Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak. - Rachel Zoe, designer
Choosing a piece of clothing that normally would not work for you does not guarantee outfit failure. Your outfit's success or failure depends on the other pieces you add to the puzzle.
But the opposite is also true. What would have been a fabulous part of your collection can be nullified by what you pair it with in any given outfit.
So, it is not the individual pieces that create your capsule wardrobe, it's your outfit formulas. And using the outfit formula capsule wardrobe process - which starts with identifying the outfit you want or need - is a better way to have a closet full of clothes you love than to start by identifying how many of each kind of wardrobe item you need.
An outfit formula capsule wardrobe is created by identifying and planning the head-to-toe outfits you want in your closet. And the outfit formula capsule wardrobe process begins with your lifestyle needs, leads to outfit formulas to meet those needs and ends with the clothes you love, hanging in your closet, ready to be assembled into the outfits you planned. ~Jeanine
Here's What We'll Cover on this Page...
Before we start, I want you to know what my wish is for you, at the end of this process.
I believe that hidden inside the process of creating a capsule wardrobe you love is a powerful transformation. It’s the process of becoming yourself, which I believe is a deep calling we all share.
Knowing who you are and how you’ve been made, and being able to express that in a capsule wardrobe made just for you is a deeper process than it might seem, and it’s my wish for you as you go through this information & apply it to yourself.
I believe that hidden inside the process of creating a capsule wardrobe you love is a powerful transformation. It’s the process of becoming yourself, which I believe is a deep calling we all share.
Knowing who you are and how you’ve been made, and being able to express that in a capsule wardrobe made just for you is a deeper process than it might seem, and it’s my wish for you as you go through this information & apply it to yourself.
The Signature Style Quiz
The first step in creating a wardrobe that is quintessentially you is to understand the various elements of your signature style. Creating it is a very personal thing. Embody a style that is true to who you are and what you believe, and that penetrates beyond the surface. After all, the clothes you wear are meant to accessorize and complement the life you wish to live, not dominate or become the only focal point.
-The Simply Luxurious Life
Most of us understand the concept of signature style, and we want a wardrobe that, at least in part, reflects that style.
But it's so easy to get into a rut, or put personal style on the backburner, that sometimes it's good to take a moment's time out to think about it consciously. Here's a style quiz that will help you do that.
As you think about these questions, try to go a little deeper than the instinctive yes or no, and see if you can picture the answers hanging (or not hanging) in your closet…
But it's so easy to get into a rut, or put personal style on the backburner, that sometimes it's good to take a moment's time out to think about it consciously. Here's a style quiz that will help you do that.
As you think about these questions, try to go a little deeper than the instinctive yes or no, and see if you can picture the answers hanging (or not hanging) in your closet…
If you'd like to journal your responses, copy and paste the questions here into a document...
(1) Do you have a sense of style that nourishes you deeply?
(2) When you get dressed, do you see the fullness of who you are staring back at you in the mirror?
(3) When a special occasion comes up, do you have a selection of possibilities hanging in your closet?
(4) Have you let go of the clothes that no longer serve you?
(5) That no longer feel like you?
(6) Have you put together outfits - at least mentally - for each of the ways you normally spend your time each week? Is it easy to find them and choose them?
(7) Are you clear about how you want to feel in the clothes you wear?
(8) Are there outfit possibilities in your closet to meet that need?
(9) Do you know what story you want your clothes to tell about who you are?
(10) Does your closet tell that story?
Give yourself ten points for every yes answer.
And if your score isn't what you want, I hope this guide will help you increase your score in a way that is authentic and deeply satisfying.
Find Your Signature Style
This section is all about the story of you.
Your ideal signature style will make room for every facet of who you are...
The good impressions you want to make. The days when you aren’t feeling your best. Your hopes, your dreams.
And the core of who you are as you experience yourself. You, when you are most you.
Not only does your style tell the world who you are, it reminds you, and those who know and love you, who you are. And I know that sounds like a big job for a collection of clothes and accessories. It is!
But I believe that as the curator of this collection, you are up to the task. And you have all the time you need.
Your ideal signature style will make room for every facet of who you are...
The good impressions you want to make. The days when you aren’t feeling your best. Your hopes, your dreams.
And the core of who you are as you experience yourself. You, when you are most you.
Not only does your style tell the world who you are, it reminds you, and those who know and love you, who you are. And I know that sounds like a big job for a collection of clothes and accessories. It is!
But I believe that as the curator of this collection, you are up to the task. And you have all the time you need.
The better you understand yourself, the better you’ll know your style. The magic of wearing clothes that truly complement your personality is that it enhances your entire being in a subtle but incredibly profound way. - Veronique Blanchard
Done well, this curated capsule wardrobe will empower you and encourage you. It will empower you to use your own energy, and your essence, to support you.
Job interviews, Meeting the parents. Down days. Sick days. Dressy occasions. Unfamiliar environments or new experiences.
So, here are journal prompts or reflection questions to get you started thinking about how you want your style to express who you are & empower you when you need it.
Hover over & then, click the pause button as you go along, to give yourself all the time you need to reflect on each one. Beneath the slideshow is a link you can use to download & print the pdf.
Job interviews, Meeting the parents. Down days. Sick days. Dressy occasions. Unfamiliar environments or new experiences.
So, here are journal prompts or reflection questions to get you started thinking about how you want your style to express who you are & empower you when you need it.
Hover over & then, click the pause button as you go along, to give yourself all the time you need to reflect on each one. Beneath the slideshow is a link you can use to download & print the pdf.
| journalpromptsforstyle.pdf |
Now that you've taken the time to think through those journal prompt questions, and you have a better grasp on your style, you can inspire yourself with a vision board. Your vision board will remind you of each of those style images and style words.
You can do that online, creating a pinboard or other kind of online collage. Or, you can do it with a scrapbook or collage using magazines or other materials.
Once you have created it, you can do one of two things.
You can place it where you will see it every day or see it frequently. Or, you can put it away, in a drawer or box and only take it out every once in a while, to see if you’re on track.
If it’s online, you could make it your screensaver. Or, stick in a file you can access easily whenever you want to take a look.
Whatever you choose, the vision board experience can be very powerful, long after you do it. I have heard and read and experienced many stories where what was placed on the vision board was actualized or manifested, even when the vision board had long been forgotten.
Once you have created your vision board, you will be ready to identify your style type...
How to Identify Your Style Type
There are so many different ways to describe what makes you look the way you do. Whole systems are devoted to explaining it in all its complexity.
And once you understand it, the goal is to choose the way you dress accordingly.
Some style systems will tell you how to dress so that you camouflage your flaws and look more like the current cultural ideal. Others suggest that it’s better that what you wear actually represents what you look like.
I believe, strongly, that you will look best if you wear yourself.
Your best plan is to wear the colors found in your eyes, skin, and hair, the lines and shapes in your body, and the basic outline of your body's silhouette.
And once you understand it, the goal is to choose the way you dress accordingly.
Some style systems will tell you how to dress so that you camouflage your flaws and look more like the current cultural ideal. Others suggest that it’s better that what you wear actually represents what you look like.
I believe, strongly, that you will look best if you wear yourself.
Your best plan is to wear the colors found in your eyes, skin, and hair, the lines and shapes in your body, and the basic outline of your body's silhouette.
Your silhouette is the overall shape of your body plus the way the shapes, proportions, and cut of your clothing cause that shape to appear. Clothing can do one of two things to shift the viewer’s perception of your silhouette - it can either elongate, creating a longer, leaner, more vertical line, OR it can emphasize curves by focusing in in-and-out horizontals, or fit-and-flare as it’s often called. And, for virtually every woman, [focusing on] one is MUCH more effective than the other. - Rachel Nachmias, Society of Extraordinary Style, bestdressed.us
If you are mostly lines, squares or rectangles, and your body is more straight than rounded, wear that in your clothes. If you are rounded shapes, circles and lots of in and out, rather than up and down, wear that.
Are you a mix? Well, there you go.
And there are a plethora of system types to choose from, that will offer themselves as matches for what you are seeing in the mirror and they come to you with a prescribed set of matching clothes and accessories. But the more clearly you can understand exactly what you are seeing in yourself, the easier it will be to personalize any recommendations you receive and to individualize your style.
But how can you identify the shapes and lines you are made of?
David Kibbe, who wrote Metamorphosis in the late 80s and created a system that has influenced many other style systems since then, suggests that you sketch yourself.
Draw an outline of your body (some people trace over pictures) and then look for basic shapes and structure.
The next two videos by Merriam Style, one of which is a video style type quiz, take a different approach, but are based on the same system. Watch as Merriam explains this process of identifying your type...
Are you a mix? Well, there you go.
And there are a plethora of system types to choose from, that will offer themselves as matches for what you are seeing in the mirror and they come to you with a prescribed set of matching clothes and accessories. But the more clearly you can understand exactly what you are seeing in yourself, the easier it will be to personalize any recommendations you receive and to individualize your style.
But how can you identify the shapes and lines you are made of?
David Kibbe, who wrote Metamorphosis in the late 80s and created a system that has influenced many other style systems since then, suggests that you sketch yourself.
Draw an outline of your body (some people trace over pictures) and then look for basic shapes and structure.
The next two videos by Merriam Style, one of which is a video style type quiz, take a different approach, but are based on the same system. Watch as Merriam explains this process of identifying your type...
What do you think?
Did the videos and quiz help you get clearer about your type?
Take your time with this process. It can take a while to see yourself clearly, so be patient and gentle with yourself.
And precisely because seeing yourself clearly is a skill learned over time, I recommend starting small as you build your first capsules.
You may eventually decide that a few of your choices don’t suit you as well as you thought they did, at first. And you want to be pretty settled on what suits you most before spending a lot of money in support of that style.
In fact, long before you spend your first dollar on an outfit for your capsule wardrobe, you might want to do some style experiments and try-ons.
Outfit Formula Auditions
Once you have a sense of your style type, or style type combination, you can begin to experiment with wearing the clothes that will work best for your type. First, I recommend creating a list of ideal outfit formulas. Then, armed with that list, go shopping.
But leave your money and your credit card at home.
This shopping process is just a research experiment. You will be making educated guesses about what will work and what won’t, and then, you’ll try on outfits to confirm them.
Take pictures and keep track of where you found the clothes that seem right. But try to avoid buying anything until you know you’re on the right track.
Did the videos and quiz help you get clearer about your type?
Take your time with this process. It can take a while to see yourself clearly, so be patient and gentle with yourself.
And precisely because seeing yourself clearly is a skill learned over time, I recommend starting small as you build your first capsules.
You may eventually decide that a few of your choices don’t suit you as well as you thought they did, at first. And you want to be pretty settled on what suits you most before spending a lot of money in support of that style.
In fact, long before you spend your first dollar on an outfit for your capsule wardrobe, you might want to do some style experiments and try-ons.
Outfit Formula Auditions
Once you have a sense of your style type, or style type combination, you can begin to experiment with wearing the clothes that will work best for your type. First, I recommend creating a list of ideal outfit formulas. Then, armed with that list, go shopping.
But leave your money and your credit card at home.
This shopping process is just a research experiment. You will be making educated guesses about what will work and what won’t, and then, you’ll try on outfits to confirm them.
Take pictures and keep track of where you found the clothes that seem right. But try to avoid buying anything until you know you’re on the right track.
First Style Steps for Your Capsule Wardrobe
As a Professional Organizer, I’ve never met a closet that wasn’t packed with clothes. In most cases, 80% of those clothes: don’t fit, still have tags, are outdated, need repair, aren’t flattering, or just flat out aren’t worn. As human creatures of habit, we tend to stick with what we love and feel comfortable wearing, and that’s right around 20% of the closet. - Laura Noelle, LauraNoelle.com
STEP ONE - Empty Your Closet
Sticking with what’s familiar and wearing only 20% of your closet is likely to keep you from ever creating the ideal capsule wardrobe you want most. But adding new clothes before you remove the ones you weren't wearing anyway is likely to make the choice of what to wear even more confusing or chaotic.
So, it's time to sort the chaff from the wheat, and in order to do so properly, you need to clear the closet completely, and only add back what gets to stay.
STEP TWO - Sort into Piles
True Love
-it fits
-looks fabulous
-feels good on
-tells you story for you
Not Me, Anymore
Still in good shape, fits and looks okay, but no longer feels like you. Or, it brings back memories, but no longer fits who you are today.
Not Quite Right
-needs mending
-no longer fits
-in poor condition
STEP THREE - Get the Boxes & Label Them...
Will Donate Someday
Garage Trash
The “Let’s Get Real” Box Titles...
-Saving this for Weight Loss
-Saving this for Weight Gain
-Saving this for No Good Reason
STEP FOUR - Create Your New Closet Capsule
Once you have emptied your closet of all the wrong-for-yous, you can then organize what’s left. I recommend organizing by type of item.
So your pants could be first. Next, you could line up your short sleeve tops, followed by their long-sleeved friends. After that you could have sweaters, then cardigans and scarves.
Organizing your closet in those categories - in that order, or a different one, if it works better for you - will simplify the process of finding what you need or choosing what to wear.
Once your closet is ready to receive your new capsule, you're one step closer to beginning to build it. Your next step is the lifestyle audit.
The Lifestyle Audit
What would be ideal is that when you hear about an upcoming occasion, you think of the perfect outfit & remember that you have it in your closet already. And you might want to have several outfits for the lifestyle occasions that happen most often.
Even if you prefer to dress casually, as I definitely do, you will need your version of a dressier outfit for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions.
Think about the past year or two and any surprise occasions for which you didn’t already have something to wear. Then, consider your daily lifestyle and the variety of needs you might have.
Runnings errands, the weekly carpool (or homeschool get-togethers), church, date night, lunches with your friends, meetings, appointments, holiday parties, etc.
For which of those occasions do you still need outfits?
And as you consider each of your own lifestyle needs, see if any outfit formula ideas come to mind that feel like you at your best.
For example, when I was doing this process myself, I knew that it was perfectly okay to wear a pullover top with a pair of leggings, to church. But as I thought about it, I realized that I felt better - more like me - when I added a duster, a scarf, statement earrings or just put more effort into coordinating the outfit in general.
And that outfit formula (duster added), became my daily uniform. Keep reading to find out how to choose your own.
The Daily Uniform: Create One for Yourself
Daily uniforms are a limited set of outfits that align with each of your major lifestyle activities and make getting ready totally effortless. - minimalism.co
How to Choose a Daily Uniform
What you are looking for, here, are easy combinations of top and bottom, or one-piece outfits that you can wear in comfort again and again, and enjoy. If you know you can count on them, there is almost no stress about choosing what to wear.
Because you are going to wear them over and over again, be sure to choose pieces that are of very good quality. You want them to last a long time.
Look for 2-3 daily uniforms in your capsule wardrobe and organize them together in your closet. Choose the accessories you are most likely to wear with them, and make them easy to grab when you need them.
My Daily Uniforms
My primary daily uniform begins with a knee-length duster, or one not much longer.
Because I am petite, the ankle or floor length dusters overwhelm both me and my outfit, so I have learned to avoid them. But the ones that are knee-length or a little longer are just right, and they form the foundation of my primary daily uniform. I love them!
|
Over the years, though, those dusters have been the hardest to find. So this past season, when I saw one everywhere I looked, I decided to stock up. I now have ten dusters, which means I can create what feels like an unlimited number of daily uniform outfit formulas. If there is a signature piece you love to wear, that makes or breaks your favorite daily uniform, those are the pieces to stock up on when you can. So when you get to the part of this process where you design your capsule wardrobe, keep that in mind. The rest of my favorite daily uniform is a pair of leggings, a pair of flats or mules and either a v-neck pullover top or a button-down, collared one. My colorful scarves or big, funky earrings make a great addition to this basic look. I also like to create a hairstyle that is layered and tousled, rather than carefully coiffed. |
Creating Outfit Formulas
Once you know what looks good on you, you can begin to create the outfit formulas you like most, and plan your wardrobe around them.
Aim for at least five outfit formulas, combining your lifestyle needs and the basic lines and shapes that suit you best.
Here are five of my winter outfit formulas as examples...
denim jacket + hi-lo close fitting top + matching leggings, with canvas flats
duster + v-neck top + leggings + flats or booties
tapered knee-length tank dress + short-sleeve knee-length duster
slightly oversized v-neck striped top + matching leggings + floral neck scarf in similar main color + flats
light-colored button-down collared hip-length top + print leggings + flats
For hundreds of outfit formula ideas, download the free printable capsule wardrobe planner.
Once you know what looks good on you, you can begin to create the outfit formulas you like most, and plan your wardrobe around them.
Aim for at least five outfit formulas, combining your lifestyle needs and the basic lines and shapes that suit you best.
Here are five of my winter outfit formulas as examples...
denim jacket + hi-lo close fitting top + matching leggings, with canvas flats
duster + v-neck top + leggings + flats or booties
tapered knee-length tank dress + short-sleeve knee-length duster
slightly oversized v-neck striped top + matching leggings + floral neck scarf in similar main color + flats
light-colored button-down collared hip-length top + print leggings + flats
For hundreds of outfit formula ideas, download the free printable capsule wardrobe planner.
Choose Your Color Palette
Have you identified your ideal color palette?
If not, seasonal color analysis can help you identify a palette of 60 or more of your best colors. Once you identify that palette, you can create a smaller color palette by identifying the colors you like best, that you would most like to wear in the capsule wardrobe you’ll create.
Ideally, you would choose several neutral colors, such as black or grey or camel or ivory or brown. And then, you would choose the other colors you want to wear with those neutrals, like light blue or olive green or burnt orange.
They can be main colors or accent colors, depending on your preference. For a capsule wardrobe, consider choosing no more than five colors to use.
If you want, you can add more later, but keep in mind that you may be choosing matching accessories to go with the clothing colors you choose, and the fewer you start with, the less expensive your capsule wardrobe will be.
Click here to access a free color palette template you can download and print. If, like me, you like to change things up from time to time, make several copies and use one for each new season.
Build Your Core Capsule Wardrobe in 7 Easy Steps
Creating a capsule wardrobe is more than just cleaning out your closet. Instead of just getting rid of the bad stuff, the idea is to design your wardrobe so that every item hanging in your closet is a good choice. - Zara Dubois
Here’s a process that you can use anytime to create a capsule wardrobe, using the clothes you already have. This particular process comes from ClassyYetTrendy.com (though I’ve added a wee bit at the end), and to provide an example of what it looks like, I am going to use myself as an example.
If you haven’t done the closet detox yet, no judgment. But this is another opportunity to clear out anything that no longer serves you.
Before beginning the capsule wardrobe process, take everything out of your closet, until it is completely empty. Then, do the closet detox, and you’ll be ready to begin creating your capsule.
Step One - Start by choosing a dark neutral color as your base color.
I’m choosing dark brown.
Gather together everything you own in this color, from wherever it is in the room, and then carefully choose the pieces you want to be part of this particular wardrobe capsule.
I’m including a dark brown pair of leggings, a long-sleeved dark brown v-neck pullover top, a short-sleeved dark brown v-neck pullover and a brown button-down top.
I also have a long-sleeved dark brown cardigan, but I have never worn it, not since I bought it for winter. Should I keep it? And if I do, should I add it to this collection?
I deliberate for a bit, and then, mentally, get several good outfit formula ideas, using that cardigan that I’d like to try. So I decide to include it.
Step Two - Select several more solid neutrals to add to your capsule.
I’m adding items in ivory, oatmeal, grey and camel: one pair of oatmeal pants, one oatmeal one and one camel pair.
Plus, I’ve got a long-sleeved ivory tee shirt and a short-sleeved version, a ¾ sleeved oatmeal button-down top, a grey tee shirt, a long-sleeved ivory cardigan & a long-sleeved grey cardigan. Missing but desired: grey leggings.
Step Three - Choose several items in your chosen accent colors.
My accent colors are olive green, light olive green, and terracotta/rust.
I am choosing a dark rust long-sleeved cardigan, a dark rust long-sleeved top, a short-sleeved rust v-neck top, a light olive long-sleeved pullover, a short-sleeved olive v-neck tee shirt, a short-sleeved terracotta tee shirt and olive leggings.
For winter, this capsule would include my rust cardi coat. But this is going to be both a transitional and a warm weather capsule wardrobe, and I don’t think I’ll need it.
Step Four - Choose a few items with stripes or patterns
I have an animal print duster cardigan, a striped olive v-neck top, a striped terracotta v-neck top and a floral embroidered terracotta vest.
Step Five - The final step is to choose your shoes & your other accessories.
I have several pairs of flats in different colors (burnt orange, olive green) and a pair of brown platform maryjanes.
Once you have completed those steps, you'll have a core wardrobe you can build on and add a few items to each season.
Want a free, printable blank color palette template? Use that link to access and download it.
5 Steps for Creating a Seasonal Capsule Wardrobe
Professional organizer, Laura Noelle, encourages us to make more room in our closets by only keeping the clothes from the current season in them. Other-season clothes would, for the time being, have a home somewhere else.
The first benefit you’ll find when your closet has only clothes that apply to the current season is the freedom to pick from anything you see. - LauraNoelle.com
Each season, put aside an hour or two to plan for and create your capsule wardrobe for the current season. Take out all of your favorites and swap them in, putting aside the clothes you will no longer need for that season.
Step One - do another lifestyle audit to see if any commitments have changed or new ones been made regarding how you will spend your time.
Step Two - take a look at this current capsule.
Do you need anything new based on your lifestyle audit? Or are there items that no longer fit or won’t work for other reasons? Make sure you have tried everything on before adding it to your closet.
Step Three - make a new shopping list and add whatever is missing from this new capsule wardrobe.
Step Four - identify and plan outfit formulas using this new capsule and aim for the number you will need for each of the lifestyle categories you identified for this season. Include the accessories you will want for each outfit formula you create.
Step Five - go back to your shopping list or wish list, and see if there is anything new you need to add, based on your outfit formula ideas. You also may want to prioritize each item according to how frequently you think you will wear it.
Step One - do another lifestyle audit to see if any commitments have changed or new ones been made regarding how you will spend your time.
Step Two - take a look at this current capsule.
Do you need anything new based on your lifestyle audit? Or are there items that no longer fit or won’t work for other reasons? Make sure you have tried everything on before adding it to your closet.
Step Three - make a new shopping list and add whatever is missing from this new capsule wardrobe.
Step Four - identify and plan outfit formulas using this new capsule and aim for the number you will need for each of the lifestyle categories you identified for this season. Include the accessories you will want for each outfit formula you create.
Step Five - go back to your shopping list or wish list, and see if there is anything new you need to add, based on your outfit formula ideas. You also may want to prioritize each item according to how frequently you think you will wear it.
For the shoes, you can add a pair or two in the same base color, ... add a nude neutral pair of heels or flats, add a casual pair, like sneakers, add boots or sandals... For accessories, choose one or two handbags. A black or beige handbag is always a great addition to your wardrobe because the colors go well with your outfits. Add a statement necklace or one or two scarves to complete your capsule.” - Leanne at ClassyYetTrendy.com
You also can add earrings, rings, bracelets or other kinds of jewelry, creating a small jewelry capsule to go with your new capsule wardrobe.
I am choosing olive flats, terracotta flats, a brown purse and animal print earrings. Missing but desired: grey flats, a grey ring, olive earrings & terracotta earrings.
Once you have chosen everything you want to use in this new capsule, and each one is in your closet or the jewelry box, you will have completed the most important part of this process. Find a new home for the clothes & accessories you won’t need and begin a shopping list for the desired items you still need to acquire.
Step Six - Try on everything you have chosen, to make sure it all fits properly and is in good working order.
Step Seven - While you are trying everything on, begin to create some outfit formulas to wear during the current or upcoming season. If they look as good as you thought they would, create a list of those ideas for future reference.
I am choosing olive flats, terracotta flats, a brown purse and animal print earrings. Missing but desired: grey flats, a grey ring, olive earrings & terracotta earrings.
Once you have chosen everything you want to use in this new capsule, and each one is in your closet or the jewelry box, you will have completed the most important part of this process. Find a new home for the clothes & accessories you won’t need and begin a shopping list for the desired items you still need to acquire.
Step Six - Try on everything you have chosen, to make sure it all fits properly and is in good working order.
Step Seven - While you are trying everything on, begin to create some outfit formulas to wear during the current or upcoming season. If they look as good as you thought they would, create a list of those ideas for future reference.
How to Create a Mini Capsule Wardrobe
There was always an upcoming event, and thus an excuse to go out and buy something new. I have eliminated this scenario by making a well crafted little mini-capsule. - uselesswardrobe.dk
5 Reasons to Create a Mini Capsule - 5 Mini Capsule Ideas
It's certainly possible to create a mini capsule. And in fact, in just a few minutes, I'll show you that it's actually easy.
But why should you consider creating one? Here are several possibilities...
(1) Self-care - you've just had a bad break-up, or you're sniffling an sneezing with this year's flu. And you have a mini capsule for each, along with a style uniform for bad days, down days, and more.
(2) Self expression - you want to connect with or focus more deeply on a part of yourself, like your faith, or your self-confidence. Or a hobby you love.
(3) Travel, holidays, other occasional wear - many people create holiday capsules over the years without even trying. But the result could be that you have several cute red sweaters, but not enough green ones.
Being on purpose about creating this mini capsule will help you get clear about what you need.
The same thing is true if you're packing for a trip. You can get the most out of what you take if you plan it by creating a capsule.
(4) Temporary projects - whenever you're ready to start writing, you make a big pot of tea, clear your schedule for a couple of days and start looking for your coziest clothes. Why not create a cozy clothes capsule?
(5) Weekly wardrobe planning - you could choose to create a capsule every Sunday night as the week begins, based on what's coming up that week, organized around a color you have been wanting to wear more of, or just because you're in the mood to dress for a theme.
How to Create a Mini Capsule
First, identify the reason for your mini capsule.
Next choose the number of pieces you want to use for a capsule. It will match the number of days you spend wearing only those pieces. The 5x5 capsule challenge is popular right now, but you could choose 7 pieces for 7 days or 10 for 10, or whatever number you want.
Once you have settled on a number, choose the pieces you want to wear and set them aside just before it's time to wear your capsule. By the way, your accessories don't count, so you can wear as many of those as you'd like.
Once you begin wearing your capsule, write about how it's going, in your journal, and take note of any changes you would make next time around. And enjoy your mini capsule!
The Capsule Check-Up Quiz: The Five Key Questions
Something happened that I definitely had not planned. I had chosen my capsule color palette, and identified 5-7 basic outfit formulas I could use again and again. I added several pieces to my wardrobe and had a really good capsule wardrobe.
But the motor kept running, and before I knew it, I had added many more items that seemed so perfect at the time.
Has that ever happened to you?
Because it is so easy for the acquisition process to turn into a runaway train, keep in mind how many pieces you think you need. And identify a number above that that you can use to trigger what I call a capsule check-up.
You know those signs that say, “if you see ___, you’ve gone too far?” Decide on what that number would be for you.
Because more is only better until you get to more than enough. Way more than enough is going to become an overwhelming number of choices.
But even if you stay at “just enough,” do a capsule check-up at least once before the season ends.
Here’s what to ask…
(1)Is there anything that didn’t work for me as well as I thought it would?
(2) What is still missing that could make at least 5 outfit formulas better?
(3) What have I loved wearing most?
(4) What have I loved wearing least?
(5) Am I still happy with the current color palette & the current outfit formulas?
Use the answers to make any changes you need to make to continue to feel good about your capsule wardrobe.
Wishing you a wardrobe you will love!
Jeanine
