So I've seen on some of the blogs I read about capsule wardrobes.
The idea (as I understand it - please feel free to correct me in the comments) is that you choose, say, 30 - 40 items, and wear just those things for a season.
Some people include hats, handbags, accessories and shoes and somehow can still make it to 40.
(personally I would like to get to 40 items for work and 40 for home!)
This blog talks about 33 items. This one talks about 40 items. This one looks like the Queen of capsuling!
Now I LOVE the idea of simplifying to such an extent that you love everything in your wardrobe.... and there's no thinking needed because everything suits you, everything complements the other items, saving you time, saving you money, putting you first (anyone recognise that tagline from waaaaay back? bonus points to you!). Bliss.
It talks to my inner minimalist :)
I've been doing some decluttering of my wardrobe for years. Every year I get better.
I even did this over the past couple of months - every time I wore something that irritated me, out it went. If I wore the red one, and I had a pink and green one too, then out they went too (I used to buy multiple things if I really like them!).
The last two times I went through my wardrobe I decluttered 21 items just like that. So it's doable.
But the truth is I probably have more than 33 accessories (scarves and handbags) these days.
I'm definitely thinking of trying this capsule thing for work .
What do you think of this concept?
Could you do a capsule wardrobe?
By the way, the BEST blog post I've seen around on capsule thinking is this one.
I've been subconsciously trying it and I like it. Moving from places (Lagos, Houston) where I could wear the same clothes year-round to Calgary with it's 4 seasons has been hard for me. It's taken me almost 3 years to figure our how to dress for the weather and having a set of clothes for each season is what I'm doing right now. Plus I regularly declutter so I don't have a lot of items to begin with so yes, the capsule wardrobe concept sorta works for me right now.
ReplyDeleteoh awesome, I'm so pleased someone is trying it! you're going to have to keep commenting as we figure this out!
DeleteAnd what do you do if you have less items than this? Lol! I live in such horror of turning into a hoarder that we clean out once a season and everybody only buys what they need. I own one handbag which I use for everything. And shoes are bought with multi-use in mind. I try to spend on decent quality up front so it looks better for longer and fits my lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great concept.
Then you rejoice!!! My one friend is like that and I'm always in awe! I should ask her to send me pics for the blog :)
DeleteHA! I think this is the one and only area of my house is that is more "decluttered" than yours. Honestly I think as it stands right now I have only 40 items of clothes including pjs!
ReplyDeleteI threw out a lot of stuff recently - A LOT! Its a bit frustrating at the moment but I am slowly buying new things but still my clothes cupboards are bare :)
I'm like that with work!
DeleteI should count!!!
PS Laura, it's a good thing you don't have much!!! Do you read those links I post on organising queen in the something to read on the weekend on Pink Ronnie's closet? Go read them!
DeleteThis is an excellent idea!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. I do need to clean out my closet. It's in my mind to do after I clean out/organize a few other places that are more important right now. I'll get there.
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea! I need to clean out my wardrobe!! I'm sure there are things I have not worn in a year!!! Baby steps I cleaned out shoes earlier in the year, I should do the same with my clothes
ReplyDeleteOh I have to comment... I have left it two nights but just can't let it go... What forty items could you possibly have, I just can not fathom? Forty... where do you keep forty items of clothing, and if it isn't clothing - how many hats and bags and shoes can a girl have? I have a pair of shoes, I have a bag... and think I look odd in hats!!! I am very conscious of making sure that we always have the very least amount of stuff... but this winter when I went to buy a pair of jeans I found a pair for R35. (at e.dgars - can you believe) I know insane, totally mis-marked. I considered them free and bought myself a second pair, since I had set aside the cash anyway. How crazy is that two pairs of jeans. Well now I see the error of my ways... I have one pair of jeans I have hardly worn, I totally do not need two pairs of jeans and must give them away to someone who needs them. I counted the items of clothes in my closet... and was so horribly short of forty items, even counting each sock vs pairs... So what am I missing? Don't you find yourself wearing your favorites all the time anyway, or do you force yourself to wear different outfits everyday? Where do you keep the extra clothes and how do you keep track of worn vs not worn - is there a system? I think I must have failed in the clothing department - I am clearly totally clueless, but also intrigued, I have to know how do you keep track of forty items of clothing... well actually eighty (forty for work and forty for home). EIGHTY... I am guessing we have eighty items between us, well closer to a hundred, maybe even a hundred and twenty... if we count the dressing up.
ReplyDeleteNo, I couldn't...but I do neec to declutter my wardrobe. There are clothing going back years that I haven't worn in years.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh. I am inspired! I could ABSOLUTELY do this! It would mean a lot of decluttering but it suits me fine - I tend to wear my favourites over and over so can easily pull this off. Off to the drawing board. WATCH THIS SPACE.
ReplyDeleteThis is so not for my sister or mom who both have items in their cupboards with the tags still on them! For me, I don't think I would cope with only 40 items either. I like to have a back up for the days when I have a "fat day" and nothing looks nice ;-)
ReplyDeletexxx
I love the idea, and like some of the others, had to buy more items to get up to 40-ish. But for me, it's not about not shopping as much as it is about putting forth the effort to look nicer. I work from home and prior to that was a SAHM so it was too easy to wear shlumpy sweats and ratty shirts all the time. Now I plan ahead, make sure I have whole outfits instead of random pieces that might not go together, and no cheap impulse purchases. I wrote a couple posts about it on my Papercraft Lab blog. I can't wait for our fall to begin so I can wear my cute new stuff!
ReplyDelete