Have you heard of a capsule wardrobe? We’ve been wanting to put together a plus size guide to building a capsule wardrobe for some time now but we’ll be honest, it’s something that can be difficult to do! It really takes being strategic about the pieces you are purchasing and making sure everything is fitting together in a way that makes your style modular.
So what is a capsule wardrobe? Essentially it’s curating your closet so that you can minimize the amount of clothing you have by selecting pieces that can be worn together in a variety of ways. Some like to build a capsule wardrobe for convenience of getting ready because if everything can be mixed and matched, they can ensure everything looks good. Others do it to save space if they have limited storage in their home or apartment. It also attracts those who are looking to be more conscious about sustainability as it allows you to have fewer items and not contribute to the problems that come with fast fashion.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn more about capsule wardrobes, we hope you find our tips helpful. And if capsule wardrobes don’t sound like your jam, don’t worry. Style has no rules so feel free to stock your closet full of pieces that make you feel confident and happy.
1: Plan Your Color Scheme
A good capsule wardrobe starts with a color theme that you can circle all your items around to create cohesiveness. Select a main color and make sure you include lots of neutrals like cream, white, tan, brown, black, gray, or navy. This will allow you to properly mix and match items and still have everything go together.
For our example capsule wardrobe, we chose blue as our base color. This includes both lighter shades (like baby blue), and deeper shades like navy. To compliment, we pulled pieces with pops of rust and orange. Neutrals (tans, denim), round out the colors.
2: Start with basic base layers
The foundation of any good capsule wardrobe is some basic pieces. This includes things like tees, tanks, long sleeves, and bottoms that can easily be paired with more “flashy” layers to create unique, visually different outfits.
For our base layers we have:
- Denim jeans (straight and skinny style)
- Long sleeve light blue shirt that can help outfits transition to winter
- Two-toned striped tee that can be worn alone or layered depending on weather.
- Light blue v-neck tank that can dress up any outfit.
- Khaki pants that act as a great base pant for work or dressier events.
- Camel colored dress that can be worn as a dress or paired with a shirt to create the illusion of skirt.
3: Transitional Pieces
Another staple of a capsule wardrobe is pieces that can transition. To us, this means pieces that can be worn a couple ways or cross seasons depending on how it is worn or layered.
A few pieces that we snagged as our transitional pieces include:
- A button down denim dress that can be worn open as a cardigan.
- Neutral colored button down striped shirt that can be worn closed, open, or tied over dresses.
- Skinny jeans that can be worn long or rolled up to create capris.
4: Statement Layering Pieces
Every good capsule wardrobe is rounded out with a few statement pieces that polish off an outfit. This could include layering pieces like cardigans and blazers, a unique top, or even accessories.
For our capsule wardrobe we included a variety of pieces:
- Buffalo check vest that can be worn over a variety of basic layering pieces.
- Navy blue blazer that can be dressed up or down.
- Striped button down blouse with a pop of color.
- Blue cardigan that pairs well with nearly any basic layering piece.
- Neutral accessories like earrings, purses, and a hat that can be mixed and matched with every possible outfit combination.
See It All Come Together
The best part of a capsule wardrobe is coming up with all the different combinations you can wear your pieces to make outfits. If you've followed our advice, you'll have plenty of options for different moods, weather, and special occasions. We came up with so many different outfit ideas from our single rack of items. Pretty cool, right?
Let the shopping begin
That’s really it! Creating a capsule wardrobe really comes down to finding the right pieces, which is the fun challenge. If you’re looking to create a capsule wardrobe browse our store or let our stylists help you find the right pieces to stock your wardrobe.
