Defining your personal style and building a wardrobe is a journey. Like every journey, it takes time. I started mine about three years ago. At first, I learned to redefine my personal style. I decluttered my wardrobe every new season. I also parted with items that no longer worked for me. In addition, I gradually added new items to my closet. In this blog post, I’ll share the next step of my journey with you – building a seasonal capsule wardrobe.
If you follow my blog, you probably know that I have wanted to build a seasonal capsule wardrobe for some time now. However, until now, I struggled to choose the right number of items for this wardrobe. Eventually, I always ended up with more items than I need.
Therefore, I experimented first with building a ten-item mini capsule wardrobe. Thanks to a spring that arrived early this year and lasted longer than usual, I felt it was an excellent opportunity to build my first seasonal capsule wardrobe. I don’t usually separate my spring wardrobe from my summer one. That’s because spring is very short in my country. For this reason, I also don’t have many spring items in my closet. All of this made it easier for me to narrow the selection down to items that would suit a transitional season.
Adlinks
How did I choose items to comprise a spring capsule wardrobe?
I have tried to use different guides and tutorials explaining how to build a capsule wardrobe in the past. Usually, they included creating a list of items in advance, choosing a color palette, etc. These methods didn’t seem to work for me.
Therefore, I decided to take a different approach that felt more intuitive for me. I started by parting with my winter wardrobe and storing it away. I left out a few bright neutral items made from lighter fabrics that I thought I could wear in spring as well. In addition, I added items from the spring/summer wardrobe suitable for a transitional season. I chose the core items of the capsule from my top ten wardrobe staples, combined with items I had previously selected for my mini capsule. To ease the process, I didn’t limit myself to a certain number of items or a specific color palette. Eventually, my initial capsule wardrobe included 40 items, excluding shoes.
Another thing that helped me build my capsule wardrobe was looking at the process as a learning experience. I knew I would probably not choose all the right items on the first try. That’s why I did the fine-tuning while experimenting. I replaced items I didn’t wear until the wardrobe stabilized. Eventually, it included 33 items, including shoes. At the same time, I also managed to form a color palette for the wardrobe. It had neutral colors mixed with black, olive green, and sky blue.
Adlinks
Items in the spring capsule
Blazers & Jackets
These are my favorite items for the transitional season. I decided to focus on brighter colors and thinner, airy fabrics such as linen or tencel.
Knitwear
I chose knits with an open neckline and a cardigan. This way, I could layer them over a t-shirt on cooler days. My initial capsule also included turtleneck knits, which I eventually didn’t wear. I, therefore, replaced them with open neckline knits.
T-Shirts
I love wearing t-shirts in summer. That’s why I chose four basic and two graphic print t-shirts for variety and sophistication.
Tops & Blouses
I incorporated two cotton long sleeve blouses and two short sleeve blouses made of linen and silk, great fabrics for warmer weather. I also added a sleeveless top I could easily layer under the blouses.
Trousers
I mixed between the classic denim I often wear and tailored trousers in neutral colors. To spice things up, I also included my Anine Bing paper bag denim.
Shoes
At first, I didn’t plan to include shoes in my capsule and limit my options. In practice, I’ve noticed I usually wear my Veja sneakers or my Converse. For a smarter look, I added my beige oxfords and my Michael Kors old loafers.
I did not include loungewear, sportswear, pajamas, or accessories other than shoes in my capsule.
Outfit combinations
When I built a mini capsule wardrobe of ten items, I planned the outfits I would wear in advance. This time I didn’t feel the need. Since this was a seasonal capsule, I had a variety of options. For this reason, I planned my outfits the day before. Outfit selection depended on my mood, the weather, and my planned routine. When I felt that I was struggling to choose outfits, I used my spring outfits mood board on Pinterest. In my experience, I can create countless outfit combinations with the items I chose.
The benefits of having a seasonal capsule wardrobe
In the past, I used to be apprehensive about having a seasonal capsule wardrobe. I was primarily worried about how I’d choose a certain number of items that would be sufficient for several months. This feeling recurred when I built my ten-item mini capsule in winter. I used the opportunity to try the seasonal capsule in spring, as it is a relatively short season. Also, as I mentioned before, my wardrobe contains fewer transitional items. At this point, I can tell that I am very happy with the decision.
A wardrobe that reflects my style
One of the significant benefits I discovered in the seasonal capsule is having a cohesive wardrobe that reflects my style. I used to have a little bit of everything in my closet. I loved the idea of wearing different styles, but they didn’t always connect. The capsule made me focus on the styles I love the most – classic and casual. Once my wardrobe contained mostly these styles, the possible outfit combinations seemed endless.
Wearing only items I love
I also noticed that my closet now contains only items I love and enjoy wearing. This, of course, makes it easier for me to get dressed every day. It also improves my confidence. I also found that I enjoy repeating items and outfits I love without feeling bored by my clothes.
Getting more wear out of my wardrobe
In addition to that, having a capsule wardrobe allows me to get more wear out of items I love but wear less. For example, my blue blazer or my cropped blazer. These are items I didn’t wear much in the past. Once they had become part of my capsule, I got to wear them much more.
Smarter shopping decisions
Finally, the capsule building process also improved my shopping choices. Thanks to understanding the shapes and colors I am drawn to, I started adding items to my future summer wardrobe.
Adlinks
Future plans
As the weather warms up, I am gradually replacing the items in the capsule with summer items. Recently, I replaced knitwear with t-shirts. Later, I will also replace the blazers and jackets.
If you also want to build a seasonal capsule wardrobe, I recommend remembering that this is a process and that each one of us has their own way of creating it. As much as I tried using different guides on the subject, I haven’t been able to implement them. This is because they didn’t suit me and because I wasn’t ready for the process. In addition, don’t be too strict with yourself once you created the capsule. Allow yourself to make changes and adjustments. Remember that from season to season, it will be easier for you.
If you have any additional questions on building a seasonal capsule wardrobe or if you’d like to share tips that helped you build a seasonal capsule wardrobe, I invite you to share them in the comments below 🙂
No Comments