Do you ever feel like you have a ridiculous amount of clothes but till have nothing to wear? So many people can relate. I would wear the same items on repeat, the same jeans. skirt and selection of tops. I always went back to my favourite clothes so it seemed obvious once the lighting struck; I should try a capsule wardrobe, so this is how I created it.
I have talked about my inspirations and what made me want to start a capsule wardrobe in this post, so we can skip to the fun stuff so here is how I have started my experiment. I call it an experiment because I am still creating it and finding out what dynamic I like and dislike. A little disclaimer is that I haven't yet included shoes in my capsule wardrobe. That is a work in progress. A little conversation with my boyfriend sums up my relationship with shoes.
Him; "You only have 2 feet"
Me; "But my feet go many places".
My interpretation on the capsule wardrobe is that the classic magic number, 37 is a guideline. If you're a few items under or over then that is okay. This isn't about having restricting rules that makes you hate your wardrobe. My other issue that I am going to trial keeping my seasons apart. The capsule wardrobe queen; Caroline who writes the blog; Unfancy, moves her wardrobe around every 3 months so her summer clothes are stored away while its winter. What I'm trying to do is first of all find a place to store my items because I currently live at Uni and secondly, I am very much of the mind set; 'What if I need it?'. In some ways this silly because I obviously don't need a pair of denim shorts right now in March, but I am slightly justified because in British Spring time we can get freezing days as well as beautiful hot day. I remember having a BBQ in the Easter Holidays last year, so I am currently trying to separate my clothes more.
There we go. That's how I'm still testing the water so bear with, but here is how I started.
Know your style. I think this is the hardest because if you don't know then you will just have to wait and see it develop. Also, you may never find a specific style because you are your own person and not a carbon copy of someone else. I take elements from my inspirations but the way I sum up my style is mostly monochrome, Parisian chic (which sounds pretentious, but I'm really into those classic pieces) and mmmm...let me think, probably smart casual. I'm pretty pleased I could say that because the one of the things the Curated Closet challenges you to do is to describe your style in one sentence which can be harder than you think. Don't be afraid to give it a good think and to ask others. Their answers might surprise you.
A little tip is to sometimes go through the styles you don't like if you're struggling. I know I'm not into the sporty chic purely because its not me, but it looks cool on other people.
Whats your lifestyle? You need to be aware of your lifestyle and how your wardrobe will reflect what you do. For example if you work in an office 9 to 5 Monday to Friday then your wardrobe is going to focus on versatile pieces suitable for the work place instead of loads of casual items that would seriously limit you on a day to day basis. For me, personally, I am a student so I am in my 'normal' clothes everyday as my work as a specific uniform that I have no control over. Its ugly...Anyway, my average day is going to uni and being with friends so I have no need for 5 smart shirts in comparison I don't need super practical clothes for a on the go person.
The Basics. I really didn't know where to start. I had a big mess of clothes that I didn't like and a limited budget, so I made a list. Oh I love lists. I wrote down the basics that makes up a wardrobe. (for my lifestyle) I was really lacking in so many basics and I thought no wonder I'm finding it hard to get dressed. I'm missing so many simple things like a plain grey top for example. You need to find the back bones of your wardrobe that supports the metaphorical body of your wardrobe.
I'm going to write out a full basics list in a future post where I explain what is exactly in my wardrobe.
Don't get lost in Fashion. From this point you can start to get more specific items. Those things are my style, but I like picking fashion pieces to compliment each season. Quoting Yves Saint Laurent; "fashion comes and goes style is forever". I'll be doing a future post on how I shop with a Capsule Wardrobe because I think there is a knack to avoid those impulse purchases and fashion items that you are not going to be wearing in a years time. I'm so guilty of that, but I'm getting better.
I excited to show you my capsule wardrobe and how I style my clothes in each season.
I am hoping that in the future I can do a full starting a capsule wardrobe step by step post when I'm happy and sure with my new wardrobe, but at the moment I am still testing the water.
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