A new fad or just an old thing presented once again?

90% of my new clients find me online through the magic of technology and they inquire about my services from all over the USA. It’s fantastic! And while they are very different people, in wildly varied fields, ages and backgrounds – in the last year or so, especially coming out of the Pandemic, it seems they inquire about the same thing. A Capsule Wardrobe…

They say, I just want to scale it down. I want it to be easy to get dressed and make choices. I don’t want to spend so much time on clothing, but I want to look good! I want a Capsule Wardrobe they say. Pieces I can mix and match to make a bunch of outfits. Pieces that all go together they say hopefully, excitedly!

And I think to myself, where is this coming from? That has always been the case for me. What is all of this talk of Capsule Wardrobes? Pieces that you buy thoughtfully that all go together and make a cohesive closet. You know, clothes, accessories, jewelry, and shoes that go together effortlessly…

Newsflash! This has always been the way to build a wardrobe, it’s just that no one was ever really taught how to build a functional wardrobe. We were taught how to consume and follow the latest trend. Made to think we couldn’t appear in the same thing twice, as if Paparzazzi would catch us repeating an outfit! Some of us copying celebrities, thinking maybe they knew something we didn’t.

So while the concept of a Capsule Wardrobe is not new, the way you form one is. Because let’s be honest, how to do more with less is an art and a skill. It doesn’t just happen naturally that one can comb through thousands of pieces of clothing and curate that down to a small functional and attractive closet for your particular taste and body type. That is the domain of a Personal Stylist.

Don’t get me wrong, anyone can do it, with enough dedication and perseverance, but as far as I can tell, the level of overwhelm in this area is preventing a lot of you from enjoying the level of simplicity that a Capsule Wardrobe can bring into your lives.

Here are the steps to creating one.

First, you must pair your current wardrobe down to only the things that you love, that fit and flatter you, and that work for your life now. That means you must go through all of your stuff and make a decision about it.

Do you love it, does it fit and look good on you and does it work for your life now? If you can answer yes to all of those questions you can keep it. If not, let it go. This is about clarity, not throwing out your clothes. You’re looking to keep only the best of the best of what you currently own and then build upon that.

Second: Who are you and how do you want to show up in the world? What kind of pieces would represent your personality and make you feel happy to wear them?

Third: Select only those pieces and make sure that when you select them you know at least three ways that they could integrate with other things you own.

Once you have your foundation of basics you can branch out and add fun pieces. Sounds pretty straightforward right? It is, but what happens to most people when they try to do this is a total analysis of paralysis. Crisis of indecision and just the utter overwhelm of how to start making the outfits. And that’s because what no one talks about is that building a wardrobe, capsule, or otherwise is that it’s EMOTIONAL… Because it’s about you and your body and image and personality and the stories and insecurities you have around all of that.

But I am here to tell you that you can break free of all of that on your own if you are dedicated or with help if you just want to clear out the clutter and look amazing.

So my take on this is that A Capsule Wardrobe or two is the way to go these days. You can make it Sustainable. Packable and Travel Friendly. Sexy. Convenient. Easy. Fun. Glamourous. You might just decide to pair it down and make a lean closet for yourself to love.

Stylishly Yours,

Anne