If you often fall prey to decision fatigue while deciding the attire for the day each morning, a capsule wardrobe is what you need to make your life easier. It is a small curated personalized collection of clothes, filled with basics, favorites and some more versatile pieces. Courtney Carver, founder of Be More with Less, and Dacy Gillespie, founder of Mindful Closet, break down the steps of creating a capsule wardrobe to suit your needs.
Taking Stock of the Closet
This is the first step in creating your own capsule wardrobe. Give a couple of weeks to yourself to take note of your regular dressing habits. Jot down little details like a favorite item or a preferred choice of color. Once you have a clear idea of your wearing habits and dressing preferences, it will be easier for you to define your style. For a quicker solution, check out Carver’s Project 333, which teaches how to spend 3 months with only 33 pieces of clothing.
Curating the Capsule
The capsule should reflect your lifestyle. For instance, if you spend 60 to 70% of your time in the office, then at least 65% of your capsule should be filled with formal office attire. The first step to do this is decluttering your wardrobe by removing those items that don’t speak to you anymore. The goal here is to isolate the must-have pieces like the most-worn items and the favorite ones. Then comes everything else needed to make those items work like basics and pairings.
Setting the Parameters
Creating a capsule wardrobe is not about making any sacrosanct decision. Allow yourself to adjust by swapping out, adding, or removing items as needed and as per wish. But ensure that you check out your wardrobe periodically. Create a running shopping list by jotting down any gap in your closet. According to Gillespie, this list should be referred back to during tempting times, to resist the urge of mass consumption and prevent you from succumbing to social or peer pressure.