Or Minimalisch Wardrobe
Sustainability and responsible consumption are the main reasons for a more conscious approach to clothing and shopping. Reducing your wardrobe to a minimum is the best way to achieve sustainable clothing. You save money because you need much less clothing. By only buying what you really need and what suits you, you can spend a little more on a high-quality piece that will accompany you for many years. Additionally, you save time and nerves – you will never again stand in front of a full wardrobe and still not know what to wear.
Capsule Wardrobe and minimalist wardrobe – Perhaps you have heard both terms before and wonder what the difference is?
A minimalist wardrobe is, as the name suggests, a wardrobe that only contains what you really need and often wear.
The Capsule Wardrobe is a concept of the minimalist wardrobe – a way to implement it.
How does a Capsule Wardrobe work?
For a Capsule Wardrobe, you have your “capsule” of clothing for each season. This is stored away and only integrated into the wardrobe when it’s in season again. Once the season is over, it’s stored away again. If something is missing or needs to be replaced, something new is purchased. This way, you automatically decide every 3 months if you really need something new. Impulse purchases and fast fashion are history.
There are different recommendations for the number of pieces a Capsule Wardrobe should contain per season. From 8 to 37 – with and without shoes, jewelry, and accessories – you can find many suggestions online. Since the number of required clothing items depends very much on your lifestyle and profession, you should decide for yourself how many items you want to start with after sorting through the contents of your wardrobe.
How do I create a Capsule Wardrobe or a minimalist wardrobe?
There isn’t one minimalist wardrobe that fits everyone. Please don’t try to follow the numerous suggestions on the internet that give specific color information for the clothing items that belong in a Capsule Wardrobe. For example, a white dress, a white T-shirt, black jeans – many people look bad in both black and white. Similarly, it doesn’t make sense to add sneakers to your capsule just because it’s suggested somewhere if you don’t like wearing sneakers.
As you can see, it requires a little planning on your part. But in return, you get a wardrobe that matches your style and personality.
In 4 steps to your Capsule Wardrobe:
1. Determine your color type
Perhaps the most important step is to find out which colors suit you best. You can do this with the help of my blog posts about color types or by booking my online course. I’m happy to determine your color type for you. Book my online color type consultation for that.
2. Make a plan
Think about how you want to proceed. Do you want to make a clear cut and not keep any items that don’t suit your color type? Do you need to sort out a lot anyway, e.g. because your weight has changed or because you have many items in a style that you no longer want to wear? What if you have many items that don’t suit your color type? Will there be enough clothes left if you sort out all of these? If not, is your budget big enough to replace them?
3. Empty your wardrobe, add shoes and accessories, and sort everything out
For this step, you should take a few hours. You will need your Digital Color Palette. If your wardrobe is very mixed or if you have many items that don’t exactly match your color type, it won’t hurt to use color palettes of your sister type and the types from which you can borrow well. You can find these in my blog posts.
Now, take each item in your hand and try it on if possible. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it fit me?
- Do I like it, is it my style?
- Does the color suit me? Use your color palettes for reference.
- Is it comfortable, and do I enjoy wearing it?
- Does it flatter my figure?
- Can it be combined with other items in my wardrobe?
- Are there enough occasions to wear it?
- Is it still in good condition?
Sort items into appropriate piles:
- Items you no longer want to keep. These you can donate, give away, or sell.
- Items you’re not sure about. Put all of these into a box. After three months, or when the season (e.g., for wool sweaters) is over, if you haven’t taken them out, you can also get rid of them.
- Items that you were able to answer all questions with “Yes” to, or that you want to keep for the time being based on your considerations in Step 2.
Depending on how large you want your minimalist wardrobe to be, whether you want to use a Capsule Wardrobe or your own concept, proceed with the 3rd pile:
If sorting out is enough for you for now, that’s perfectly fine, and you can put the items from the 3rd pile back into your closet.
If the pile is still too large, sort through it again. Be sure to use your Neutral Colors from your Digital Color Palette. Clothing items in these colors are your basics. You should have a foundation of these because they pair well with the colors in your color palette. If you want to see how you get along with this reduced wardrobe for now, that’s great!
4. Creating the Capsule Wardrobe from the 3rd pile:
- First, take out your absolute favorite pieces from the pile, the ones you wear in many seasons. For example, your favorite jeans or cardigan. These pieces form your “basic capsule” that you probably won’t put away for any season.
- Then, sort the rest into spring, summer, fall, and winter clothing. Remember to create extra piles if you need specific, season-independent clothing for hobbies (e.g., sports) or work.
- Next, go through the individual season piles again and reduce them to the number of items you determined for yourself in Step 2 or during sorting:
- Make sure to have multiple pieces in your neutral colors.
- Add some pieces in accent colors from your color type palette.
- Add a few pieces with flattering patterns.
- Store the season piles until their use.
This way, you can get dressed quickly in the morning because you can be sure that everything in your closet can be combined with each other, suits you, and fits you.
Adding clothing to your Capsule Wardrobe:
If you swap out your capsule at the beginning of the season, look it over carefully. Consider if you need to add or replace anything. This way, you can shop for one or a few specific items. Again, use your color palette and make sure the new item can be combined with at least 3 items from your Capsule Wardrobe.
If you want seasonal clothing suggestions that match your color type, feel free to follow me on Instagram.
Digital Color Palette 12 Seasons
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