Capsule Wardrobes: A beginners Guide

From the moment I started college almost 9 years ago, my everyday life has been somewhat of a whirlwind. Some days I miss the simplicity of middle and high school life, although it didn't feel that way at the time. I began college, worked part time, and by the time I was a sophomore, I was married. Wade, my husband, worked full time at an entry level job while I went to school. We lived in a mother-in-law suite under his parent's house. It was awesome. We didn't have to pay rent. Praise the Lord! We were what you'd consider poor, but we were and are so immensely blessed by both sides of our families.

The suite we lived in was perfect for a young married couple. It was a small one bedroom, one bathroom living space. It was definitely big enough for two people, yet we were busting at the seams. Our hobby/what we would do together for fun att he time was to shop (Yes, Wade likes to shop!). The money we didn't spend on rent was used to fuel this hobby. We would go to stores like Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and even thrift stores to look for great deals on clothing we seemingly liked even though at home, we were out of hangers, and the (pretty large) closet we had was becoming too small. We decided to buy an extra wardrobe to put in the bedroom for more room to hang stuff up! Also, we never saved any money.

Fast forward a few years. I graduated college, and we bought a little house on Signal Mountain. It was close to where I worked at the time. The house was built in 1958 and the closets were TINY. We did have to downsize a little, but somehow we stuffed all of our clothes in.

Fast forward a few more years. We have our first child. We sell our house to start building a house, and we move in with my parents (This is our current situation. Again, immensely blessed!). We get pregnant. As I began going through baby stuff, I also began to reflect on our journey to where we currently are and why I'm always so stressed out. For years while I was in school and working, I would stand in front of my closet, sometimes for 20 minutes, trying to pick out my clothes to wear the next day. Why was this so hard?! I had a bajillion items of clothing, yet nothing to wear?! Maybe with access to too many choices, I would just freeze up. I couldn't make a decision. I think to myself, "Something has got to give". We have less space than we have ever had, and honestly, I don't even wear or use most of the stuff in the closet.

I have always dealt with anxiety. I wouldn't say it was severe, but it was always there nagging, affecting my mood and quality of life, and keeping me from doing things out of my comfort zone. What started in my closet building a capsule wardrobe snowballed in to the decluttering and organization of child's clothes, toys, bathroom drawers, etc. It even affected what I carry in my diaper bag and what I keep in my car. I began to adopt a minimalistic lifestyle, and since then, I haven't had that anxiety in the back of my mind. I have been able to enjoy my children, my husband, and life without that nagging feeling. I'm little OCD, especially when it comes to my house. I feel better with my bed made, the dishes out of the sink, and everything picked up and orderly. When things are misplaced or if I don't remember where I put something, I stress out big time. These things are hard to do when I have so much stuff. I used to live in a way where I would clean the whole house at once, then it would slowly turn in to a huge mess. When I just couldn't take it anymore, I would clean the whole house at once again, and this became a cycle. I couldn't MAINTAIN my home.

Over time, as I have adopted this minimal mindset, I have learned to maintain my home. Now, it is so important to me to have a place that is our haven. Somewhere clean, organized, and nurturing for my children. I want it to be a place where no matter when someone comes over, I'm not stressed out about the way it looks. I'm not talking about some toys on the floor or a house that looks like no one lives there, but a place where we have only things that are practical, used, and that bring us joy. Nothing extra. You have to give yourself some grace. Now, keeping my home is a whole topic in itself, so I will save the rest of what I have to say about it for another time. Maybe when our house is complete, I can write more on this philosophy and include pictures of our new space!

So all of this started with my wardrobe. My capsule wardrobe took a few attempts. I'd start, get overwhelmed, and I'd quit. I did that probably three times before I figured out how to best go about it. Below, I'm going to define a capsule wardrobe, tell you what my goals were when putting my capsules together, and a few tips to help you get started.

A capsule wardrobe is a specified number of clothing that creates a collection of versatile pieces that you absolutely love. It should contain no "meh" pieces or pieces you "might wear sometime in the future... I better keep it because I might need it later on." (Raise your hand if you are guilty!!) Each capsule contains 33 items. You can choose a different number. 33 is a common number to use, but remember your goal is to simplify, so I wouldn't recommend going much higher. This number includes shoes, tops, sweaters, pants, skirts, and dresses. Things that I do not count as part of my 33 items are bras, panties, socks, pajamas, and workout clothes (Now, these areas will also need attention... How many t-shirts and black leggings do you really need??)

The goals of a capsule wardrobe include simplifying your wardrobe, removing a stressor from your life, and saving money by not spending it unnecessarily on clothes you will never wear but you bought because it was such a deal. When you buy clothing, choose fewer high quality pieces that you LOVE over a large quantity of clothes you didn't pay much for (but it does add up!) and will not wear.

I have three capsule wardrobes. Tennessee weather has a very wide range of temperatures. We experience every season. If you live somewhere like Southern California, you could get away with one or two capsule wardrobes. I have a capsule for Winter, Summer, and Fall/Spring (similar weather). Each contains 33 pieces, and some pieces travel through every wardrobe!

To begin my wardrobe, I remove EVERY piece of clothing from my closet including my shoes. I organize my clothing based on seasons. I make 3 different piles-- one for winter, one for summer, and one for fall/spring. At this point, I have not gotten rid of anything. I begin going through one pile at a time, and I make "subpiles" within each season's wardrobe. These "subpiles" are what helped me create my capsules without getting frustrated and giving up.

For each season capsule:

Subpile 1: Items I wear all the time and absolutely love with no doubt in my mind.

Subpile 2: This is the most important to help you overcome! This pile contains those items that you are unsure if you want to get rid of. You like it, but haven't worn it in a long time. You might wear it in the future.

Subpile 3: Items you can put in a bag and drop off at the thrift store!

Take all of the clothes from subpile 3, put in a trash bag, and go drop it off.

Take all the clothes from subpile 2, put it in a trash bag, and put in your attic/garage where you have some storage place. Keep it out of sight.

Take subpile 1 and begin organizing by types of pieces. Fold your pants/shorts and put into a pile. Do the same for your tops, dresses, shoes, etc. Now begin looking over all the pieces you absolutely love, and test their versatility. Think about how they can be matched with various other pieces. If an item of clothing isn't sitting well with your capsule, set it to the side. Maybe you could get rid of it... Maybe not. Reflect until you reach your limit of 33 pieces and are happy with the variety you have within that capsule. In some cases, you might realize you are missing a key piece. For example, I purchased a jean jacket to add to my wardrobe, and it has brought a lot of versatility!

If you go over this number because you absolutely love those extra pieces and really will wear it all, don't fret. Just put it in your capsule. Out goal is not to be unhappy because you have to get rid of everything you love. The goal is that no matter when you have to dress yourself to go out, it' a pleasure. No matter what you pull out of your wardrobe to wear, you know it fits great, you look great, and you will be confident wearing it.

Remember subpile 2? Keep it in your attic/garage. If time goes by, and you find yourself really missing a piece of clothing that's in there, pull it out, and add it to your capsule! If a couple months go by, and you haven't given it a thought, go grab those trash bags, keep them closed, drive to the thrift store, and get rid of them! It's a great way to commit to a capsule wardrobe, without the fear of regret. It is so freeing!

On paper, this seems like such a small change, but creating these capsule wardrobes has made a huge impact on my life. I don't worry about what I'm going to wear. My morning routine to get ready is much quicker, which is a must with one or more children! I don't really have to give it much thought. I just open my capsule, grab something, and go!

One thing I want to add... My husband's job requires him to get dirty. His work clothes are not part of his capsule wardrobes, and each of his capsules are much smaller than mine because he doesn't wear "normal clothes" as often. Capsule wardrobes should be there to help you, not create something you won't be happy with, and this can look different for each person.

Below, I have a picture of each capsule. I keep them all in the same closet, and each capsule that is out of season, I just push to the side. When a new season begins, I move that capsule to the front and push the other one to the side. Plus, when a new season starts, it's like I having a brand new set of clothes because I haven't worn them in so long! The number in each capsule are different. They range from 32-38 pieces in each I think. Also to note: I have a pair of heels and a couple dressy dresses for special occasions like a wedding. I do not include those in my capsule.

Winter:

Summer: *Shorts not pictured. Add 4 pieces to what's in pic.

Fall/Spring: *Note: I forgot to put my jeans and pants on rack! Sorry... Add 4 pieces to what's in pic.

As each season passes, I reflect on each wardrobe. Did I receive new clothes that I love for Christmas? Birthday? What didn't I wear this season? Am I okay with getting rid of it as I cycle in a couple new pieces? My mantra when I think about buying clothes: Do I love it enough that I am willing to get rid of something for it to replace?

My next goal is to pare down my workout/lounge clothes. Because I'm home with my children, I like to be comfy... And I've collected more than I need. Join me on my journey and start your own capsule wardrobes! Message me with any questions or concerns. Soon, I will be documenting a friend as she creates her capsule wardrobes and posting it on the blog!