As an aspiring fashion connoisseur, I religiously stalk Pinterest and Instagram and try to scope out the recent trends and fine tune my purchases to reflect the influencers I see on my social media feeds. However, as I’ve matured into a twenty-year-old girl, I’ve started to realize that often “keeping up” with micro-trends has slowly become everything but trendy.
Now, before I get accused of labelling non-trending fashion as “cheugy” or “dated,” let me provide a disclaimer. I am 100% a supporter of everyone crafting their own style and wearing what makes them feel confident. I know that low-rise jeans are definitely not at the top of my shopping list (because quite frankly, my body type would look absolutely atrocious in them), but I know that other girls around campus rock them like Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries. And honestly, as they should!
But today, my goal is to convince you to try and create a staple wardrobe so that you can have endless outfits, be environmentally conscious, and ultimately look clean and trendy no matter what you wear. Believe me, I am so guilty of falling for the trap we call micro-trends that circulate all of our favorite fast-fashion stores. If you look in my closet, you would totally understand. However, since I’ve tried to shop a little more strategically, I’ve learned a couple things:
- Buying an abundance of cheaper items (from go-to stores like Forever 21 or Shein) doesn’t necessarily give you more outfits to wear.
- Micro-trends are genuinely meant to last for a few months at a time. I’ve bought items because of my favorite celebrities and bloggers, and found these same public figures dissing these items 3-4 months later.
- Micro-trends and fads are insanely non-eco-friendly. The other day, my friends and I were in Savers looking for last minute Halloween costume items, and we saw about 10-15 different items from different fast fashion companies like Shein, NastyGal, and more. Why? Because their products are low-quality, and they capitalize on the quick trend cycle. None of their clothes are “timeless” like other brands.
Now of course you’re probably sitting here and wondering, “Okay Cassie, now what even is a capsule closet, and how do I start making one?”
Well of course, this is where I come in. While I’m no expert, I’ve started to slowly formulate a Pinterest board filled with my versions of capsule closet outfit-inspo. I’m going to link it here:
The awesome thing is, you can cater your capsule closet to your own personal style, which I love. My personal style is shown on this Pinterest board, so don’t feel like this is the standard how your capsule closet should look. I love the “model-off-duty” vibe that Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner sport in paparazzi photos, so that is definitely what I was trying to channel when I made the board.
Something else to keep in mind when curating your capsule wardrobe: sometimes splurging on the long-lasting, higher quality pieces is worth it! Obviously being a college student, money is often pretty tight and if you’re a shopaholic like me, it can be difficult to budget. However, a lot of inexpensive pieces I’ve bought in the past have either ended up destroyed after 6 months of wear, or they’ve just gone out of style and end up in my local Goodwill.
Now, Where do you start?
Below I am going to list some basic capsule closet essentials to give you the building blocks to creating an essential wardrobe to last you years, and it’ll never be labelled “cheugy.”
1. Black Leggings and/or yoga pants
This one is for all the people calling LuluLemon “cheugy” and “dated.” I live in my Lulus and have had the same pair since probably my junior year of high school. And recently, I’ve been obsessed with my Aerie crossover yoga pants. They are so comfy, so reasonable, and look good on literally any body type.
https://www.ae.com/us/en/c/aerie/bottoms/leggings/flare-leggings/cat1410033
https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-pants/Align-Pant-Full-Length-28/_/prod8780551?color=0001
2. A high-quality, comfortable sweatset
I have been on the hunt for a super cozy sweatset to layer with my leather jacket for those cozy fall and winter days. I’ve found a few cute ones I’ve become obsessed with, and want to share them with you here. Definitely saving up some money to splurge on the Aritzia one…
https://www.aritzia.com/us/en/product/cozy-fleece-perfect-hoodie/90864.html?dwvar_90864_color=19793
https://www.zara.com/us/en/basic-sweatshirt-p08417812.html?v1=122563136&v2=1883588
3. A Winter puffer jacket
I have been LIVING in my puffer jacket from Target for the past few weeks as campus has started to get cold. They are timeless, go with everything, and definitely can spice up an outfit during the wintertime while keeping you warm!
https://www.zara.com/us/en/faux-leather-puffer-jacket-p03427753.html?v1=142883356&v2=1882195
4. everyday White sneakers
Do I even need to explain these? I wear white sneakers with almost every outfit, and they look cute for any occasion. And best of all, I don’t see “basic white sneakers that everyone adores” going out of style anytime soon.
https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/new-balance-608-v5-training-shoe—womens/432382?activeColor=110
5. basic tank tops
This sounds like a given, but these are the easiest to style with literally anything. I love to get mine from stores like Zara, Princess Polly, and even thrift stores! You really never know what you’ll find.
6. your favorite go-to jeans
I have recently been converted to the baggy-jean lifestyle in the past year, and let me tell you, I’m never going back. Baggy jeans are naturally more flattering on my body type, but if skinny jeans are more your vibe, you rock them girl! Here are some of my go-to jeans below.
https://www.zara.com/us/en/ripped-wide-leg-jeans-p06045227.html?v1=131956439&v2=1882892
https://www.garageclothing.com/us/p/90s-straight-jean/10006856707I.html
7. anything else you think would complement these items!
Obviously, there is so much freedom when you create a capsule closet. However, this isn’t to say that you can’t have pops of color throughout your wardrobe or can’t buy and style a few unique pieces you adore. I live for my bright green sweater and funky white go-go boots, and I always will. But, converting to a capsule wardrobe has endless benefits in the end, and will ultimately make you look and feel more mature, classy, and leave you feeling satisfied with all your purchases.