Tips on how to live minimally with a Capsule Wardrobe

 The one thing I'm asked more often than not is
"How do you make a capsule wardrobe work for you??"

Only second to, how do you curl your hair ;) But honestly on Instagram, ladies will often approach me and ask how i make it work.
As a previous clothes fanatic, hoarder, fast fashion crazy shopping lady I totally understand how easy it is to stand in-front of a crammed wardrobe full of clothes, yet feel like you have nothing to wear.
I have been there many, many times over and often fell on to my bed in despair wailing " Its so unfair.. I have nothing to wear, my life is so harrrdd!!"
Well sorta. Perhaps a tad less dramatic, but in my head that was totally what was happening.
So i thought i would write today, alongside these #ootd pics from my Instagram, a little capsule wardrobe help; A guideline if you will to save your sanity, and to show that if I can work to a minimal wardrobe, then so can you. And you will also find out how liberating it is, just like i have.

So here goes:

• Dress for who you are, not who you want to be

This is the first thing i took in to consideration when i started the capsule wardrobe process 3 seasons ago.

And this basically is one of your most important factors when choosing your clothes. 

What i mean by 'Dress for who you are' is exactly that: Don't buy clothes or keep clothes for when you loose weight, gain weight, change hair colour, get a tan, etc.. A capsule is for the here and now and it needs to work for you every.single.day of your present life.

• Dress for your lifestyle

Again this is so so important and was one of the major things that i had to consider. 

I am not a lady who goes out very often. With small children, a husband that works away and hermit like tendencies, you won't generally find me out-out very often. Therefore having a ton of fancy dresses and such attire is pointless for me. 

My life consists of school run, dog walks, sitting at my desk at home, the supermarket and coffees or sometimes lunch out.  Thats it.

Be brutally honest. Your life may be much more fancy than mine (it wouldn't take much, ha!) But box clever with your dressy pieces. Buy a versatile black dress that can be remixed with shoes and jewellery, or smart trousers, a leather skirt and a dressy top, again, totally remixable.

But for the rest of your capsule, only include pieces that you know you will suit your day-to-day life.

•  Only include pieces you LOVE

Sounds kind of obvious, but it really is important. If you have, lets say a few tops, but you look at them and think, meh.. then you won't end up wanting to wear them, you will then want to go out and shop and before you know it you are back at where you were with a wardrobe bulging and nothing to wear.

When i pick the pieces for my capsule wardrobe i only include pieces i love to wear, feel comfortabe in and confident to wear. 

• Find your defined style, or work with a loose theme

This has always been hard for me as i tend to have a slight bi-polar style disorder, in the sense of my style changes.. regularly. Not as much as Madonna, but i do still like to dabble with different trends/ styles. This capsule sees a mix between slightly boho and a bit of preppy. Which on paper shouldn't work, but for me it does. 

Think about this when you're looking at your pieces. Do you like a preppy style, are you more girly, do you like a more scandi minimum style? Do you live in trainers /sneakers and causal attire? Have a good think and it will really help.

The one thing a lot of mums have come to me and said over the years, is that they don't have a style. I think we all have one, but perhaps we just don't know how to define it, or sometimes they just aren't confident enough to wear the style that they see in their heads. For this i say go for it. Its your life and your style. You want to be bohemian? You rock that maxi dress. You want minimal? Wear black and white every day, Sporty? Rock those trainers!  Just be true to yourself, and your style will shine through.
And if you really don't know what your style is, think of your favourite celebrities, what draws you to them, head to Pintrest and look through fashion posts and see what draws you in and feels 'right' to you. Make a Pintrest board ,I have a few i regularly use for inspiration!

•  Choose a colour scheme

Not compulsory, as some work with a whole rainbow of colours, but from my personal experience, I know that if I have a colour scheme it will make for a more coherent wardrobe, making dressing much, much easier. From the photos its quite clear to see that I am partial to : denim, camel/tan, black, grey, a bit of blue and a bit of blush pink. Neutrals, i find, are the easiest thing to remix, and for me this has been the most enjoyable capsule for me so far as i love every piece i've included ( I have actually flexed out some of the t-shirts as its just too cold now after a drastic drop in temps.. but i'll come on to that later)

So with my neutrals I love to add in a pop of colour or print here and there with an accessory.

•  Include great basics

For me Jeans are SO important to my every day life. I love a good pair of jeans, so finding what suits and fits well, and ones you know will wear and wash well is important. A big portion of my capsule are infact jeans after coming unstuck last Spring and not having enough.

I also couldn't live without a plain white top and black top, yes they are incredibly simple, but they are a must for remixing under dresses, with cardigans, skirts etc. 

• Have your Fun items

For me key items are those pieces that bring a little pizzaz, usually for me that's with my coat. I do like a nice coat or two.. But what this could be is a fun top, an on trend piece or something that is perhaps a bit different. Its nice to throw in a wildcard here and there and enjoy remixing it.

• Number isn't important

Don't get hung up on a number. If you google 'capsule wardrobes' many articles will tell you your capsule should be 35 pieces or less including shoes and accessories. 

But just work with what is best for you! I work at around 40, but that doesn't include my shoes and accessories or coats at the moment. Infact i have found I'm not wearing a few of these pieces and it could decrease by about 6 i'd say, however, I'm happy to flex. 

The idea behind a capsule is to make your life less about buying more and more and working happily with a contained selection. If you previously had hundreds of items, but have now gotten it down to, say 50 items, then well done, that's awesome! 

This isn't supposed to be a painful process, its to help you wear what you have, make dressing each morning easy and enjoyable.

•  Use the Flexi-Wardrobe way

I've mentioned this lots of times, but with British weather having a mind of its own, I find a Flexi-Wardrobe works best for me. This means that if i start a season with tshirts but know as time goes on they aren't getting worn because its just too cold, i will flex them out for pieces that i know i will wear (sweaters in my case). Its important to keep this a one in one out process, and try where possible to switch in things you already own instead of seeing it as an excuse to shop. The Flexi-wardrobe enables me to work with a smaller number of clothes but not be closed minded to the fact that sometimes, something needs to be switched out. 

Again, if something isn't working for you ( I had that recently with a particular shirt.. i liked it in theory, just not on) switch it out, donate it to a friend or sell it. There's no point keeping it and feeling bad that you're not wearing it, or feeling like you could have had a better top if you hadn't of included it. You are restricted in numbers (to a degree of course) so its important to make sure you are utilising every single piece. Therefore if its not working for you, flex it out and replace it.

•  Make a list of outfits with corresponding items

I always do this so i feel even more prepared. I sit on the end of my bed looking in to my wardrobe and mentally plan outfits. I make a note on my phone of outfit ideas; so say biker jeans+checked shirt+ biker jacket. I do this in point form so its nice and clear. Each morning if my brain isn't firing on all cylinders, I look at my list and decide what outfit i'd like to wear

•  Store/Sell the rest of your things

So anything that you aren't including in your capsule, sell it,donate it or store it. I sold lots recently (and still am here!)and that enabled me to buy a few more pieces that i needed for this capsule. It was self funded and meant i didn't have to touch our family income to fund some shopping. Put out of season pieces, or things that you think may be useful in future keep in storage, then each season pull out your storage and see what you have to work with. From there you will know if and what you may need to buy.

•  Keep a separate drawer for gym clothes, loungewear.

Nothing else needs to be said there really. Just keep these to a minimum and no need to include in your capsule.

•  Shop if you want, just try to shop less

This isn't about deprivation, if you do want to shop still do it, but it's all about moderation. There's nothing worse than craving something you feel you can't have. You will end up just being miserable and resenting the whole process. Try not to shop for the sake of it, shop clever and if you purchase something make sure it will work hard for you and with your other items in your capsule. Anything you add in has to be an asset. 

Also if you are adding something in, try taking something out so you really are careful about what you shop for. If you're already happy with what you have and can't think of anything you would want to take out of your capsule, then think, do you really need to purchase that new piece? The answer is probably no. But give yourself time to think on it before making a purchase. 

And that's it, I really recommend giving it a go, even if its just for one season, it really open your eyes to the potential of living with less but still have great outfits and being happy with what you have.

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and i will help as best i can!

Tips for Making a Capsule Wardrobe Work for you!

Image Via Here (and they talk about capsule wardrobes.. could be worth a read)

I promised the grand (not that grand) unveiling of my summer Capsule this week, but what i didn't envisage when i set myself that date was half term holiday week and being busy entertaining a 5 year old. Which is cool and all because its beautiful weather and we've been to the beach, and returning today because some one is obsessed with fossil hunting, we also have a Zoo trip scheduled ( with the specific request of a rhino and giraffe) and a day out with friends.
So all in all a lovely busy week ahead.

Leaving me not much time to get my arse in gear and get my capsule sorted.

So i'm giving myself a week off. A week off from clothes... i mean i will be still wearing them and all, 'cos quite frankly without them its a truly scary site, but I will be going super relaxed and not bothered in the slightest type-style.
But in the background and every spare minute, I am making lists and mentally compiling what my summer wardrobe needs.
I pulled down a lot of my summer clothes this weekend, it seemed like the perfect time as the Sunshine was out and the days have been beautifully long and warm, so my head was firmly in summer mode (watch it rain all next week now), so I now know what i have to work with and what i may need to purchase to fill any holes.
I've started a little shopping to buy a some things that will blend others well and am getting my head around it all for the season. It's hard to shop/organise with hindsight as you really don't know what you're going to be dealing with for an entire season.
Anyway, I'm babbling. Can you tell i'm fully loaded on caffeine, 5 hours sleep and 3 strong cups of coffee will make you babble like a baffoon apparently.

The main reason for today's post is to bestow unto you some of my knowledge on Capsules from my Spring experience.
I've had lots of lovely comments and messages to say that the hole Capsule thing is exactly what they need.. so here goes.

My Top Tips for starting a Capsule

START WITH....

• Take everything out of your wardrobe. EVERYTHING. Put it on your floor/bed ready to go through. Put back in to the wardrobe the amount of coat hangers that you're going to be working with in your capsule. Mine was 38 so I put back in 38 coat hangers. It helped me visualise how many pieces were going back in

• Make Piles: If you've not worn it in a year put it aside for giving away/selling. If its the wrong season, store it. If you love it keep it in the 'Keep' pile.. simple but effective.

• Sell, Get rid, Store. Going on from the excellent piles you've made, decide what you want to keep, what you don't like anymore and what you want to store. In the get rid pile i split it into a further 3 pile: Give to Friends, Charity shop, Sell.  I give friends and family first dibs on anything, i love to give clothes away and see them have a new lease of life. If it's something in really good condition that is branded then i will usually sell it on Ebay. Anything else I give to charity or Cash4Clothes (you get a small amount of money, but it all goes back in the pot) 

• Anything made from selling clothes goes in to the pot for buying new pieces that will fit well in your capsule

PLAN..

• What does your lifestyle require? This is quite an important contributing factor, there's no point planning in 15 cocktail dresses if you're really not a dressing up person. My life doesn't require anything other than smart-casual at the best of times, so for me I know that casual with a hint of smart is all I need.

• Now look at what you own (after you've removed all the things that aren't you're best and favourite). A key piece of advice would be, try them all on. I didn't do this last season, and a few gained pounds later and suddenly a couple of my items no longer fit (nice). But, make sure you are comfy and genuinely like your clothes,and that you would happily wear it and not just putting it in because it's on-trend/seen on somebody else/was pinned on pintrest (I also did that with a certain black skirt.. which ultimately failed me). 

• Make a list. I number a page with 1 to 38. I then list my pieces i have that i want to keep on the list in order of Tops, Bottoms, Dresses, Jackets, Knitwear. Start with 10 tops, 10 bottoms (skirts, shorts, jeans) and 6 Dresses, then add in or take away knitwear and jackets as and how is best for you (nb: I'm not including shoes or bags in my summer capsule.. more on that soon.. entirely up to you of course if you want to include them in your number, i did in Spring and my number was a nice round 45).

• Work to a (loose) Colour Scheme. I really found this helped when putting pieces back in to my wardrobe. I new that i loved neutrals, denim and had a kick of red and khaki as well. This worked well for me in Spring as it makes each piece easy to remix. The colour scheme only has to be a loose one as the odd colourful top is fun too, but as long as it can be worn mulitple ways (see point below)

• Are your pieces Intermixable.. ie not 30 dresses. Look at each item, can you picture at least 3 ways to wear it with other items? Its a great way to keep your wardrobe interesting through the season.

• See what is missing. Are there any glaringly obvious holes in your capsule? Do you have lots of tops but not enough bottoms? Make a note of anything you may need to shop for later.

SHOP...

• Just to stress.. this isn't an exercise in shopping, wherever possible, use what you have and add in around it. You've got a loose colour scheme and know what colours will work best with what you already have, there's no point going out and buying something completely off the wall that won't go with what you already have. Obvious fact, but so easily done. Shop for pieces that will help glue the rest together. It may be a great jacket or the perfect jeans. But something that will make other items you already have come to life.

• Buy quality. You will be wearing and washing these items a lot! So when you shop look for the quality in items, is it a brand that you know? Does it look like it will wash and wear well? My favourite brands so far are Madewell, Warehouse and Whistles. Each time i shop from these i know my pieces last me years.

• Denim BFF. This is a personal one, but denim is a central point of most outfits for me. Because I work from home, am a mum and have a generally casual lifestyle denim is a huge contributing factor to my wardrobe. I made the mistake of buying some cheap skinny jeans, but the knees gave out and they went all saggy. This goes hand in hand with above, but invest in jeans.. They don't have to be super expensive, but it will definitely help. My £20.00 jeans were hanging by the end. I'm looking at replacing with some Levi's and Rag & Bone. High street wise I've found River Island jeans great quality and people speak highly of Topshop jeans of course too.

SIDE NOTES...

• I don't include any work out wear in my capsule... not that i work out, but i know lots do. For me its dog walking/hiking clothes. I have separate jeans and trainers for those tasks that i don't include in my capsule. I keep them in a draw by themselves and reach for them when needed.

• The number of your capsule is not important. You may work to 50 pieces or 25 pieces. Its all about what works for you and is less about numbers and more about making items work hard for you without having to shop constantly.

• This isn't a total shopping ban, as like a diet, cutting yourself off can induce binge worthy consequences (I've done the 100 day no spend twice.. binged bought both times afterwards). Just don't go overboard as it defeats the object. I shopped for 2 pieces half way through my Spring capsule and those two items helped transform a number of outfits and lifted my capsule just when i needed it. I didn't beat myself up about it, sometimes needs must.

• Allow for fluidity. If something really isn't working for you, no matter how hard you planned it, it's ok.. some-things just don't work. Swap it out. There's no point keeping it in if its making you unhappy and disabling your capsule.  Also flexing in raincoats and such if needed (lets pray they aren't) is a good idea.There's no way of planning for every eventuality whether that be a really fancy doo or weather issues, just allow yourself to flex, look at what you own and see if there is something suitable for you to use for that occasion.

And if you made it through that, well done!!

I hope that has helped as a loose guideline, the thing is there are no hard and fast rules, this is just advice from my perspective. I loved not shopping all the time, it freed up so much mental capacity that i started doing other things (and yes I used to online browse that much!). I also love the fact that I am getting my monies worth from my clothes and that none of the pieces are just lingering somewhere in the back never seeing the light of day. 

This works for me, it actually makes me really happy.

I would love to know your thoughts on Capsule Wardrobes and if you do them or would consider them.. Let me know in comments below!