What is a capsule wardrobe?

Today I’m sharing my simplified, streamlined process for building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It also includes tips from my years of experience, and capsule clothing examples.  

Before I teach you how to build a capsule wardrobe, let’s quickly cover what a capsule wardrobe is, its history, and its benefits.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

If you’re new to the concept, you may be wondering what exactly is a capsule wardrobe. 

A capsule wardrobe is a small and cutter-free wardrobe that is thoughtfully curated from a small collection of clothes, so you could mix and match many outfits combination.

Essentially, a capsule wardrobe allows you to create a variety of different looks with a small selection of clothes.

The history of capsule wardrobes

The term capsule wardrobe dates back to the 1970s and came from Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique called Wardrobe. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe contains a few essential and timeless items, such as skirts and pants, that you can supplement with seasonal pieces. 

The concept took off in 1985 with designer Donna Karan’s first capsule collection called “Seven Easy Pieces.” The collection included a bodysuit, skirt, tailored jacket, dress, something leather, a white shirt, and a cashmere sweater and was designed to take a woman from a day in the office to an evening out.

Today, capsule wardrobes seem to be having something of a revival due largely due to an increase in public interest in reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact and greater demand for brands with sustainable and responsible manufacturing processes.

Benefits of a capsule wardrobe

There are so many benefits to having a capsule wardrobe! Here are some upsides we’ve experienced first-hand:

- Saving money

- Saving time

- Less stress

AND, it helps solving the most repeated problem most of us women have when we have an event or an outing: "what to wear??!!"

Core capsule pieces

• Black Dress
• Shirts and Blouses 
• Black and ivory trousers
• Tees and tanks
• Coats and jackets
• Denim

I will cover each item in a blog post. in the next post, I will talk about he black dress, LBD and some style recommendation for each of the 5 body shapes.