How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | The Basics
The concept of a capsule wardrobe is nothing new, and has been around since the 70’s. Now more than ever, the idea of having a curated collection of timeless wardrobe classics is essential.
The best part is, a capsule wardrobe can be easily customized to fit your unique sense of style and fashion preferences.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of thoughtfully curated clothing items, and accessories, designed to be easily paired together. Because each individual item is typically neutral, and timeless. A capsule wardrobe can easily consisted of less clothing items to create the maximum number of outfit pairings. The goal is to easily achieve a variety of different looks with a small selection of clothing items.
Being able to mix and match is the goal here, so keeping your items neutral and simple tends to work best. Neutral colors include everything between: black, navy, gray, brown, tan, and white.
How to Select Items for a Capsule Wardrobe
When planning your capsule wardrobe, you’ll also want to focus on how timeless, functional, and versatile each piece is.
When adding a new item, you should ask yourself: “Does this fit in with what I currently have, and can it go with multiple outfits?”
Once you’ve got the basic guidelines of staple pieces you’re looking for, this is where your personal style comes into play.
If you lean more towards gray vs tan, that’s totally fine! If you don’t like wool, but you love linen – that’s great too! Find what works best for your style, your complextion and your day to day needs.
Below is an example of a basic capsule wardrobe to get you started. And of course, if you’ve already got some of these items – even better.
- 2-4 T-shirts
- 2-4 tank tops and/or bodysuits
- 2-3 button down tops
- 2-4 knit sweaters
- 2-4 long sleep tops or blouses
- 2-3 blazers
- 2-3 trousers
- 2-3 jackets and coats
- 2-4 pairs of jeans
- 1-3 pairs of shorts
- 1-2 dresses
- belts, jewelry and accessories of choice
- 3-4 pairs of shoes
Keep your T-shirts very simple for a capsule wardrobe to start. Basic T’s can be the foundation of most outfits and can be styles in many versatile ways. Black, brown, and white T-shirts are a must. You can also choose a gray or a blue option, and expand into more colors as your wardrobe grows. A few oversized, and a few fitted or cropped. Start with one white and one black and then go from there.
Of course, you can get T-shirts ANYWHERE these days, so the key will be focusing on finding a cut, and material that you like best.
A fitted or cropped T-shirt is going to be a perfect base for layering. Of course, a T-shirt can also be worn on its own and is easy to dress up or down.
Having a few loose fitting T-shirts make any outfit more stylish. You can wear these on their own, and even tuck them in for a more put together look.
These are essential basics of a capsule wardrobe, and will most likely be worn as an under-layer for most of your outfits. Once you’ve got basic styles and colors, you can then explore adding more fun elements and colors into your wardrobe.
A bodysuit is an essential foundational layer. They can be really flattering under blazers or cardigans or make for a great going out look. If bodysuits aren’t really your thing, tank tops can work just as well.
Having a variety of tank tops to choose from comes in very handy when building an outfit. I recommend having a mix of white, black, and especially nude colors as they can mimic skin tone and become invisible when worn under white blouses.
Don’t just assume your button up has be worn to that job interview. Button-ups can be for casual wear too. Have one in black or white, and blue is a great place to start.
Overall, Stick with a mostly neutral colors in the beginning. It’s going to be a lot easier to mix and match. Once you have the foundation of your capsule wardrobe, you can layer on many other colors and patterns.
Having a basic white or black button down is going to come in very handy to build out your wardrobe. Don’t overlook this item as it can add a lot of interest to an everyday, casual outfit. Think about pairing with jeans, and a pair of boots for a less formal look.
Even though this is stripped, and blue; it’s somehow always part of creating a classic and timeless wardrobe. Something about a striped blue button-up, just stays ageless.
When it comes to knitwear and sweaters, you’ve got TONS of options. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed here, and just choose items that feel authentic to your style.
Because there are so many cuts, fabrics, and styles to choose from; start with finding options that flatter your body type. Don’t be afraid to try on as many options as you can, to find what styles work the best for you.
Overall, just focus on sticking to neutral colors, and plan to choose 2-3 staple pieces to begin with.
Here’s another place you can add your own individual style into your capsule wardrobe. Feel free to choose an oversized or loose fitting sweater with a simple pattern. This sweater has visual interest while still keeping its versatility in a capsule wardrobe.
Cardigans are classics for a reason. These knits are typically lightweight and very versatile. Because they include buttons, there are a lot of styling options. I recommend starting with black, but any other neutral will work great too.
A solid gray, a solid navy, a solid black, and a solid cream are good choices to include. This is a very simple style that will be easy to integrate into a capsule wardrobe.
Long sleeve tops, and blouses are optional but can add some much needed variety to your capsule wardrobe. Just like with knits, the options here are endless. This is going to be the best place for you to choose pops of color and patterns that speak to your unique style.
I’ve choses a few basic long sleeve shirts to highlight, as this is where I would start when building my capsule wardrobe for the first time. Here you’re still sticking to versatile basics, while inducing a pop of color and pattern.
If you’re a man, this is where you might want to consider getting a black suit. For a woman, you can easily look for a professional pant suit set, to be work together or separate.
If you’re like me though, you’re probably not going to need a matching set, but it’s still a great idea to have a few professional blazers. Aim to find 1-2 blazers that could be paired for both casual and formal looks.
A black blazer is a must, and I would recommend looking for a black blazer that can easily be dressed up for formal occasions. Look for one that isn’t too trendy, but err on the side of classic and fitted here.
For your second blazer, feel free to include something more on the casual end. Of course you can still dress this up for a formal occasion. However, the more relaxed fit is a fun style choice for going out.
An important complement to your blazer is a great pair of pleated or drapey fitting trousers. Perfect for pairing with a blazer to complete a formal look, or I also love dressing them dressing them down too.
Based on your body type, you may want to look for higher wait, loose fit, or tapered trousers.
My recommendation is to have one light and one dark pair of trousers. These are a high waist silhouette making them both flattering and versatile for pairing with cropped or form fitted tops.
This classic and simple style will go perfectly with either a form fitted, or loose, slouchy fitted blazer. You can also pair these with a simple blouse or top on its own.
A good coat is a wardrobe staple for any gender. Every capsule wardrobe should contain a few pieces of outerwear, like a trench coat or heavier wool coat. Having a few options that you can grab and go for any outfit is a must.
When choosing jackets and coats, think about your personal style and what you are most likely to pair with the rest of your wardrobe. You will also want to consider where you live, and assure you have a good jacket for every season.
A black or grey wool coat will never go out of style and will pair well with everything. Look for a heavier style of you are looking for a warmer jacket for winter.
You can’t go wrong with a beautiful trench in a classic tan. A trench is a great choice for Spring and Fall seasons when the weather is cool. Look for a length that is flattering for your body type.
In addition to longer jackets, you will want a short jacket option too. A moto jacket in real or vegan leather is a great option. It ads a lot of style and interest to any outfit.
Denim is a significant component of your capsule wardrobe, and I’m guessing you’ve already got a few pairs of jeans. You may not even need to add anything here if you’ve already got a solid pairs that you love.
If you’re looking to simplify your jean collection, or confirm you’ve got the basics down I would recommend starting with 3-4 solid options. Make sure to have a mix of light and dark, usually straight-leg or tapered. Start with simple and avoid rips, or bedazzled styles.
This is one of the most classic styles of denim you should have in your wardrobe, and that’s a dark wash jean. Look for something that is a simple wash, and does not include rips or jeweled pockets.
Whether or not you consider a black skinny jean classic or not, plan to include at least one black denim pant in your wardrobe. A black jean is a wardrobe staple, and can be included in many different cuts. Try rolling up the cuffs to give this style some added interest.
Finally, make sure to have at least one light wash denim option. A classic straight leg has the most versatility, and will certainly stand the test of time. The straight-leg silhouette is sophisticated and easy to pair.
You may or may not be a shorts person, and that’s ok. This is an optional inclusion in a capsule wardrobe, but does add some nice options for summer styling. You don’t need many options here and 1-2 shorts can be plenty to round out a capsule wardrobe.
It’s nice to have a pair of linen shorts with an elastic waistband for pairing with tank tops and blouses for summer. Comfortable and fashionable is the goal here.
And of course you will likely want a nice pair of jean shorts for casual summer looks. I recommend light wash with simple details for classic summer styling.
The little black dress. I’m sure this doesn’t need much explanation, but a woman just can’t go wrong here. If you don’t already have one, it’s a great idea to have a simple, short, black slip dress in your closet.
Once you’ve got the black dress, go ahead and add another classic style or color to your wardrobe.
I also recommend adding a mini skirt if it fits with your personal style.
Choose a dress that makes you feel amazing, and one that can be dressed up or dressed down for any occasion. A fitted option is great for pairing, and you can even add a sweater over this dress to make it a skirt.
And now, we’re getting into adding the final touches to our outfits. Now and then, you might want to add some interest to your outfit with a belt. Of course, you can use a belt for practical reasons, but more often than not this will be for fashion purposes.
Of course, look for something versatile but feel free to add a few belts to your wardrobe that speak to your style. These are for adding visual interest so feel free to venture out a bit if you so choose.
I recommend looking for a belt that isn’t too chunky to start, and find the colors and metals that work best for you. These are simple options, but feel free to find more statement options if that’s your style.
Jewelry and accessories are very personal additions to a wardrobe and this is a great place to let your personality shine.
There aren’t many rules for jewelry here but it is typically recommended to wear less in the daytime, and add a few additional pieces for evening.
Go for mixed metals- rose gold, silver, bronze necklace or bracelet if you don’t know where to start. That way you will have a variety of metals to pair with any outfit.
If there’s anywhere in your wardrobe that you meticulously choose the perfect items for your wardrobe, let it be shoes! Not only do you want to choose a shoe collection that is versitile and works with the rest of your wardrobe, but comfort is a major factor as well.
Don’t strictly choose fashion here, but practicality as well. It may take some time to find not only a shoe that fits your personal taste, but a shoe that can function as it needs to for your daily shoe needs.
There’s nothing better for a capsule wardrobe than a bright white pair of sneakers. A classic sneaker is extremely versatile and can pair it with anything from jeans, to dresses.
I highly recommend starting with black when purchasing a boot. Make sure whatever boot you choose works for your lifestyle and make sure they are comfortable!
Here’s where you want to include a universal dressy shoe. Look for a timeless style and don’t start with anything too trendy. Feel free to make this a heel, sandals or a ballet flat depending on your personal style.
Identifying these basics is the first step, and I hope you’re well on your way to a timeless capsule wardrobe that’s personalized and unique to you! Once you’ve got this step down, you can then start to add more trendy, colorful, and unique pieces to expand your wardrobe.
