How to create a capsule wardrobe: instructions & tips

Your closet is full, but you don’t have anything to wear? A carefully curated and cleverly put together wardrobe can help. Instead of rummaging through countless items every morning, you can concentrate on fewer items of clothing which can all be worn in combination with one another. This not only saves time and money in the long term but also promotes a more responsible approach to fashion. A capsule wardrobe is the ideal solution for you if you want to discover a minimalist, versatile and timeless style for yourself.

Our guide will show you how to build a capsule wardrobe, which basics are essential and how you can still express your personal style.

How does a capsule wardrobe work?

The term “capsule wardrobe” describes a minimalist wardrobe that has a small number of clothes that can all be combined with one another. The clothes are good essentials, but at the same time they are timeless. However, with just a few more trendy items of clothing you can spice up your outfits a little bit more.

The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is to create awareness about fashion and to encourage a simpler wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe consists of a limited number of timeless, items of clothing that are easy to combine. They should emphasise your personal style and be suitable for different occasions. Reducing your wardrobe to essential basics creates a functional wardrobe that can make your everyday life easier and at the same time promotes more conscious consumption. This means that when choosing your clothes, you focus on high quality and durability rather than trends.

How to build a capsule wardrobe: step-by-step guide

When it comes to building your capsule wardrobe you should adopt a minimalist approach. You should sort your clothes by season: spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), autumn (September, October, November) and winter (December, January, February).

A capsule wardrobe usually contains 30 to 40 items of clothing per season. However, these numbers are not a rigid rule, but rather a guide. It's important that you only keep clothes that you like to wear and match your style. This will help you to adopt a more sustainable approach when it comes to shopping for new clothes. A capsule wardrobe will help you to declutter and simplify your wardrobe whilst still sticking to your individual style. It is not an issue if you have a few more or fewer items of clothing in your wardrobe once you have sorted through it. The main thing is to rethink your wardrobe and to enjoy wearing your favourite clothes.

You can decide how you would like to organise your wardrobe. You may prefer to organise your wardrobe according to different clothing styles (e.g. business, casual, evening wear etc.) rather than by season. Organising your wardrobe will help to give you a better overview of your clothes.

The following step-by-step guide will show you how to put together a capsule wardrobe.

Step 1: go through your wardrobe and have a good clear out

Start off by taking all your clothes out of your wardrobe and put them on either the bed or floor. Then go through each item and think about whether you would like to keep it or get rid of it. It is a good idea to create three piles: yes, no and maybe.

• In the yes pile, put all the clothes you would like to keep and then you can put them back in your wardrobe.

• The maybe pile is for the clothes you're not too sure about, but you would still maybe like to wear them. Keep this pile of clothes somewhere visible for the next three months. If you don't wear anything from this pile during this time, then you can get rid of it.

• Put the clothes that you no longer want or need on the no pile. You can swap clothes that are still in good condition with friends, give them away, sell them on second-hand platforms or donate them to a charity. If an item of clothing from your no pile is very worn, you can upcycle it and use it as a cleaning cloth.

Tip: if you can’t decide whether to keep an item of clothing or not, you can think about how easy it is to combine with other items you already have. If it is a versatile piece, you can keep it.

Answer the following questions below to you find out more about your preferred style:

• Which items of clothing can you not say goodbye to, regardless of current fashion trends?

• Which clothes make you feel confident and stylish?

• Which parts of your body do you like the most?

• What type of clothes do you feel completely comfortable in?

• Which colours do the majority of your clothes have? Or which colours or cuts have landed in the to go pile?

Step 3: choose a set of colours for your capsule wardrobe

To ensure that your clothes can be easily combined with one another, and you have a nice selection of outfits to choose from you should stick to just a couple of colours. Your minimalist wardrobe should only have clothes in five different colours:

• Colours for your capsule wardrobe: choose two basic colours that form a base for every outfit. For example, this can be black, (dark) blue or brown.

• Colours for your capsule wardrobe: next choose neutral colours that complement the darker base colours. Choose one or two neutral colours such as white, beige or grey. These neutral colours come in a wide variety of shades that you can combine to spice up your capsule wardrobe.

• Colours for your capsule wardrobe: finally finish off with some brighter colours. Add two bright colours to your wardrobe which will make your outfits more colourful and varied. Choose colours that suit you and you feel confident in such as pink, green or orange.

Step 4: trying different outfit combinations for your capsule wardrobe

Make sure to choose cuts and colours you feel confident in and suit your body shape. The goal of a minimalist wardrobe is to only have a few items of clothing that you love and wear often.

In addition, choose classic patterns that are not associated with a trend such as stripes or polka dots. These types of designs are timeless; thus, you can wear them for a long time. However, this does not mean that you cannot have any trendy patterns or cuts. One or two trendy pieces will give your wardrobe a boost.

Step 5: dress for the season by adding season appropriate clothing

You can add new items of clothing if you find something that is missing from your wardrobe, and you really like it. Every three months or at the end of the season you could go through your wardrobe and reorganise it by making some small changes.

Helpful capsule wardrobe checklists for a minimalist wardrobe

We have put together some helpful tips below to help you decide which items of clothing you would like to have in your capsule wardrobe:

• Keep three pairs of trousers in your wardrobe, such as a light coloured pair of jeans, a dark coloured pair of jeans and a pair of smart trousers.

• Don’t forget a plain coloured cardigan as it is suitable for almost any outfit.

• Keep three to four T-shirts, jumpers and blouses as they are a good base for tops.

By following the tips above, you will have the essentials but there is nothing to stop you from having more trousers, jackets or tops. The main thing is that you are happy with your clothes, and you want to wear them regularly. You can use the lists below to count and sort through the clothes you have:

Capsule wardrobe checklist: tops

[__] T-Shirts

[__] Tops

[__] Blouses/shirts

[__] Jumpers

[__] Cardigans

[__] Blazers/jackets

[__] Dresses

Capsule wardrobe checklist: trousers & skirts

[__] Shorts

[__] Skirts

[__] Jeans

[__] Smart trousers

[__] Leggings

Capsule wardrobe checklist: coats and jackets

[__] Raincoats

[__] Lightweight jackets

[__] Winter coats

[__] Jackets

Capsule wardrobe checklist: shoes

[__] Summer shoes

[__] Trainers

[__] Ankle boots

[__] Boots

[__] Smart shoes

Capsule wardrobe checklist: accessories

[__] Handbags

[__] Large shoulder bags

[__] Backpacks

[__] Sunglasses

[__] Scarves

[__] Shawls

Conclusion: reduce your fashion consumption with a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe can provide an impetus for a more conscious approach to fashion. It’s a step in the right direction if you can declutter and reorganise your wardrobe and donate any old clothes to charities and organisations. The most important thing is to appreciate both old and new clothes. By doing so, you can get more out of the clothes you truly love wearing.

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The image sources in this text are in chronological order:

Cover photo: iStock.com/brizmaker
1st image in text: iStock.com/NYS444
2nd and 3rd image in text: iStock.com/Deagreez