What is a capsule wardrobe? Well, according to Caroline Rector of Un-Fancy who is the authority on the capsule wardrobe, it is “a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally love to wear.”
For Rector, she sticks to 37 pieces every 3 months, switching out her clothes 4 times a year. For me, it is less about the number of pieces and more about breaking up my wardrobe so that when I pull out my new clothes each season I feel like I’m starting fresh. I switch out my clothes twice a year - I have a wardrobe for cold weather and one for warm weather. And, for me, this isn’t about saving space.
Why it works for me? Well first off, when I had all my clothes out all the time I found that I only wore a few pieces. Things I actually really did love were getting lost in the shuffle - it wasn’t that my clothes were stuffed too closely together, it was actually more that I felt overwhelmed so I would grab the same old stuff and I wouldn’t look for anything new. So when I split my wardrobe into two wardrobes and put half my clothes away for six months, I could finally see what was available more clearly. The second reason this has worked so well for me is because I struggle with feeling sick of my clothes sometimes. It makes me want to buy things I don’t need because I feel bored. But when I break up my wardrobe it’s like I’ve gone shopping and gotten all new things. It keeps me from feeling like I need new things when I usually really don’t.
This concept also forces you to evaluate your pieces because you have less of them. To see them in a new light. Do you really love them or are they merely convenient? Do you feel amazing in them? Do you feel like yourself in them? Honestly I do not feel like myself in khakis. Never have. Never will. It’s like an episode of invasion of the body snatchers. You deserve to feel amazing in your clothes. YouTube - TEDx Talks has a great video from personal stylist Molly Bingaman if you’d like more food for thought. This 20 minute video discusses “the link between our personal style and our identity.” Our clothes tell part of the story of who we are. Spend some time this month thinking about what your clothes say about you. Is your wardrobe telling the right story? The true story? Are your clothes adding to how you feel about yourself or taking away from how you feel about yourself? What do you want to say with how you dress each day? You get to write the story and create a wardrobe that matches the story you want to tell.
I will go into more details when we get to closets later this year, but for now I wanted to touch on it in case you would like to try a spring capsule wardrobe.
No matter the decision you make, here’s to long sunny days!
XOXO, Kylie