For anyone that doesn’t know what a capsule wardrobe is, it’s basically a ‘functional approach to your wardrobe’ (my kinda thing!).
According to Wikipedia: “The term has come to refer to a collection of clothing that is composed of interchangeable items only, to maximise the number of outfits that can be created. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing. This is usually achieved by buying what are considered to be “key” or “staple” items in coordinating colours.”
For a few years now I have been slowly evolving towards this principle and have reached a point where my wardrobe is minimal, yet elegant and (multi)functional.
The basic principles of my wardrobe are these:
- If I find something I like, I get a few of them (same or different colors)
- I mostly stick with neutral colors that work well together. Though I do like the occasional color pop!
- I try to stick with non-synthetic fabrics like cotton & viscose for tops because I find they don’t smell as quickly.
- I try to shop at ethically responsible brands when I can.
The basics
My ‘basic uniform’ is a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater.
I own:
- 2 pairs of jeans (Kings of Indigo Juno: one black and one blue)
- 8 t-shirts (Noisy May Harry: 4 black, 4 green)
- 6 sweaters (Esprit structured sweater: 2 pink, 2 black + Armed Angels Medina: 2 yellow)
And that’s it for my basics. I do have some extras which I’ll talk about in a bit, but I can really wear this ‘uniform’ all year round and never feel bored with my outfit.
ps: Yes, I find that I really don’t need more than 2 pairs of pants. They both work with everything I own & whenever one is in the wash, I simply wear the other one.
My color palette
Black is a no-brainer of course. Apart from that I’m a big fan of scarab green & mustard yellow (I use these in my home as well). For outfits I find that dusty pink works well on me as a softer color.
Spruce things up
Even though I feel pretty good in my basic outfit, I like to spruce things up once in a while. Especially when summer comes around I change my wardrobe a bit.
So I also have:
- 2 button up shirts (same model, different print)
- 2 vests (same model, different color)
- 2 skirts (same model, different color)
- 5 dresses (2 of which are identical :-)
- 2 fancy dresses
I’m still figuring out how to ‘standardize’ this section and make it more multifunctional. But I do allow myself some playfulness. Not everything needs to feel like a uniform.
Shoes
As for shoes, it’s also quite simple. I have 4 main pairs of shoes:
- Everyday ankle boots (Sezane Leah)
Yes, I actually wear these every single day in winter & autumn. I love these! - Sandals with heels (Coque Terra)
My go-to shoe in springtime and summer. Super comfortable! - Flats (Melissa shoes)
I swear I have had these shoes for more than 5 years and they still look great. - Fancy sandals with heels (Sezane Elise)
My wedding or ‘date’ shoe.
A part from this I also have a pair of rain boots & 2 pairs of flip flops.
So if you add that all up, I guess I have a total of 29 pieces of clothing + 7 pairs of shoes and I’m pretty happy with that. (I’m not counting sports wear or pyjamas. Only clothes that I wear out on a regular day.)
