If you frequent fashion forums online, then you might have come across people doing the Capsule Wardrobe Challenge. But what exactly is it? Read on to find out what it is and get a few tips on how to build a Capsule Wardrobe that works for you.
RELATED: Marie Kondo is Releasing a New Book…and It’s For Kids!
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
Imagine waking up late on a work day. You hurriedly grabbed a top and a bottom piece of clothing inside your wardrobe without a second thought and after arriving at the office, you suddenly realize that your floral shirt doesn’t match your plaid trousers. This is what the Capsule Wardrobe aims to avoid. It wants to make sure that every piece of clothing is something you really want to wear and will match almost all the other pieces of clothing that you have. The aim is to minimize the number of clothing items you own while maximizing the number of outfits you can wear with them. In short, quality over quantity.
Why should I build a Capsule Wardrobe?
If you don’t want to end up like the hypothetical person above, you should consider building your own Capsule Wardrobe. It gives you an easier time deciding on your “Outfit of the Day.” It will also let you focus more on the quality of your clothes rather than the quantity.
Apart from that, it will also help you eliminate all the unused and unwanted pieces of clothing that are collecting dust in your closet. With that, it will help make space for your other things. Make your place more organized with the help of this activity.
How do I achieve a ‘Capsule Wardrobe’?
Step 1: Think about what you want and need
To maximize the Capsule Wardrobe, it has to be tailored for you. So before starting, ask yourself what you want out of this. What do you usually do? Are you a big boss of a company who needs to wear a suit every day to work? Are you a creative professional who prefers wearing jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers to the office? Knowing what you need will help you understand which pieces of clothing to keep and which to throw away.
Step 2: Create a checklist and decide how big your wardrobe will be
View this post on Instagram
Now that you have an idea on how you want your wardrobe to turn out, it’s time to decide how many pieces will stay. A few hardcore minimalist fans will tell you that their wardrobe only consists of less than 20 items all in all. But if it’s your first time doing this challenge, don’t try to overwhelm yourself by eliminating a big chunk of your current closet. Some people recommend starting with 30-40 pieces.
Step 3: Put all of your clothes on the bed
View this post on Instagram
Like how you do it in the KonMari method, try to put all of your clothes on the bed. This will give you a good view of your current wardrobe. After going through your clothes, think about which ones are your favorites, which ones don’t get enough love, and which ones you’ve forgotten about but would love to wear someday.
Another good reason for putting it on your bed is that you’ll stay motivated to finish it because you won’t be able to lay down and sleep until it’s done.
Step 4: Decide which goes and which doesn’t
This is probably the hardest part. To do this, run each of the pieces through a three-question test—do I want it? Will it fit the aesthetic that I want? Will I use it often?–if you said yes to all three, then congratulations! That piece stays. Repeat this step until you reach the desired amount of pieces.
Step 5: Buy the things that you need but do not have
While the main purpose of the challenge is to minimize the number of clothes that you have, it doesn’t mean you can buy extra essentials. If you can’t stop thinking about that jacket you saw the other day and you know you will get the most out of it by using it every day, then, by all means, go get it! Just be careful that you don’t go overboard with shopping that you end up having 100+ pieces of clothing again.
Step 6: Enjoy your new outfits!
Don’t forget to snap those #OOTDs!
What do you think about building a Capsule Wardrobe? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
