Capsule wardrobes are all the rage right now. If I log into my Pinterest account, I am certain to see at least one capsule wardrobe reference every 30 minutes or so. If I'm being completely honest, this trend is probably what helped to urge me on toward a more Minimalist lifestyle.
Most any person, whether they be Minimalist or otherwise, holds a significant portion of his or her identity in the bedroom closet. This is one reason we may have a hard time letting go of some of these items. "Just in case" insert whatever reason, weight, trends, etc. being the other excuse that allows us to justify our hoarding. Too often we mindlessly make purchases for a version of ourselves, an ideal self, that doesn't exist and probably never will (because that ideal self we have in mind is constantly, incessantly changing with the next impressive advertisement).
I appreciate capsule wardrobes for helping us make use of things we already own. They can be a tool that teaches us what we actually like to wear and what we look good wearing since we'll wear it repeatedly for a set amount of time, usually three months or one season. I haven't tried a capsule wardrobe yet, but it is on my to-do list for the upcoming new year. In recent months I have been focusing on significantly reducing the total amount of clothing I own instead. One will find, should they give either of these thoughts a go, that when we reduce the number of options we have in front of us we don't feel deprived. (If you do feel this way, reevaluate the items in your capsule you've chosen. It may take some trial and error for you to find what works for you.) Instead, we will organically be inclined to be more creative, getting dressed will be less stressful and we will thoroughly enjoy the clothing that we wear every day.
In this article I'd like to share the wardrobe items that I've discovered are the most purposeful to me and therefore will be the foundation of all of my capsule wardrobes in the upcoming year.
Black Chuck's
Need I say more? Okay, I will. What do Chuck's not go with? Seriously. I even wore them to a wedding a few weeks back. I wear them with dresses, jeans, pencil skirts. Quite literally everything. I bought my pair at a consignment store looking brand new, and I've been wearing them daily since. I used credits from bringing in my unwanted clothing in order to make the purchase. If you're considering making a capsule wardrobe and you recognize the need for a certain item, I'd highly recommend going this route. It cost me exactly zero dollars to be able to try out these shoes to decide if I like them. If they had sit unused in my closet for X-amount of time I would have simply taken them back and cosigned them for a few more credits. Easy peasy.
V-neck Ts
Okay, this isn't very "Minimalist" of me, but I will openly admit I have 3 white V-neck T-shirts in my small wardrobe... and two of them are the exact same shirt. I love and use them all. I also have an over-sized black V-neck T that used to belong to my Husband. It's simple, but that's what I like. If I had to choose a singular shirt for warmer months it would most definitely be this one.
3 Pairs of Skinny Jeans
Dark wash for more dressed up days. Light wash for very casual looks and black for everything. Really. Black is my favorite color. It has been my favorite almost all of my life. No, I don't identify myself as goth or a vampire. That stereotype is why I've shied away from the color in the past, but no more. I like what I like. No apologies.
Gray Textured Sweater
Another of my Husband's hand-me-downs that I love is a slightly over-sized light gray sweater. It's not a knit sweater, but has a similar texture that adds dimension to any outfit. When you have a fairly monochrome wardrobe adding a few textured pieces in the form of larger knit sweaters, interesting fabric choices or beaded accents can make things a bit more interesting and personalized.
Black And White Striped Dress
I have a black and slightly off-white striped dress that is a newer item in my wardrobe, but one that I immediately fell in love with. The top has a T-shirt type fit, and the skirt is more or less a circle skirt. It has a zipper in the back that allows you to wear the dress forwards or backwards (with the zipper in front). Plus, it has POCKETS!
Black And Off-white Striped T-shirt
Just a basic Target T-shirt. The fit is great and it pairs well with solids or mixed with prints.
The aforementioned 11 items are my go-to choices. They are my most favorites. If I had to only live with those 11 items, I believe I could do so happily at least for a time.
There is no one-size-fits-all Minimalist wardrobe. No special number that means you've made it. Minimalism is very personal. There is no Minimalist uniform, only your uniform, if you so choose. When one decides to live with less they are choosing hand-in-hand to live with intent by carefully curating what they allow in or out of their lives. In order to do this successfully (aka with happiness) we must be willing to accept ourselves as we are. Not for the ideal self who we want to be, not for who the people around us would be most accommodating to and especially not for the momentary high big business sells to us through the purchase made from an advertisement. Be yourself. And if you don't know how to do that... Practice.
**In reviewing this article before I upload it, I've suddenly realized that every item on this list I've acquired for free. If it interests you, I'll include how. As I mentioned, the Chuck Taylor's I have I traded my unwanted clothing in at a consignment shop in exchange for credits used to make the purchase for these. The white V-neck Ts were bought by my Mom years ago and given to me. I rarely wore them when my wardrobe was larger and thus they still have years worth of wear in them. The black V-neck and gray sweater, as mentioned, were both my Husband's seconds. My skinny jeans and striped T-shirt were acquired by returning a gift and receiving a store gift card. Another pair were thrifted so, eh, almost free. Lastly, my favorite dress was recently acquired for free through a Facebook contest raffle. I hope that gives you some ideas or inspires you to spend less on your wardrobe (if that's your goal) this new year. Many blessings.
