Simplifying With the Wardrobe Capsule Concept
Tired of having a full closet and never knowing what to wear? I think every woman I know has been there! Let’s take a look on how you can organize the closet using a new organizing idea?
The Why and the Benefits – that go way beyond your closet
It’s easy to understand why homes and closets become packed and cluttered, day after day, and why we feel increasingly confined to our homes. After all, there’s an essential conflict between two worlds. One that keeps inviting us to consume more and more, and another that keeps getting more and more packed: our personal spaces. With the strong appeal of the first, it can be hard to swim against the current.
Still, many people, driven by a rejection of consumerism and a desire for greater presence and intention in their lives, have been embracing minimalism as a new way of life. They’re no longer talking about “how to organize”, but instead, they’re focusing on “how to have less,” and by doing so, they have no need to organize.
I believe this movement has been growing so strongly because when we’re looking for information on “how to organize” something, we are not looking to organize our stuff. Still, we are in fact looking to learn and understand how we can live better, what we can do to be happier, and how we can build a life that allows us to live up to our full potential, which goes way beyond “where to place our stuff”.
In the search for simplicity, the concept of closet capsules was created, bringing the opportunity to have only what you need, use, and love for the current season.
The closet capsule is composed of ultra-versatile pieces that mix and match, allowing you to stay true to your style without compromising on your commitment to simplicity in your daily life. Those who adopt it believe that by keeping less, they will have more.
Tired of the excess around you? Keep reading…
In professional organizing we are trained to observe the client and identify the signs of what’s called “decision fatigue” and I found pretty interesting to read interviews with president Barack Obama and Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, where they state having a limited closet, exactly to avoid having to make one more decision in their already “decision packed” lives.
By doing so, by reducing the number of items in their closets, these highly productive individuals, among many others who have adopted the trend, are actually simplifying their lives, creating more space to live with intention and focus on what’s important to them.
The fleeting pleasure of shopping.
I have experienced it many times in the past, and perhaps you’ll identify with this feeling. The feeling of excitement we experience when leaving a store, hands filled with packed bags, all brand-new clothes. That feeling will last until you get home and then open your closet to find brand-new clothes with tags still hanging, a bag on the corner with returns you never made, and we start asking ourselves: why did I buy more? Do I even need this?
Then worse happens. You’re getting dressed in the morning, and you keep trying outfits because no matter how many new clothes you pack into that closet, nothing seems to look good, and you ask yourself: what will I wear today?
I found that when we’re living out of sync with who we are, disconnected from our truth, our lives, our deep wishes of fully expressing ourselves, we’ll always feel we are not enough, that we don’t have enough and that may become physically expressed as “I have nothing to wear”.
Therefore, when we reduce our closet to a “capsule”, summarizing it to the essential items we really need, want, and love, we’re going beyond the idea of saving money or time. What we’re actually doing is creating space for what is truly important to us.
Using Intention and Reducing Your Wardrobe
1. How to reduce my “beloved” wardrobe?
To create a wardrobe capsule that genuinely works for you, focus on who you are, your lifestyle (since many times we shop for clothes to achieve the lifestyle we wish we had), your preferred clothing style, and other factors that are important to you.
Check these suggestions on what to consider before moving on:
- What’s the current season? I love the idea of seasonal capsules, especially when the seasons in your area are dramatic.
- What’s your lifestyle? If you work out of the house 5 days a week, your wardrobe will be very different than mine, as I work part-time as a professional organizer and am the primary caregiver to our 3 boys. Pay close attention to your need to create a capsule you love.
- What’s your personal style? Do you prefer cozy, comfy outfits (like me!) or opt for a more elegant one? Having a clear understanding of your style will make it relatively easy to simplify your closet.
- What are your favorite brands? Observing your favorite brands will give you insight into your style and may help you simplify the process of building a “lean” wardrobe that is highly functional for you.
- What are you “go to pieces”? For example, my primary go-to pieces are leggings. Except during the summer, you’ll find me on them! From long t-shirts, shirts, and sweaters, I’ll wear them with flats or boots, according to the weather.
- What are your favorite colors? Do you love monochromatic pieces or can’t live without bright colors? I’ll keep a more monochromatic color scheme, which helps me mix and match everything I have, allowing me to play with accessories if I want to.
I created the board below to give you an example of a simple wardrobe that I’d wear from Fall through winter.
2. Select a number of pieces to build multiple outfits
Determine the maximum number of pieces you’ll use to create your outfits. Take into consideration your “go to pieces” and those that will bring a happy punch on special occasions. For example, using my favorite black leggings, I can create multiple outfits by pairing them with a sleek white button-down shirt, a light sweater, or even a basic t-shirt, all of which can be complemented with one of my vests.
- Tops – cotton t-shirts, button-down shirts, the very cozy and oversized “boyfriend” shirt, sweaters, vests
- Bottoms – shorts, skirts, pants, trousers, leggings
- Dresses – casual and/or dressy
- Shoes – flats, boots, sandals (flat and heel), pumps
- Coats – according to seasons where you live, a light coat or jacket will do in San Diego winters, for example.
- Beach/Pool – according to the season
Here is another example of how you can build and mix and match a wardrobe using the closet capsule concept.
And here is how she created multiple outfits using the gray sweater.
3. Organize your closet to make the best use of your capsule
Now it’s time to remove everything you won’t use in the capsule you built from your closet.
To truly experience the benefits and simplicity of using a capsule, you should make room to only have it in your closet or at least create a specific area for it.
Avoid the temptation to keep things mixed up, or you’ll not enjoy the benefits of having a simplified closet and routine.
Now it’s your turn!
Do you think you could benefit from the closet capsule concept? How would you organize your closet to make this change?
I hope you enjoy these ideas and that they help you simplify life.
