Waking up in the morning and having to comb through your closet to find an outfit to wear can be a headache. It’s been found that humans make roughly 35,000 decisions a day, which is a lot! By the end of the day, you’ll feel wiped out and exhausted. Limiting the number of choices you need to make throughout the day can help you stay sharp, alert, and energized.
To start your day off right, it’s best to create a capsule wardrobe. Simply put, a capsule wardrobe is a small collection of essential items that can be mixed and matched to make over a thousand different outfits. This minimalist trend is making waves and for good reason. Take a look below to see how you can create your own capsule wardrobe in a few simple steps.
Purge your closet
The first step to creating a capsule wardrobe is purging your closet. If you have dresser drawers that are overflowing and a closet rod that’s about to snap, it’s time to get rid of some items. The point of a capsule wardrobe is to have a select number of clothing items to reduce the number of decisions you need to make when getting dressed.
To begin your overhaul, create two piles: a keep and donate pile. In the keep pile, place neutral-colored staples that can be worn with a variety of different pieces, such as black jeans, a white button up shirt, and a gray cardigan. In the donate pile, give away fast-fashion items from stores like Forever 21, GAP, and Cotton On. This is because these stores create cheap, low-quality items to keep up with current trends. However, once the fad has passed, you’re stuck with an item that’s no longer in vogue.
Instead, stick to basic essentials that can be worn and worn again without going out of style.
Choose your base colors
Making over your wardrobe is going to take some time upfront, but it will pay off in the long run. Once you’ve purged a bulk of your items, choose a base color or colors. For your base, it’s best to stick to black, navy, or shades of brown, as these colors can easily match most colors.
Find neutral- and accent-colored essentials
This next step is the fun part where you get to show your personality with pops of color. First, find neutral-colored essentials that come in solid colors, such as black, gray, white, and beige, as these are always in style. When choosing your neutral-colored garments, keep your base colors in mind—navy and black don’t mesh well.
As for accent-colored pieces, add some personality! With these essentials, you can choose garments with patterns, designs, or bright splashes of color that add some pizzazz to your style. These pieces will help you flaunt your accessories, such as cool watches and fun earrings, which we’ll discuss shortly. As for now, if you want to dress more stylishly with a capsule wardrobe, consider these neutral- and accent-colored pieces:
- Women’s Tops: Gray short-sleeved tee, white button-up shirt, chambray button-up shirt, gray sweater, beige cardigan, black long-sleeved shirt, black sweater.
- Men’s Tops: Black V-neck tee, gray long-sleeved shirt, white button-up shirt, black henley tee, navy collared polo, white short-sleeved button-up.
- Women’s Bottoms: A pair of blue, black, white, and gray skinny jeans, black skirt, blue denim skirt, gray ankle pants.
- Men’s Bottoms: Blue denim jeans, khaki pants, gray slim-fit jeans, navy corduroy pants, black denim shorts.
- Women’s Dresses: White dress, black dress, chambray dress.
- Men’s Jackets: Navy sport coat, beige utility jacket, black leather jacket, gray peacoat, blue jean jacket.
When it comes to your accent-colored pieces, choose colors like red, pink, olive, mint, purple, lilac, turquoise, canary, and rose. You can also add some patterned items, such as a floral blouse, striped long-sleeved tee, and polka-dotted button-up.
Accessorize
Your accessories will help you pull your outfit together. Plus, having a few different accessories will allow you to create even more outfits with fewer items. Accessories are also a great way to help you feel confident in your clothing. For women, a black handbag will go well with any outfit and will help you feel classy and chic while storing your essential items like your phone and wallet. For men, consider a beige backpack or messenger bag.
Jewelry can also take your ensemble to the next level. Statement necklaces and bracelets are a great addition to any wardrobe, while classic timepieces and sleek sunglasses can help you pull off a cool look.
Key Takeaways
Having a capsule wardrobe will save you time and energy every morning. With less time spent trying to decide what goes with what, you’ll feel less stressed as you head out to work. With just a few essential pieces, you’ll be able to dress comfortably and stylishly every day.
