how to build a capsule wardrobe the simple way (no planner needed)
I’ve been making capsule wardrobes since 2016. Sure, the rigidity of my closet has changed a lot over the last five years, but I keep coming back to the capsule wardrobe concept because it works.
Before making my first capsule wardrobe, I remember doing A TON of research on the best way to make one (anyone else a recovering perfectionist? lol). Back in the day, it was common to limit the amount of items in our closets to some arbitrary number. I was aiming for 37-40 items and let me tell you, the thought of only having 40 items to wear paralyzed me.
I spent week after week downloading a different capsule wardrobe planner, reading about yet another method of how to structure my closet. It was intense and it was too much.
Eventually, I moved past the research and actually started the process of culling and curating my closet. I’ve shared posts all about my outfits and packing lists and what’s in my current capsule wardrobe since then. I even made my own capsule wardrobe planner at one point!
After having my first baby, I realized I was 100% overcomplicating the whole thing.
Most of us already have a capsule wardrobe in our closet, we just can’t see it because our closet is also holding all of the other clothes that we don’t really wear or like anymore.
Enter my 10 step process to decluttering the clothes in your closet.
10 STEPS TO A CURATED CLOSET
1. put in-season clothes on the bed
First things first, the clothes go on the bed. I do this whenever I’m swapping my fall/winter clothes with my spring/summer ones. Take all of your clothes out of drawers and the closet and put it all on the bed.
2. try everything on
From there, it’s time to start trying things on. I know it can sound like a hassle to get everything on then off, but this is an important step. Trying our clothes on helps us truly see a piece of clothing — if it fits, if the color is something we feel confident in, and the condition it’s in.
3. sort items into categories
As you go, sort your items into one of three categories (and make a pile for each one): clothes you love, clothes you know you don’t like or wear, and clothes you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Another way to think of the categories is in terms of Yes, No, and Kind Of. In the spirit of Marie Kondo, gauge whether or not an item sparks joy. Really, what we’re doing in this step is seeing how we feel about each piece of clothing. Trust your gut reaction.
CLOTHES YOU LOVE
These are the closet hero pieces. Your favorite t shirt, your go-to sundress, the jeans that make you feel like your truest self. These are the hell yes items in your closet.
CLOTHES YOU DON’T LIKE (OR NEVER WEAR)
These are the obvious no’s in your wardrobe. The white t shirt that’s more dingy than white, the top you loved in college but just don’t find yourself wearing anymore, the skirt that’s too short (or too long) for your taste these days. Again, go with your gut reaction to the item. If it feels like a no, set it aside. We’ll revisit it in a bit.
CLOTHES YOU’RE NOT SURE ABOUT
Sometimes these are items we feel guilty about not wearing; maybe the item was a gift from someone you care about, or maybe it was expensive, or maybe you really wanted to wear the item but never figured out how to style it. However, a maybe item can also be something like a lower quality wardrobe staple that’s starting to show some wear, like a favorite striped t shirt that’s got a hole forming. If you’re in a transitional season of life (like I am right now, being 7 months postpartum with my second baby and nursing) Maybe Items will probably include your favorite jeans that don’t fit right now or some pretty sundresses that you can’t nurse in.
A NOTE ON SENTIMENTAL ITEMS — I know there’s a lot of minimalist content out there that tells you to treasure the memory not the item. While there’s some merit to this way of thinking, I will never push anyone to declutter something that they’re not 100% ready to let go of. Some sentimental items that permanently live under my bed are my college sweatshirts, the dress I wore to my bachelorette party, and the dress I wore to a maternity photoshoot when I was pregnant with my son. Maybe one day, I’ll feel okay to let some of these go to another home, but that hasn’t been the case for years, and I refuse to guilt myself into decluttering just for the sake of “doing minimalism correctly".” Go at your own pace. These are your things, no one else gets to decide how much they mean to you.
4. put favorite pieces back
Once everything has been sorted, put your closet heroes AKA the Yes! Items back into your closet or dresser.
5. make a list of what to upgrade
The next category to tackle is the Maybe stuff. This tends to be the largest pile to deal with in my experience. At this point, you’ll want to look through these items and pick out the pieces that you wear often enough but could use an upgrade. For example, I have a pair of linen blend shorts in a coppery brown color I love. They fit me well enough and I wear them regularly, but they’re not perfect. If they were a high rise short, they would be! But they sit right on my hips instead of at my waist. These shorts aren’t something I want to get rid of right now, so what do I do?
I do what I always do: I make a list. I’ll write “high waisted linen blend brown short” on my list so that next time I decide to browse online or in store, I know what on earth I’m looking for.
Maybe your go-to button up shirt is showing a lot of wear in the neck or shoulders. Maybe your favorite striped t shirt is thinning out. Take note of all of it, then put those pieces back into your capsule.
6. send some things to limbo
Continuing on with our Maybe Pile, we’ll deal with the items that don’t get much wear. Let me use an example from my latest closet declutter: I love wearing light wash jeans in the spring and summer. Seven months postpartum, however, my wonderful, go-to light wash denim doesn’t fit. I’m not ready to get rid of them because they’re in great condition and to be vulnerably honest, I still have hope that they’ll fit me soon. I don’t want that item to take up valuable space in my small closet, but I’m also not ready to let that piece go.
To limbo it goes! (Limbo is what I call a spare bag in my closet.) I make sure to keep these Limbo items accessible enough so if I randomly decide I want to wear one of them, I can. If at the end of the season (be it three months or six or a year), I look through the bag and realize I reached for none of the items, I reevaluate whether I’m ready to let them go. Really, I use Limbo to prove that these items aren’t needed. I don’t know about you, but I often feel like holding on to things “just in case” and Limbo is a great way to show me that my “just in case” scenarios don’t need to pull as much weight.
7. donate what you can
The last pile to get sorted is the No Pile. Really, all we’re doing here is taking stock of the condition these items are in. Let’s not be the people who donate trashed clothing simply because we don’t know what to do with it. Really look at your clothes in this category and see if they’re in good enough condition to be worn by someone else. Set those items aside to be donated, or sold at your local consignment store, or swapped with friends!
8. get rid of the rest
At this point, you should be left with the clothes that are too worn or stained to be enjoyed by someone else. Take these items and see if you can upcycle them into a bag, or scrunchie, or dust rag (I have some ideas saved to my eco-friendly DIY board on Pinterest if you’d like some inspiration)!
If you can’t upcycle, see if you can recycle your clothing. Denim can be recycled at places like Madewell and Levi’s (Levi's even has a program to mend/repair their denim these days!) and other stores like H&M offer recycling for other clothing items. You can also look up a clothes recycling program near you. As you can see, there are lots of options for recycling our clothes. Once I’ve exhausted all of these options, then and only then do I stick a piece of clothing in the trash.
9. notice what you wear
This step is important if you want to get better at shopping intentionally. Noticing what you wear all the time will help you get clear on what colors, cuts, fabrics, and brands you love to wear. All of that information makes it so much easier to shop! Noticing or even tracking what you wear through daily photos in the group chat or on Instagram will also help you notice the gaps in your wardrobe. For example, I recently noticed that I have a lot of casual sundresses, but no date night/wedding guest/going out dresses. Paying attention to what I wear and what I have in my closet has helped me identify a missing piece. Which brings me to the last step.
10. build a shopping list
This step is sort of a continuation of step five, but it’s important to keep a shopping list of all the items we’re looking for for our wardrobes. This way, when we shop online or in store or at the thrift store or at the mall, we’ll have a focused idea of what we’re looking for and will be less likely to buy something impulsively.
Keeping a list has helped me use sales strategically, too. I used to shop sales because it was a “good deal,” but now I’m much more likely to take my time and consider what I’m buying before checking out.
I’ll also add that keeping a wardrobe wish list helps me answer the question “what do you want for your birthday/Christmas?” I can easily say “I’d love a brown coat,” or “I need some denim shorts,” all because I’ve already done the work of taking stock of what’s in my wardrobe.
I hope you found my approach helpful, especially if you’re someone who’s been interested in capsule wardrobes or minimizing your closet but has felt overwhelmed with the amount of planning and reflecting that so many approaches take. There’s definitely a time and place to think about uniforms and planning out color schemes and reflecting on how we want to feel in our clothing, but when we’re just getting started, a simple approach is usually the best one!
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