Spring arrives with its promise of freshness and new beginnings. It can be the perfect time to reinvent ourselves and encourage us to lead lives of joy and peacefulness. One surprising way we can accomplish these new feelings is with our wardrobe. In her blog, Unfancy, Caroline Rector explains the idea of a capsule wardrobe, and how it may change your life. You just may find capsule wardrobes to be as inspiring as I do.
We all have spent time staring at our closets, debating about what to wear, or what will look good together. Likewise, we have spent way too much money on pieces of clothing that we thought we had to have, only to find that they have only seen the light of day once. Why should we keep any clothing (or anything else for that matter) that we don’t love, feel good in, or doesn’t reflect our personal style?
According to Caroline, a capsule wardrobe is a “mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.” It all starts with 37 pieces that includes tops, bottoms, dresses, coats, and shoes. This number excludes workout clothes, accessories, pajamas, underwear, and dressy/special occasion clothing. These core pieces are intended to last you a season, around 3 months. Narrowing yourself to only 37 pieces seems very scary and limiting, so it is okay to adjust that number to better fit your comfort zone. Keep in mind that this is about letting go and freeing yourself, so why not give it a try?
To start, take everything out of your closet and drawers and lay all of the contents on your bed (if you are anything like me, that is going to be a lot of things). Now, make three piles:
1. Â Â Â Â Pieces you love, that fit, are appropriate for your lifestyle, and you would buy again if you were shopping right now.
2.     Pieces that you don’t wear, but have a sentimental attachment to.
3.     Pieces that don’t fit, that you don’t like, or don’t follow your personal flair or lifestyle.
Donate any pieces from pile three that are in good condition, and toss the ones that are not. Bag up pieces in the second pile and put them in storage (you may realize over time that they really aren’t as special as you once thought). In the first pile, separate any pieces that do not work for the current season and store them away, separate from your closet. Finally, pick your 37 pieces from what is left. Think about pieces that are neutral and can easily be mixed and matched. The pieces should easily be able to take you from day to night and fit your everyday lifestyle.
This is Caroline’s cute, spring wardrobe. On her blog she offers a printable “Capsule Wardrobe Planner” to help you create your own capsule wardrobe and make this experience even easier.
I love shopping and clothes, but I also love the idea of updating my closet and trying something new. If anything, taking on the capsule wardrobe challenge will help define your personal style and require you to become quite crafty in your outfit combos.
Utilizing a capsule wardrobe means something different to everyone. For Caroline Rector, it means spending more time and energy on things that she believes really matter. It means spending less time deciding what to wear, less money spent shopping, and more happiness overall. That sounds like a pretty good reason to try this lifestyle change to me!
Visit Caroline Rector’s blog Unfancy to follow her journey, be inspired and see all of her cute outfits along the way. Â