I really love the idea of a capsule wardrobe. Having only a few staple pieces which you mix and match, and only needing to buy the odd trend item each season. That is what I thought until the week before Christmas when I decided I was actually going to make this capsule wardrobe happen. Turns out it is harder to reduce your wardrobe than I thought!
I am one of those people who is either all or nothing. When I am feeling really ruthless, I can approach my wardrobe with confidence, and get rid of everything that I haven’t worn over the last year, when I am not so ruthless, I can add sentimental value to even the oldest most boring tee, and convince myself I have to keep everything.
I have been in a dilemma about how to approach a wardrobe clear-out, as I do not like to hoard items usually, and if I am shoving my old clothes into bin bags, I would rather send them straight down to the charity shop than store them up in the loft. However about a year ago I relocated and went on a cut-throat mission to reduce the amount I had to move, and threw almost everything out. This turned out to be a complete disaster.
So many great items were tossed out of sheer panic for packing space, and some really nice pieces have come back around and are now on trend. I still sit here and think about the perfect pair of new ankle boots I stuffed into the charity bag, and the metallic caged heels that would be ideal for the party season. Grrr!
So, my approach this time around was to be much more careful and thoughtful. I started off by doing a LOT of research on capsule wardrobes, and making lists of my own.
During the list making process I realised that my idea of a ‘capsule’ wardrobe was actually more of a shipping container, however the items on my list were things I currently owned, and probably weren’t making the most of, so I decided this was ok.
I am really happy with the list I initially put together, and as much as it is very similar to most others capsule wardrobe ideals, I do feel that it reflects how I like to dress, and my own personality (I believe that you need to incorporate your own style, with your favourite pieces, otherwise you won’t make the most out of your new wardrobe, and this defeats the point).
I started off with the basics.
Vest tops
Basic tees
Shirts
Jumpers
Dresses
Shoes
Coats/Jackets
Once I had these main headings, I expanded on these with the exact items I wanted to include:
Vest tops (for wearing under shirts/jumpers)
I think it is necessary to have a few vests, and I recommend a skin colour, white, black, and grey. This way you have a vest for under other items, and this colour palette fits with every other colour. You can get these from pretty much every high street store. The best value for money I have found are Primark and New Look where they range from a tiny £1.50 to around £4. Bargain!
Basic tees
I just love wearing a basic tee. It can be thrown on when running errands, or glammed up with jewellery and coated jeans for a dressier look. I have gone for black, white, grey, and striped. Monochrome is just perfect to build upon. In order to cover all seasons, and to have layering options, I have these colours in both short sleeved, and long sleeved.
The great thing about tees is they are so cheap. You can splash out if you want to, and there are some amazing tees from ASOS, Brandy Melville, and the like, however you can pick them up from Primark for as little as £2.50. My personal faves are from Forever 21. The tees range from £3-£5 for their basic range and they are such good quality for the price. They fit really well, and are so so so soft!
Shirts
Ah I just cannot live without shirts! They are great for all seasons, so will be a really good item to invest in. I wear them layered in the winter, and around my waist in case it gets chilly in the evenings during summer.
My chosen shirts are denim, red plaid (love love love), black and white plaid, black sheer (for a smarter look), a longer length plaid to wear on its own with leggings, and a classic white shirt to wear either in the office, or under jumpers. These range in price depending on the style and the store.
I am such a bargain hunter and have scoured the stores to find the best deals and, believe it or not, you can find such good deals in different departments, such as men’s and children’s.
I might sound crazy but my red plaid shirt actually came from the men’s section in Primark. It was £10 and because it is men’s, the shape is nice and straight, rather than cropped and fitted, perfect for layering on top of tees.
Jumpers/Cardigans
Again, such a staple piece that can break the bank, or be a complete bargain! I like to mix and match, and to be honest, most high street stores offer great quality jumpers for tiny prices. Mainly H&M. I find their ranges really good, on trend, and at reasonable prices.
I have gone for a few jumper options for a capsule wardrobe, these are; black, khaki, roll neck, Arran knit, and a chunky cardi. I like to wear black or khaki with a tee or a shirt underneath, and they are great layering pieces, and having basic colours means you have more freedom to mix and match.
Jeans
Argh doesn’t every woman have a love hate relationship with jeans? My main piece of advice when it comes to jeans is if you find a pair that fit, buy a pair in every colour! Seriously! I am (and I am sure so are many women) not the generic jean shape, and when I find a pair that fit I can hear the hallelujah chorus.
Leggings
I love a good pair of leggings. I prefer mine to be really thick, as I don’t like to see those pesky pant lines through the fabric no no no! Forever 21 have a great range of leggings, as do Topshop. My mum actually swears by Topshop leggings, and for only £12 that sounds good to me!
I do like to have a few pairs on standby, and have been enjoying a sportier legging look, as these have more stretch meaning extra comfort (win), and I love the slight sheen sports leggings have – almost wet look but not overdone. Misguided have a great sports range, so it might be worth checking out their sports leggings too!
Dresses
Dresses are great for both winter and springtime. I love to wear thick black tights, and a dress layered with either a plaid shirt, a jumper, or chunky cardi. With the latest pinafore trend, you can always go one step further and layer a tee under your dress. The possibilities are endless!
I have chosen to include just a few dresses in my collection, firstly an LBD/party dress for the holiday season, and any events/occasions you may have in the first half of the year. I bought a dress as a last minute panic before a Christmas party, and luckily, absolutely love it. It is £30 from Boohoo bought through ASOS and I am so glad I did.
For more causal days, I have chosen a striped t-shirt dress from Topshop. I love to wear this with black boots, and for the evenings I like to team it with a leather jacket and statement necklace, and in the day my chunky cardi, and a car coat for a relaxed look.
Shoes
I have narrowed my list down to just five pairs of shoes which I believe will see you through from winter to spring (and some even through summer). The first have to be trainers. Simple, comfortable and so fashionable! I love my black Nike’s but there are some great New Balance styles around – check out our kicks page on Pinterest!
Over the knee boots are my absolute love this season. I have black pair, and grey pair from Daisy Street at ASOS for £39.99 each and I just live in them. I find them so flattering, and surprisingly easy to wear. While we are talking about boots, every girl needs a pair of comfortable ankle boots. Ankle boots are great with jeans or dresses, and can be worn every day. There are hundreds of different styles out there, from so many different stores.
The last pair of course have to be heels. How could you possibly make it through the party season, and have the potential of drinks after work, or a night out without a fail-safe pair of heels? I recently got a great pair in the Dorothy Perkins sale for a tiny £10!
Coats/Jackets
For my collection, I have kept it simple and gone for the classics. Firstly a leather jacket, to wear during the day, or to dress up an outfit for the evening, and I love to wear a leather jacket with a big blanket scarf and jeans. I got mine from Topshop for around £50, but literally every store has leather or faux leather, and even vegan leather jackets.
The second coat I have chosen is a parka. I always find myself reaching for a parka when it is a gloomy day as they are so cosy, and you need a hood in the rain to avoid the frizz! I also love a car coat, which have become so popular this season. I have a lovely bottle green one from M&S which was around £170, but my second is grey from Primark at a tiny £25. If you shop around you can always find cheaper versions of your fashion favourites.
If you have made it to the end of this article, I salute you! It seems the capsule concept is not something that comes naturally to me!
Please leave any questions/comments and I will be delighted to get back to you – If you end up sorting through your wardrobe tag us in your pictures on Instagram, or Tweet us as we love to see what you guys have been up to!
Emma xx
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