Less is more. Definitely not the case for most of us (yep, I will throw myself in this category) who look in their overflowing wardrobes every morning and are faced with ‘nothing to wear’.
Cue, fashion’s new anti-fashion movement; the capsule wardrobe.
Now imagine, opening the doors (note: the doors do shut) to a condensed version, easy to find, collection of clothing that makes getting dressed easy. In fact your wardrobe now excites you, saves you money and time and takes the overwhelming feeling out of decision-making.
WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE
The term capsule wardrobe was coined by Susie Faux, the owner of London boutique Wardrobe in the 70’s. The term describes ‘a wardrobe that contains a few essential and timeless items, such as skirts and pants, that can be supplemented with seasonal pieces’. The concept of ‘easy dressing’ made a return in the 1980’s when designer Donna Karan introduced a capsule collection of interchangeable workwear attire called “Seven Easy Pieces”.
Today, popularised by the rise of sustainability in the fashion world and the fight against fast fashion, the capsule wardrobe has made a revival. The characteristics of a capsule wardrobe and collection are the same; essential pieces, minimalistic style met with practicality.
WHAT ARE THE KEY PIECES IN A CAPSULE WARDROBE
The core items that are needed depend on the lifestyle and personal style of the woman. A good place to start would be a combination of the following pieces; pants, denim, skirt, t-shirt, shirt, blazer, coat, sweater/knit. From there, you build around items you prefer or tend to wear more of.
According to fashion blogger Jaime-Lee from Mademoiselle, knowing your personal style is important. ‘You need to know the silhouettes that flatter you, the proportions that you feel most at ease wearing, and the go-to combinations that you can reach for on those days where you just don’t want to think about what you’re going to wear.’
Above all, you need to love everything in your capsule wardrobe.
‘With a capsule wardrobe, there’s no reason not to choose your favourite pieces, and no reason why you shouldn’t be wearing something that makes you smile every time you pull it out of your closet,’ states Jaime-Lee.
CAN YOU INCLUDE COLOUR AND PRINT IN A CAPSULE WARDROBE
The rules are what you make them. If you tend to wear more colour or print, then your wardrobe should have colour or print as an essential element. However, if you shy away from colour and are drawn to neutrals, black and white, grey and denim daily, then this is the colour scheme for you.
‘When building my capsule wardrobe, I realised the importance of a cohesive and carefully edited colour palette. This has since extended through to the entire contents of my wardrobe, creating a solid backbone of core items and complimentary accents, with an occasional pop of colour,’ states Jaime-Lee on her blog, Mademoiselle .
You may love the idea of that hot pink blazer, but you will wear it once, and it will happily sit in your wardrobe alongside every other impulse purchase you have ever made.
IT’S ABOUT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
The fashion world have us believe that we need to have a wardrobe choc-o-block full of clothes. Wrong. Investing in quality pieces that last a lifetime is key. Well-made clothes will save you time and money in the long run, not to mention it’s better for our planet. Do you need another reason?
Sources include Mademoiselle blog https://www.mademois-elle.com/ and Business of Fashion https://www.businessoffashion.com/