Today I am sharing how to make a winter capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is the best way to start living simply. When I first started decluttering, a capsule wardrobe seemed like a far off thought.
Now that we have decluttered our entire house I have realized a capsule wardrobe is the best way to simplify. With less clothing there is less laundry.
It only takes a few minutes of my time once a week to do all the laundry for my family of 4!
How to Make a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Capsule Wardrobe
Most capsule wardrobes have between 25 to 50 pieces. I am not strict with the amount of clothing in my wardrobe, but since decluttering throughout the years my seasonal wardrobe has around 30 items. What is included in a seasonal capsule wardrobe? I include; shoes, pants, dresses, shirts, sweaters, jackets and anything that I would wear outside of my house.
I don’t include pajamas, lounge wear, undergarments, or formal wear.
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Seasonal Capsule
Since I use a seasonal capsule wardrobe I usually reevaluate my closet every season. This will depend on where you live, for instance I live in California, so Summer and Fall are very warm and Winter and Spring are cooler.
Obviously the seasons blend together weather wise for weeks at a time. This is one reason why I am not super strict with my wardrobe, and instead keep a few extra short sleeve shirts in my winter wardrobe.
Capsule Basics
Every capsule wardrobe needs some basics to get started. This for me is some black skinny jeans and some black short and long sleeve shirts. What can I say I like black.
Your wardrobe does not have to be black to be a capsule wardrobe, but it’s a good idea to have some solid muted colors that can go with everything. Imagine if you saw me three days in a row and I was wearing the same pink striped shirt each day.
You would probably notice that I wore the same thing, now imagine if I was wearing a black shirt. It would be harder to remember that black shirt and most people would just assume you had multiple black shirts.
Mix & Match
One major key to a capsule wardrobe is to make sure most of the items can be mixed and matched together. This should be easy, but I think most of us have owned those items that don’t go with anything. For instance some wild print pants are not going to go with a different print shirt. Also printed items stand out more so if you plan to wear about a week or two of clothes to mix and match ask yourself how often you want to wear that wild print.
Declutter
Here are my best capsule wardrobe decluttering tips.
Get rid of anything that you put on and take off for some reason. I just decluttered some pants that I really liked, but every time I put them on I would take them off because they would immediately stretch out and slip off. This was uncomfortable to constantly have to pull these pants up.
Get rid of any annoying clothes; itchy sweaters, things that stretch out quickly, and anything ill fitting. Declutter anything that you haven’t worn in over a year. Get rid of everything that doesn’t fit or hasn’t for years.
If you just changed size for some reason then pause for a few months to see if you are going to lose or gain the weight back, but if not get rid of those items. Keeping items that don’t fit for years can make you feel bad about yourself and or clog up your closet.
Items that don’t fit also waste your time. Trying things on only to find out they are uncomfortable or won’t do up. Finally the one in one out policy will keep your wardrobe at its current size. I try to only replace items as they wear out or if I get sick of them.
My Wardrobe
- 1 Pair Green skinny pants
- 2 Pairs of skinny black jeans
- 1 pair of black track pants
- 1 Black long sleeve shirt, 1 Grey long sleeve shirt, 1 white long sleeve, & 1 Blue long sleeve
- 2 Short sleeve shirts (also black)
- 6 Sweaters; 1 white, 1 red, 2 green, 1 grey, 1 blue
- 1 Puffer Vest
- 2 Jackets
- 2 pairs of boots and 1 pair of tennis shoes
Altogether I have about 22 items that are in my winter capsule wardrobe. I personally love black, but I would like to add a pair of skinny blue jeans to the mix. This year we are on a no spend year so I will wait until next year to add these jeans.
This amount of clothing has worked perfectly for me for 2 years now. I feel like I always have plenty to wear. I am currently a work at home mom so most of these sweaters are very casual.
If I had to go to work and dress up a little more I would probably add a skirt, slacks, and a button up shirt.
As a side note, if the weather drastically changes for some reason I don’t feel bad if I have to get out some cooler clothes. The reason for a capsule wardrobe is to simplify your life and also save some money. These rules are not set in stone and it is a good idea to keep an open mind when picking your capsule.
Sometimes certain items don’t work out and have to be switched. Having a capsule wardrobe has made me learn about my own style and what I truly like when it comes to clothes.
Read More:
20 Reasons your House still looks Cluttered
How Often Should You Declutter?
How to declutter without feeling Guilty
Decluttering Help – Helping a Friend Declutter
Decluttering your Home With Kids
We wear the same colors. The most comfortable colors
I like to pick solid colors over patterns, I just find them easier to mix and match. =)