It is so easy to get stuck in a cycle of purchasing what we think we “need” or impulse buy if we feel it is something that will make us happy to own. However, the collection of things very rarely leads to contentment. 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed every year globally. (source) What?! Average Americans throw away over 70 lbs of textiles every year! (source)
I myself found that I had little control over my clothing spending, and had a closet full of clothes that I wasn’t even all that crazy about. After trying my first capsule wardrobe, my spending halted altogether. I also felt a freedom from the heaviness that excess and materialism tend to leave in our impulsive paths. It not only slimmed down the visual clutter, but freed up all the clutter mentally. It doesn’t have to be boring either! This was my bold color summer capsule. I knew the items I chose to use were ones that fit me well and made me feel myself! They were pieces I could use all season long, and I didn’t have to spend any time trying to find things that paired together.
(Clothing rack via IHOD Shop)
If you are ready to give it a try, write a goal to keep you motivated during the first steps!
CAPSULE WARDROBE GOAL:
ie: Step away from excess, and build a wardrobe that can be worn with ease and confidence.
The best way to get going is to pair down and start fresh! This is just a helpful guide to building a fall capsule wardrobe in simple steps. It will take time initially to get started, but it will save you both time AND money throughout the season following.
Step 1:
Take stock of what you have!
Make a list of what you will need over the coming months, including any special occasion wear. See what items can mix and match, what you can see yourself wearing multiple times, and items that make you really happy to wear. I’m all about a bold pattern!
Step 2:
Purge. Pull anything you haven’t worn in the last year. Be honest with yourself and acknowledge you probably won’t wear it anytime soon if it hasn’t been touched in over a year! For example, I have pieces I really love that just don’t fit quite right or doesn’t go with anything else I own, etc. It may be hard initially to part with all of these items, but I can guarantee you will feel freedom when you detach from the material clutter. Donate these items to a women’s shelter, a thrift store that supports a worthy cause, or you can even find local non profits who will come and pick them up clothing and coats from your front door to use for the homeless. (This infographic on donated clothing was eye opening.) If you are needing to make some extra cash, try Poshmark or Depop to sell your gently used items. If the item is unusable or too worn to donate, recycle. This is a helpful article on the benefits of recycling your clothes.
After you have gone through once, and your pile is still a little too large….purge again. Do the items fall into a category of something you genuinely love and feel good in or something you will get a good deal of use out of? If the answer is no, I bet you won’t miss it!
Step 3:
Take note and purchase what you still need. Some people are pretty minimal with capsules. I have seen 10 pieces in 10 day challenges, or 30 pieces for 30 days. (I recently posted 8 looks with 8 pieces of clothing.) It is up to you, depending on your lifestyle and preference. Once you determine your number, you will be able to shop with a clear purpose and goal to avoid the rest of the distractions! The Cladwell app is fantastic for taking note of what you have in your closet and showing ways you can mix and match, as well as offer recommendations based on your style. I also really like creating a private pinterest board to pin items I am considering purchasing to visually see how they work next to each other. You can also consider shopping secondhand for any items you need via apps like Poshmark and ThredUp. If you are shopping for new items, it might be worth paying a little more for quality staples that will not wear after a few washes. I will share favorite places to shop soon.
I absolutely love this infographic Anuschka Rees created as a guide for going through your closet. I changed Trash to Recycle though;)
Lastly, some small space and simpler closets to get you motivated….
(image via Glitter Guide)
(image via House Tweaking)
(image via Camille Styles)
I look forward to sharing my own capsule wardrobe for the fall season very soon! If you give this a try I would love to see what looks you come up with. I hope this is a helpful guide to getting started!
