PUTTING TOGETHER A CAPSULE WARDROBE

Minimalism is trendy. Empty surfaces grace the pages of décor magazines, monochrome palettes are all the rage on the catwalk and clean eating seems to be here to stay. Feeding into the popularity of ‘less is more’ is the concept of a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is essentially a pared back collection of clothes which can be easily mixed and matched to create a variety of outfits from very few garments. Proponents of the idea claim it streamlines your life, reduces daily decision-making and saves you money.

There are several different methods of putting together a capsule wardrobe, but the basic concepts are:

1. Reduce the number of items in your wardrobe to a specific number, say 30, 40 or 50, including shoes and accessories.
2. Many capsule-devotees advocate removing absolutely everything from your cupboards and sorting them into piles. These should be:

* items you love and wear all the time,

* ‘maybes’ which get worn occasionally but that have something off about them whether it’s a dodgy colour, a poor fit or a slight feel of being out of date

* definite ‘no’s’

* seasonal items

3. Items you love can go back into the closet, put ‘maybes’ and seasonal items into a box or suitcase and store them away where you can access them if you miss them or add them to next season’s capsule and get rid of the ‘no’s’.
4. The next step is to choose your edited collection of items from the ones you love. Make your choices based on what makes you feel really good. If a garment doesn’t make you feel like a million bucks, bin it for this round.
5. Each item should work in harmony with the others and reflect your personal style.
6. Take the time to get certain pieces tailored to fit you perfectly so that you feel great in each one.
7. Invest in good quality items that will wash well and last.
8. You will need to adjust your capsule wardrobe seasonally – a capsule wardrobe is a working collection of garments and accessories which functions for a certain period of time and then needs to be updated.
9. Sticking to a colour palette can make the process easier, especially the first time round. Think about black, white and navy with a touch of coral or perhaps grey, navy and blush is more your style.

The beauty of the capsule wardrobe is that you love every piece, making dressing each day a breeze.