“What if we stopped being oversold the value of having more and being undersold the value of having less?” (Greg Mckeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less)
After turning 30, I had a bit of an existential crisis and realized how anxious the “things” in my house were making me. I’ve slowly started purging non-essential things from my home, beginning with my wardrobe. I’ve loved fashion for as long as I can remember, but recently– picking out clothes to wear every day became a despised chore instead of a joyous activity. It was time for a change.
I tried on nearly every piece of clothing I owned and thought about how it made me feel wearing it. I realized that the most comfortable and confident I felt was always in neutral colors, with a more flowy and forgiving silhouette. Eight large garbage bags later (which were donated to this local charity), I was left with items that ended up being the same things I wore every day. I was already living with a pretty minimalist wardrobe, I just hadn’t gotten rid of the excess yet. Do you need help figuring out your personal style? Follow Valery’s guide to nail down your aesthetic, and clear out your closet accordingly.
Post-closet purge, I hung the remaining items on the clothing rack in my office (to free our small closets up for other storage) and assessed which pieces were missing. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been rebuilding my wardrobe with essential items that will easily coordinate with the things I currently owned.
Minimalist Style Tip: When shopping online, use filters and limit search results by color (and price) — I choose black, white, gray, and cream. Don’t get distracted and find yourself down a rabbit hole of choices. I love ASOS when searching for specific items and colors.
It now takes me less than five minutes to dress myself in the morning. I’ve already donated the clothing that no longer fits me, which I had previously hoarded out of vanity. Now I can reach for any item on aforementioned clothing rack, and know that I’ll look/feel great wearing it.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A couple friends asked me, after seeing my latest Instagram posts, if I was doing a capsule wardrobe. Initially, I said no. I wasn’t limiting myself to a certain number of items, there was not necessarily a rhyme or reason for the items other than that I liked how they fit on me and they worked well with each other. But after re-reading the definition of a capsule wardrobe, I realized that’s exactly what I was doing!
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. (Susie Faux)
So I decided to share my current capsule wardrobe in case there are any other readers out there looking to implement a minimalist style. All the clothing items I wear are less than $100 (because adulting is expensive ????). I will splurge on accessories occasionally, though.
Have you tried the capsule wardrobe concept before? How did it work for you? Any tips/favorite items I need to add to my shopping cart? Let me know!
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1457076″]
Tops:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1488295″]
Bottoms:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1488304″]
Shoes:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1488308″]
Accessories:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1457059″]