Ana Magniani
Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.-Coco Chanel
In this consumerist time and the aggressive “fast fashion” that is making us want more wardrobe, for a lower price and much lower quality, let me remind you of the wise mademoiselle Chanel. As she was an elegant and practical designer, she brought to us the timeless piece that every woman should own- the little black dress for (almost) every occasion. Also, she taught us that less is more, so let’s be smart and listen to her tips, and build our own capsule wardrobe that will make ourselves and our budget proud.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
The concept of capsule wardrobe was introduced by in the 1970’s by Susie Faux, owner of Wardrobe.
It can be defined as a downsized wardrobe of around 30-40 pieces that are versatile and easily combined together. The capsule includes: tops, skirts, dresses, jeans, jackets, blazers, sweaters, shoes, evening wear, accessories. By combining the pieces of the wardrobe together, you need to pull out at least 20 looks. If it sounds difficult, just think of the torture when you buy something that you really like, but when you come home you realize that you don’t have anything to wear that with. We don’t need excuses for shopping, but imagine how many piles of clothes will you have if you need separate things for every outfit!
How to build the capsule wardrobe?
Firstly, let’s see how the professionals do it.
Justine Leconte (Youtube channel Justine Leconte officiel) is a French designer that has a lot to say about minimal, timeless French style. In her videos she gives advice on buying smart and spending more on staple, high quality pieces, but less on quantity, and by doing that, severely decluttering the wardrobe. If you are disciplined (no more impulsive shopping, ladies!), after time you will benefit from it: getting dressed will be the fastest thing, since you have good planned outfits, and your savings will be bigger.
Does this means that I should wear boring clothes?
No, definitely not. If you define your style, than your outfits will be timeless.
Having a capsule wardrobe will mean that you will have many outfits made of a reasonable amount of clothing pieces. It does not mean that you should wear only basics. It doesn’t mean that you should have only 20 or 30 or any number of clothing pieces. It is just about making good choices of what you need and what you really want to wear, and make the wear out of any piece that you own.
<a data-snax-placeholder="Source" class="snax-figure-source" href="https://www.safestore.co.uk/blog/2016/10/capsule-wardrobe/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.safestore.co.uk/blog/2016/10/capsule-wardrobe/</a>
<a data-snax-placeholder="Source" class="snax-figure-source" href="https://clutterless.ca/article/dress-based-capsule-wardrobe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://clutterless.ca/article/dress-based-capsule-wardrobe</a>
Capsule Wardrobe Staple Items
You should invest in very good clothing pieces that you will combine with few other colorful pieces, so the outfits will always be versatile. Stick to the classic, like Cleo Lacey shows us in the video bellow.
The neutral colors are a good choice in general and with a pop of color to each outfit of smaller items, like scarfs, bags, will look perfectly put together, without looking “cheap”.
The jacket is the staple item, according to Susie Faux. Also, good pair of jeans, black dress, and nice shoes are a must in every girl’s wardrobe.
How do you feel about your wardrobe? Are you confident in your style? Do you need decluttering or more shopping in order to have a great wardrobe? Share your ideas in the comments!
I’ve got lots of clothes I never wear and I few items that I wear constantly.
nice wardrobe
interesting. the second video is way too basic for me. i like all my clothes. i just need to organize them based on seasons. most of my clothes are either casual, elegant or trendy pieces for different activities in my lifestyle.
Thanks for reading, Fifi Leigh. I agree, the second video is all about the basics in the wardrobe, and it is not the only type of clothes that one should own.
I desperately need to declutter. I’ve got lots of clothes I never wear and I few items that I wear constantly.
We all do, Gina145:) That is why I share this smart advices with all of you, because the positive changes that I made following this steps have amazing results! Btw, decluttered wardrobe (and home in general) is equal to decluttered mind:)