Have you heard about capsule wardrobes? I haven’t yet tracked down the origin, but several bloggers I follow have decided to try them. A capsule wardrobe is a limited set of clothing, usually by season. For example, you might have 30 pieces of clothing for the 3 months of summer. You would only use these 30 pieces to create your outfits during that “season”. For the next season, you might have carryover pieces, like jeans, tshirts and then add some additional weather specific pieces to create your 30 items, and so on. Accessories are not counted in the 30 items, but shoes usually are.
The thought behind it is that you usually reach for the same pieces over and over in your closet, so this is a way of paring down your closet to just those favorite pieces and doing away with the others (or hiding them under your bed until you are used to the idea!).
I used to have to travel quite a bit for work and I feel like a capsule wardrobe is like living out of a suitcase, a big suitcase, but same concept to me. You only have what you brought with you to make into an outfit. It makes you become creative in how you pair your items. You find different ways to wear your same pieces as time goes on and accessories are your friend.
The capsule wardrobe concept seems to me to be in response to our more is more world. What is really the point in having the latest item in fashion when you really think about it? Why is shopping the pastime for so many, myself included?
I certainly don’t have the answers to any of those questions, and I am not at all sure I could make it with just 30 items of clothing for 3 months. Though, that sounds ridiculous as I type it, as so many people do just fine with far less.
I do see the benefits in this idea, not just the cost savings, though they would be great. The ability to put your outfit together in minutes versus the staring at your closet trying to figure out something “new” to wear. Really understanding your style. I think as you went through each season, it would make your style very apparent to you after a season or two.
Having only clothing that fits your lifestyle in your closet would be awesome plus, the relaxation of knowing you don’t possess more than you actually use and need. Not many of us can say that we feel that today.
Will I try this trend? Maybe. I might try one of the 30 day type challenges first, where you take a set number of pieces and see how many outfits you can make out of them in 30 days. It might be a way to ease into the idea. I have to be honest, the idea of ridding my closet of most of my clothes makes me a little panicky. I suffer from the “what if I need it someday” disease.
How about you? Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Would you be willing to try? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
