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I tried the popular 'capsule wardrobe' and whittled my closet down to just 30 items — here's why I'm never looking back
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In the 1970s, London boutique owner Susie
Faux coined the term "capsule wardrobe" to describe a minimal
wardrobe composed of 30 to 40 high-quality, versatile items that
will meet your needs for a given time amount of time.
Wearing only a fraction of your closet is supposed to reinforce
the idea that you can be happy with less - plus, you'll save
money in the long run buying fewer, quality clothes and skipping
the mediocre items, Faux writes on her
blog.
Out of curiosity - Are 30 items really enough for a season?
Will it force me to dress better? How much truth is behind the
mantra, 'dress for success'? - I decided to give it a whirl.
I started small, eliminating 75% of my clothing for a month, to
start.
But 30 days on a "capsule diet" wasn't nearly enough. Here's how
I did it, and why I'm sticking with my 30-or-so items and never
looking back.
Putting the capsule together was painless
The size of your capsule is highly personal, Faux
explains, and there are no strict guidelines when it comes to
building your mini wardrobe. I drew inspiration from Caroline
Rector of Unfancy, who
chooses 37 items for each
three-month long season, and whittled down my congested
closet to 30 items - 21 of which I ended up wearing for the next
month. The other nine are still hanging and will likely be worn
over the next month and a half before starting my "summer
capsule."
As Rector suggests, I took every single piece of clothing out
of my dresser and closet and laid it on my bed before building my
capsule. I considered the last time I had worn each item - if it
was over six months, it immediately went into the storage pile.
If I didn't love it, it also went straight to storage.
The next criteria were practicality and versatility. I read that
you should opt for neutral colors, since they're easier to
mix-and-match, and for March in New York, I tried to choose as
seasonally appropriate pieces as possible.
Building the capsule was surprisingly quick and painless - it was
as simple as choosing my favorite clothes and packing everything
else in a spare suitcase. The 30 items I settled on included:
Note that the capsule does not include workout clothes,
jewelry, accessories, pajamas, and underwear. For a more detailed
(and fashion-forward) breakdown of what types of things to
include in your capsule, check out Rector's guide.
It saved time and energy in the morning
I quickly found that choosing what to wear to work each day
became infinitely easier, simply because I had so few clothes to
choose from. It was also nice knowing that I couldn't really go
wrong with my decision - after all, I filled my capsule with my
favorite, highest-quality items.
What's more, simplifying the "What do I wear today?" conundrum
meant I was expending less energy on mundane decisions.
After all, there's
a scientific reason some of the most successful people wear
the same outfit day in and day out (think: Mark Zuckerberg and
his signature gray tee-shirt, or Barack Obama and his blue or
gray suit). It helps them avoid decision fatigue.
As Obama told Vanity Fair in 2012, "You'll
see I wear only gray or blue suits. I'm trying to pare down
decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating
or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make."
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I dressed better
I'm not a slob, but I don't take much more than 10 minutes to get
ready in the morning - and that can sometimes translate into
questionable ensembles.
When downsizing, I didn't just choose necessities - I chose my
favorite and best necessities, meaning I was
"limited" to high-quality clothes that fit me well. The entire
experience reminded me of that feeling you have post-shopping
spree, when you're irrationally excited to wear your new favorite
purchases and consequently, end up wearing them day after day.
Plus, "Dress for success" is more than a catchy motto. As
Business Insider's
Dennis Green writes, "Studies have shown that wearing nice
clothes in the office can affect the way people perceive you, how
confident you're feeling, and even how you're able to think
abstractly."
In one study, "Those dressed poorly (in sweatpants and plastic
sandals) averaged a theoretical profit of $680,000, while the
group dressed in suits amassed an average profit of $2.1 million.
The group dressed neutrally averaged a $1.58 million profit,"
Green reports.
I didn't see an immediate financial return on my clothes, but it
was nice to have an arsenal of "power outfits" at the ready.
As Faux
notes, "Your capsule wardrobe is designed to make you feel
confident."
It forced me to get creative
Style is not my strong suit. It's improved since moving to
Manhattan 14 months ago out of necessity, but I'm far from what
New Yorkers would call "trendy."
I'm still not turning heads when I walk down Fifth Avenue, but I
did learn a thing or two about layering, pairing, and
accessorizing. Paradoxically, the fewer choices I have in my
closet, the more liberated I feel when it comes to choosing
outfits. Not once have I thought, I have nothing to wear,
which crossed my mind all the time when I had a much bigger
closet - rather, I'm learning to appreciate my quality items and
am challenging myself to repurpose them in creative ways.
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It saved money
I'm not much of a shopper, but the capsule wardrobe does
completely eliminate the option of spending on clothes (Faux,
Rector, and other capsule advocates recommend shopping only
before each new season to populate your capsule). While it may
not have saved me significantly this past month, it will likely
save me money in the long run. At the very least, I'll get much
more wear out of what I do buy.
Moving forward, I will be much more intentional when buying
clothes - I will not only shop for quality, but I will shop for
versatility. Before making any clothing purchases, I will ask
myself a few questions: Is there room for it in the capsule
wardrobe? If not, am I willing to replace an existing item? And,
how well will it mix and match with other capsule items?
As an added bonus, I now have a hefty pile of clothes I realized
I don't need or even want - and I can make extra cash by
selling them online.
It saved space
In New York City, space is a commodity (you may have noticed that
I don't have a closet). There's barely enough room for essentials
like food and cookware, let alone gratuitous clothing.
I packed my non-capsule clothes - about 75% of my wardrobe - in
empty suitcases stored under my roommate's bed. Decluttering was
mentally and physically refreshing. It opened up my tiny room,
exposed the crisp white walls, and gave me a newfound sense of
control over my space.
Whether you're living in a crammed apartment in New York or an
open town house in North Carolina, I think you'll find that when
it comes to clothing, less, does indeed, mean more.
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