When I first began thinking about tackling the clothes situation in our home, I looked into minimalist wardrobes. I found a ton of pages, blogs, and articles about capsule wardrobes. I assumed that would be the route I would go, since that seemed to be the minimalist way. This week I dug more deeply into what a capsule wardrobe really is, and while it may be ideal for some people, I don't think it will work for me without some modifications.
What is a capsule wardrobe? The current idea is that you create small subsets of your clothes by season, putting away any out-of-season items in storage. Each seasonal capsule has a bit of a color scheme so that a number of combinations of outfits can be created out of fewer pieces of clothing. Another important aspect to the capsule wardrobe is that the items contained should be of good quality to ensure that pieces will last over time. When the season is over, you pack up and take out your next capsule. The goal is to spend less money over time, since the idea is quality over quantity. I am definitely intrigued, but here are a few reasons why I can't embrace this idea fully.
While I do tend to stick to shades of teal, blue, grey and black, I have no desire to make sure all clothes coordinate. One of the key concepts of the capsule wardrobe is choosing a color scheme so that you can mix and match your pieces to make a variety of outfits. I do like this idea in theory, but I also love having the choice of different colors depending on the day.
I hate seasonal storage. As a mom of two little ones, I already do a bit of capsule wardrobes for them. One of my least favorite tasks is pulling out the next season of clothes to see what does and doesn't fit, and putting away the previous season. I end up putting away and pulling out too quickly, so I end up in a weird purgatory where nothing is quite appropriate. Not to mention, I live in Texas, where really there are only two seasons: hot and not as hot, with a few cold days splattered throughout the winter. Having to rotate my clothes is not something I want to spend my time doing.
Furthermore, my goal is to be really intentional about what we keep in the house, making sure that we find value in each item, and simplifying our lives. I don't want the appearance of less by putting away half my clothes in storage boxes. I really do want to keep only the essentials in my closet, the things that make me feel good when I wear them. I want to be constantly evaluating what I have so I can figure out where I have a need or where I have too much.
I know that the ultimate goal of a capsule is having fewer good quality pieces that will last. However, from the research I've done, I see that I would easily fall into the trap of purchasing additional pieces in order to make my wardrobe "just right". Eventually I do anticipate replacing worn out items with good quality, but for me, a capsule wardrobe would tempt me to do so before it's really needed.
Please don't get me wrong; I think there are some really great ideas with the capsule concept, and I plan to utilize those as I declutter. I think a capsule wardrobe is a wonderful option for a lot of people I love the concept of a streamlined wardrobe, so I just need to modify it in order to fit what works for me. This week I have been working on my clothes, so I plan to post next week on how I did it, what worked, what didn't, etc. Stay tuned.
Do you have a capsule wardrobe? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it works for you, or how you've adopted the idea to meet your needs. Let me know in the comments.
Kelly
As someone who wears every color in the rainbow, I think I'd curl up and die. I know I have WAY too much, but my style is so psychotically varied that I have a lot of different types of clothes! (I'd love someone to secretly photograph me each day for a week because the variety from day to day is absurd! ...Day 1 I look like a hungover college student, day 2 I look like a Bohemian painter, day 3 I have on 3" heels and a flowing skirt, day 4 I look like a 5 year old with a flower in my hair, day 5...etc.!)
ReplyDeleteHowever...I did a lot of research before going overseas for 2 weeks and these exact same concepts applied with all the blogs on packing light: good quality pieces that last and can be worn multiple ways...bring 10 pieces (or less) that coordinate and mix and match. Oh-my-word...the ONLY way to travel! I'm sold!
Hadn't come across that as a full time wardrobe solution. Very interesting. Just know it wouldn't work for someone who adores color and whose "style" is ... well...all of them adapted to my own weirdness!
A capsule wardrobe for every day life would definitely not suit your style. And I think that's the key: you find value in expressing yourself in different ways. And I love that about you! =)
Deleteawww, thanks!
DeleteHi Kelly! I am one that has a capsule wardrobe. I had too many clothes but no outfits. For me, it was a journey of understanding my personal style and how to translate that into an outfit. I needed some major help. Buying a good quality white cotton t-shirt, white linen v neck, navy shorts, and light olive ankle pants were life changing for me. Now I can go into my closet and effortlessly get dressed. I have all my clothes hanging in my closet, but just 20 or so items hanging together that are seasonally appropriate and I have thought through outfits. It has simplified my morning routine and now I feel good about my mom clothes! I do agree with you on the taking out and putting away seasonally - waaay too much work! I keep all my shoes out year round too. I also will pull things from outside of my capsule if I want. So I suppose you could say I am a modified capsule girl!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! What I love is that you do keep everything hung up, but just separated out based on seasons. That is far more appealing to me, and it makes a lot of sense, especially here in Houston. When going through your clothes, did you focus on keeping everything in one general color scheme? Modifying the capsule idea is exactly what I think will work for my life.
Deletefor my "not in season" clothes i have done it two different ways. the one that worked for me: tops sorted by color, regardless of sleeve length, then skirts, shorts, dresses, coats, toppers, and pants, without regard to if they are casual or business or church. i like this much better than grouping all the short sleeve blouses together. I couldn't find anything that way. I bet your color scheme looks awesome with your complexion & eyes! For me I stick with neutrals (navy, ivory, oatmeal, camel) with periwinkle, mint, and coral as my main colors. I didn't get rid of things that didn't fit in, but it helps with future purchases.
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