The Wardrobe Capsule
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the concept of the wardrobe capsule. I know it’s nothing new by any means, but for some reason, my time to pay attention to this has come. It goes perfectly well with the minimalist trend we have been experiencing in recent years. I love that!
Much has been said and written about the wardrobe capsule. There are capsules for every possible age, gender, color palette, and season. Just go on Pinterest, and you’ll never run out of ideas and options.
The Wardrobe Capsule
Susie Faux developed the term “capsule wardrobe,” She was the owner of the British boutique “Wardrobe” in the 1970s. At that time, the term referred to a collection of high-quality essential items of clothing that would not go out of fashion and we could wear across multiple seasons. The idea was to update the collection with seasonal pieces to provide something to wear for any occasion without buying many new clothing items.
According to Susie Faux, a woman’s wardrobe capsule should typically contain at least two pairs of trousers, a dress or a skirt, a jacket, a coat, a knit cardigan, two pairs of shoes, and two bags. This concept uncomplicates the morning routine and saves money in the long run. Also, because the capsule pieces are of higher quality, they might be more expensive, but they won’t go out of style and last much longer.
The concept of a capsule wardrobe was made famous by American designer Donna Karan in 1985 when she released her “7 Easy Pieces” collection.
Concept Evolution
These days, the capsule idea deviated from the original concept due to the rampant consumerism of our days. Instead of limiting the collection to 7-11 items, the current capsules limit is about 30 items (including shoes, handbags, and accessories). Still, it is a beautiful improvement (or sacrifice, shall I say) from the two or three full closets many women own these days.
I like how this concept gets our creative juices flowing. We need to be creative to come up with different combinations and develop outfits with a limited number of clothing pieces. For some, this is a real problem. For others, this is just what they need. Others might even discover a side they did not know about themselves!
Stylebook App
Here’s a little to help with creating diverse combinations of clothing pieces. A couple of years ago, I discovered an app called Stylebook. Again, nothing new but still super fun. Stylebook brings your closet to life with its many applications. It takes some initial prework, but even that part is enjoyable.
Stylebook requires that you photograph your wardrobe pieces (including accessories). There are many options to create your wardrobe images, including clipping and importing images from your favorite online stores, social media (Pinterest, of course), and others. It yields images that make your clothing look like magazine stuff.
And if you’re using the capsule concept, the amount of clothing to photograph will be minimal anyway – another advantage of the capsule!
Best Fashion Blog
Speaking of capsules, I should not forget to mention blogger and fashion diva Allison Lumbatis from GYPO (Get Your Pretty On). Her blog is fantastic, with lots of helpful content and advice. Allison offers seasonal wardrobe capsules based on the outfit formulas concept. Curious? Check her out! Be careful, though! This stuff is addictive.
Have fun with the wardrobe capsules, Stylebook, and GYPO!
Let us know how it goes!!
