list to fit your lifestyle. If you work in a corporate setting you may need more business wear. If you don’t like wearing skirts you may want to replace them with more pant options. The capsule wardrobe works best when you take the framework and apply it to your lifestyle. After all, the ultimate goal is to create a wardrobe of only pieces that you love and want to wear.  

Interior exposed closet showcasing minimalist wardrobe.

Shop Your Own Closet

Now that you have your list of items it's time to start selecting your pieces. Building a capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be costly, in fact the best place to begin is your own closet. Determine which pieces from the list you already have and keep the favourites you know you reach for. From there you can see what pieces you still need to purchase to fill in the gaps.

You can also downsize your shoes and accessories but we left them out of our list as it’s easier to start with your clothes. Plus, shoes and accessories can be used to spice up more basic outfits, have fun with it! 

 

I can help you get there with a closet-audit

Tips For Selecting New Pieces

Based on the pieces you’ve already gathered from your own closet you may see a colour palette forming. While you may not want to have an all neutral wardrobe, selecting colours and patterns that work together will help you in your ability to mix and match pieces. If you don’t already have a clear colour palette formed, consider selecting a couple colours that you enjoy wearing and that will look nice together.  

From there you can start buying the new pieces you need to finish your capsule wardrobe. When buying a new piece ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does it go with 3 other items in my capsule? 
  • Does it show my personal style? 
  • Will this work with my lifestyle? 
  • Do I like the fit and fabric? 

Here at Mirella Styles Me I pride myself on carrying excellent quality items and helping my customers find the perfect fit. Book a closet-audit today and receive expert advice on style and fit to complete your capsule wardrobe. 
A spread of a fall outfit including a cream cardigan, blue jeans and brown heeled ankle boots.

Reap The Benefits

Now that you’ve created your own capsule wardrobe it’s time to enjoy it! Generally it is a good idea to try wearing your capsule wardrobe for 3 months before making changes. After the three months you can decide if there are any pieces that aren’t working or if something is missing. 

Once you’ve adjusted, your new capsule wardrobe should help save you time in the morning as you have less pieces to overwhelm you and they all fit together. You may also notice your style is more refined as you’ve set aside the time to really define it. 

You can also feel good about the sustainability of your new wardrobe. Rather than contributing to fast fashion trends each month you’ve invested in a wardrobe with quality pieces that will serve you for years to come. Not to mention the money you will save! 

With all of these great benefits, what are you waiting for? Book a closet-audit today.

Suggested List Of Items For Your Capsule Wardrobe

Pants

1 Dark wash denim

1 Light wash denim

1 coloured pants/ jeans

1 black legging

1 white or black denim

1 dress pant

  • Neutral ankle pant for spring/ summer
  • Neutral wide leg trouser for fall/winter

Jackets

1 Classic jean

1 Lightweight neutral trench

1 Cropped moto leather

1 Neutral blazer

1 seasonal 

  • Light jacket for spring/summer
  • Neutral heavy coat for fall/winter

Tops

1 Black tee

1 Flowy white top

1 Coloured or patterned tee

1 White tunic or blouse

1 Coloured patterned shirt

1 Neutral patterned shirt

1 Chambray shirt

1 Neutral seasonal top

  • Tank or sleeveless for spring/summer
  • Long sleeve tee for fall/ winter

1 Coloured/patterned seasonal top

  • Tank or sleeveless for spring/summer
  • Long sleeve tee for fall/ winter

1 Bonus/ fun pick for the season

Dresses/skirts

1 Little Black Dress

1 Party Dress (for special events)

1 Neutral maxi skirt

1 Black or neutral pencil skirt

1 Patterned skirt

1 Casual day dress

  • Short sleeve dress for spring/summer
  • Long sleeve dress/tunic for fall/winter

1 seasonal 

  • Summer maxi for spring/summer
  • Heavy skirt/ sweater dress for fall/winter

Sweaters

1 Lightweight long sleeve cardigan

1 solid neutral crewneck 

1 striped/patterned sweater

1 seasonal specific

  • Short sleeve shrug/cardigan for spring/summer
  • Heavy sweater/cardigan/wrap for fall/winter

 

Follow my list of suggested pieces above and be sure to sign up for our mailing list to be notified about future blog posts! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Xo, Mirella

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