Capsule Wardrobe

Lately I've gotten to the end of my rope with clothing. When I stumbled across a blog post about a so-called "Capsule Wardrobe" I immediately became obsessed. Here is my plan for creating my own summer capsule wardrobe- and don't worry, I already have a lot of these items (and you do too!) so this won't be as expensive as it looks. In keeping with the most common Capsule trend I kept it to 37 items. This doesn't include underthings, workout clothes, earrings, sunglasses, hair things, lounge wear, PJ's, etc. etc.  I made sure my wardrobe had plenty of pieces for every kind of summer occasion I could think of. 

37 Items for a budgeted $755:

$120 - 8 tops

Look for color, pattern, and texture! 

-Classic white T $15

-Classy graphic T $15

-Tank Top 1 $10

-Tank Top 2 $10

-Trendy/Patterend top 1 $20

-Trendy/Patterned top 2 $20

-Colorful basic T 1 (match skirts) $15

-Colorful basic T 2 (match skirts) $15

$155 - 5 Pants 

Must all be in solid neutrals of denim, kaki, white, or black

-Short 1 $25

-Short 2 $25

-Capri $30 

-Jeans $30

-Dressy capris $35

$75 - 3 skirts

2 must all be in neutrals, 1 may be patterned but must match 3 shirts

-Pencil Skirt $25

-Maxi Skirt $25

-Twirly skirt $25

$100 - 4 dresses 

Color, pattern, and texture is good!

-Sundress 1 $20

-Sundress 2 $20

-Little Black Dress $35

-Other formal-occasion dress $25

$85 - 5 Pairs of Shoes 

Fun colors as long as they don't clash with any shirts

-Flip Flops $15

-Pumps $20

-Casual flats $15

-Sandals $15

-Sneakers $20

$140 - 6 Jackets 

Must all be in solid neutrals of denim, kaki, white, or black

-black shrug $20

-white shrug (lace vest?) $20

-denim vest $30

-light long-sleeve sweater $20

-short sleeve blazer $30

-white button-up $20

$80 - 6 Accessories 

Fun colors as long as they don't clash with any shirts

-Summer scarf (white) $15

-Beads $10

-Bracelets $15

-Belt $15

-Hat $15

-Neutral statement earrings $10

And along with this, here is some of the best Capsule Wardrobe advise I've picked up along the way:

-Don't go cheap with these items. The idea is to get quality that you can wear over and over again, for multiple summers in a row.

-Don't expect to get everything on the list in one year. Save whatever you can from your wardrobe and trade them out for nicer pieces slowly over time. Set yourself a monthly budget so you don't get too carried away all at once! 

-Don't make it too matchy-matchy. Going with neutral bottoms and jackets enable you to vary the colors in tops, dresses, and accessories- and those don't always need to match perfectly in order to look trendy!

-Follow the 4-piece outfit rule: When planning a wardrobe, grab one top+bottom or dress, one jacket, one shoe, and one (or more) accessory. Layering and accessorizing is THE KEY to looking fashionable. 

-Pick pieces that can transfer to fall, spring and winter as often as possible, but definitely grab a couple super-summery pieces to retire too. Having clothes you wear only 1/4 of a year will keep you from feeling the need to shop. 

-Treat yourself to a couple new pieces each season and retire some old ones to keep things interesting. Once your capsule wardrobe is established, you shouldn't need to shop except when something gets worn out or ruined. 

-Form must always follow function- pick clothes that are comfortable and that make you want to wear them.

-Modify any capsule wardrobe formula to fit your specific needs and tastes. 

-Always ask yourself the question- is this the image I want to portray? 

-Don't go too crazy with the latest fashion trends... stick with mostly classic pieces that won't become dated too quickly. 

-Just do it... get rid of the pieces that only work with one or two things. You want a grab and go wardrobe!

Happy shopping, happy purging!