Tell me if you can relate… First, I am not where I want to be physically so I haven’t been feeling special in my clothes. Second, I recently realized that I hated almost every article of clothing I owned. Third, I had so many clothes I felt overwhelmed, never knowing what to pair with what, and staying perpetually bogged down by laundry. I found myself heading into the new year with 40 extra pounds and the list above as it pertained to my wardrobe.

Then I discovered CAPSULE WARDROBES. Don’t go down the interweb rabbit hole yet… I will take you there shortly. In a nutshell, capsule wardrobes encourage you to pare down your pieces to the things you really love, that make you feel great, and to let the rest go. Once you get in the groove you can even apply this process to more than just clothes!

And before I lose you, you get to keep your yoga pants! I have mine on as I am writing this.

This is my first venture into creating a capsule wardrobe, and Alabama’s indecisive weather caused a wonky start. I will be doing some tweaks and may visit again in the Summer with a refresh, but for now, this is how I began my process.

Getting Your Capsule Wardrobe Started

• Find some inspiration. I think a good starting place is investigating the #capsulewardrobe and #project333 hashtags on Instagram. Find those accounts that appeal to you and follow them.
• Make your own rules. Many of the guidelines I have seen hover around 30-33 wardrobe items (thus, Project 333) with jammies, undies, and workout wear being extra. BUT the really strict folks include bags, jewelry, etc.
  Take this opportunity to finally purge that closet and dresser. Maybe have a rummage sale and use the proceeds to fill in any staple pieces.
• Embrace the thrift store! Need a white tee or a black skirt, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK! Not sure where to go? Check out the Explore Huntsville app for a list of local faves. You can also find classic pieces on Poshmark to help reuse, reuse, & recycle.

Here are a few of the looks I can put together from my current Capsule Closet:

What a Capsule Wardrobe Can Look Like

TOPS:
1 long blue tunic top
1 floral cardigan
1 floral shawl
2 button downs (white and blue pinstripe)
1 floral Matilda Jane long sleeve shirt
2 tunic tees (one navy blue and one blue and white striped)
a grey v neck tee
a green tee
2 black tank tops
2 graphic tees (one with an octopus and one with a quote).

BOTTOMS:
3 pairs of shorts (denim, khaki, and black)
3 skirts (a short grey, a short striped, and a long blue and white maxi)
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of thin denim pants

DRESSES:
1 blue dress

I also have my shoes, purses, jammies, undies, and workout clothes, and started purging all of that as well. I’ve limited myself to a couple of pairs of shoes and a couple of purses as well as a pair of pearl earrings and a pair of hoops. Watches are my favorite so I’m keeping all those.

The truth is, it feels fun and comfy. I am looking forward to building my Summer and Fall wardrobes, and I’m thinking of staples more rather than just blowing money on random items.

We all have our own unique style, and we can use our personal wardrobes as a part of that flair. Have fun friends!

This article was published in 2018 and has been updated with current info.

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