What Is a Capsule Wardrobe?
Upon first hearing about a capsule-designed wardrobe, two thoughts could come to mind. One, is this a new way to store clothes in pill-like capsules? And the answer is no; they have not started selling clothing containers in the shape of pills.
Two, is it a wardrobe from a time capsule, a new type of vintage clothing? The second thought is not entirely wrong, seeing as a capsule-designed wardrobe is designed to last through fashion trends.
Sadly it is not a new type of vintage clothing from a time capsule! While capsule-designed wardrobe does not start with clothes from the 1950s, it is made up of interchangeable clothing options that will not go out of style.
History of the capsule-designed wardrobe
Originating in the United States during the 1940s, a capsule was used to describe the wardrobe as small. The idea was that capsule-designed wardrobes would be made up of clothing articles that all went together.
In 1970 the term was brought back by Susie Faux. It was defined as owning a few main articles of clothing for the entire year, adding in seasonal pieces when needed. The term became even more popular in 1985 when Donna Karan released a work-wear capsule collection. This term is used in both American and British fashion industries.
Reason to have a capsule-designed wardrobe
Capsule-designed wardrobes are not only a good financial choice but also cut down on fast fashion and clothing waste. When buying cheaper trendy clothing, the buyer is not always supporting ethical manufacturing.
Businesses want to make money. If the customers want to spend less, the business has to spend less to meet the demand.
Even if the clothing lasts longer, trends come and go. Businesses will often throw away out-of-date clothing to meet the demands, making room for the new trend.
Capsule-designed wardrobes are made to last longer. Paying a little extra, in the beginning, can actually save the consumer money. Let’s say someone is paying $20 every month to replace an item.
By the end of the year, that person will have spent $240 on that item. The item being replaced because it is wearing out will get thrown away, adding to landfills.
Clothing that lasts longer reduces waste and helps the environment. Consumers can go a step further and find companies that work to decrease their carbon footprint, sustainably source, and use ethical business practices.
How to build a capsule-designed wardrobe
After figuring out what a capsule-designed wardrobe is and how it came about, you probably want to know where to start? It is not necessary to avoid buying an entirely new wardrobe.
But if you choose to start fresh, be sure to donate or resell as much of the old clothing as possible. When you’re ready, follow these steps.
- Take everything out of the closet and go through it. Pack up any out of season clothing that will be worn the next time that season comes around. Put clothing that is worn often into piles to be considered for the capsule-designed wardrobe.
- Keep around 30 items total, which can be made up of shoes, clothing, and accessories that can be worn together. These items include the ones that are put away between seasons.
At any given season there should only be 15 items easily accessible. These should fit with your lifestlye and what items you’ll wear often.
Picking out clothes can be a challenge, even if you’re not putting together a capsule-designed wardrobe. Here are some things to consider when choosing.
Lifestyle
How a person wants to dress is not always in line with what they wear or need in their everyday life. If they work in an office with a dress code, the clothing in their capsule-designed wardrobe should not be made up of yoga pants and t-shirts.
Similarly, someone who lives an active lifestyle should not have a capsule-designed wardrobe full of dress clothes. While you can have an outfit that’s suitable for working out or dressing up, make sure the majority fits with your main activities.
Color scheme
Picking a color scheme will help the clothing to coordinate. Color schemes should work with the owner’s complexion.
It can easily be done with your current wardrobe since the clothing there should have a pretty obvious color scheme. This will help you eliminate clothing items that you never wear.
If you really like all colors, it’s best to pick ones that are complementary to each other. Keep the main pieces fairly neutral and use seasonal additions to mix up the colors.
Body shape
Take into account body shape and pick clothing that makes you feel and look great. If the clothing does not make you feel confident, then it will not work for a capsule-designed wardrobe.
Patterns and style
Choose simple patterns and classic cuts when choosing clothes. While pieces with patterns are fine, make sure that they include colors that work with all the rest of the capsule.
Well made material
Choose materials that will last a while. As tempting as it is to buy cheap clothing, remember that the best option is not always the cheapest. A lot of environmentally conscious companies have high material standards.
Climate
Some people live in warmer or colder areas. Taking into account what types of weather are common will help when picking shoes and coats.
If it rains a lot, a peacoat might not be the best choice. Vice versa, rainboots won’t be necessary when living in an area that gets little rain. Making thoughtful choices here allows for more options elsewhere in the wardrobe.
Transitioning a Capsule-designed Wardrobe
The weather is never reliable, which means that transitioning seasonal pieces should be carefully chosen. When clothing can be easily layered, it makes these transitions easier. Having main pieces that can work for all four seasons by adding or taking away seasonal pieces is crucial to a capsule-designed wardrobe.
Winter
Depending on where you live, in winter, you might need snow gear. When living in colder climates, snow boots can double as everyday wear, and gloves/hats/scarves can become an accessory.
After winter, there is often a ‘false spring.’ the weather is warm and sunny, only to have it become cold and cloudy the following week. When this happens, having the pieces you can layer up with will be helpful.
Summer
For summer, a swimsuit will not count in the capsule-designed wardrobe, even though it can be used throughout the year when swimming indoors. This is because it is not considered an outfit.
The exception to this is living somewhere that is warm all the time, and swimwear is worn as an outfit. If that’s the case, then it can become a part of the capsule-designed wardrobe.
Fall and Spring
Fall is similar to spring in that layers work best. A person should take into account how long this season is where they are living. Some locations go straight from summer to winter, making a person have one less seasonal transition with their wardrobe.
The middle of transitions is a good time to make changes to the core capsule clothing as well as decide what pieces need to be replaced. Well-made material will last longer, but not forever.
When an item is to the point it can’t be donated or resold, look for recycling options before throwing it away. Some clothing companies do offer to recycle their worn-out clothing for you.
If a piece is still in good condition, but the owner is ready for something new, then the piece can be donated or resold. This helps to cut down on waste and provides an environmentally friendly way to change up the capsule-designed wardrobe.
Is a capsule-designed wardrobe for everyone?
Whether you like to shop or avoid it at all costs, a capsule-designed wardrobe can benefit you. You’ll be able to get dressed quicker and have fewer decisions to make. For those who love fashion and clothing shopping, capsule-designed wardrobes create the opportunity to make more environmentally friendly decisions.
