Build a Capsule Wardrobe

Hi guys! I have a fun post today showing you how to build a capsule wardrobe with Capsules by Cladwell. As many of you know, I started a 30-item wardrobe last month. It was kind of life-changing! I took all of the clothes out of my closet, put them into the guest room, carefully chose 30 items and kept those in my current closet. Ever since, outfits are easier to plan, my closet feels less overwhelming, and it’s been fun now to incorporate new pieces… where before I honestly didn’t feel excited about shopping or my style.

Capsules guides you through the same process, but is helpful in determining what to put in your capsule wardrobe by focusing on your personal preferences and your daily activities. They help you build the perfect wardrobe, and then you can check off what you already have and only buy what you need.

If you’re unfamiliar with a capsule wardrobe, it’s pretty much a “mini” wardrobe of pieces you love that will work for a season, or a month, or a year. That part is up to you! Capsules focuses on each season, which makes total sense since everything can change from spring to summer to winter to fall.

I decided to try a capsule wardrobe for a few reasons. A) Laundry. Trying to hang your clean clothes in a closet that is JAM packed is the perfect excuse to not do laundry. It was a workout to push everything (that I never wore) off to the side to fit in the clothes I actually did wear. B) I felt overwhelmed. Whenever I’d look in my closet, I either hated my style/wardrobe, or just thought I never had anything to wear. So not true! There was just too much clutter in there for me to realize I have some really great pieces. C) Keeping pieces for the memories. I used to do this all the time, and to be honest, I still do have a lot of pieces in storage I can’t bear to part with because of the memories. They mostly didn’t fit, or were damaged, but man… when I was 23, that dress was perfect on me, and I wore it to my college graduation! So while it hadn’t been worn in the last 6 years, I couldn't really get rid of it.

Since I’ve been doing a capsule wardrobe, I feel like I’ve saved money. I no longer give into the fast fashion temptation, or buying something just because it’s on sale. I feel like I’ve made more quality purchases lately and I really think about something before buying it. Will I love this? Will it fit into my new wardrobe? Plus, I’ve set limits on myself to only incorporate one new piece a week, which also puts pressure on buying something. Some weeks I don’t even feel the need to add anything new, because it’s so easy already. I also feel like having a limited wardrobe frees up my time on thinking about outfit planning, and I get ready faster in the morning. It’s been a lot easier all around!

The process

Cladwell takes you through a four-step process of helping you discover your style and color preferences. You’ll determine your color palette, your daily activities and what items you’d like to wear to those activities, then Capsules generates a list for you with different types of pieces and you choose a color for each piece. They give you 3 color suggestions for each piece, and you either choose one of them or you can enter a different color completely.

If you mark that you don’t have that item, it’ll be added to your shopping list so you’ll be more aware of what to purchase the next time you’re out shopping!

Cost

Capsules is a subscription service, so you pay to use the tool each season. It’s $15 to use for one season, which is only $5 a month. You basically pay the price of a latte for a service that will help you organize and streamline your wardrobe and style!

If you're interested in creating a capsule wardrobe, but are too nervous to try, this might be a great tool for you since it's helpful in determining what you need to keep/buy/get rid of. And just a note... I was slightly confused at first and was missing the capsule building portion on the website. You go through a series of videos to watch that help you learn what to do at each step, then you hit "next" to go through the steps to build your color palette, choose your pieces, etc. The tool is online only (no app) but it's mobile-friendly so you also do all of the steps on your phone! Have fun!

Thanks for Capsules by Cladwell for sponsoring this post.