3 Benefits Of A Capsule Wardrobe

The concept of the capsule wardrobe was born in 1985 when Donna Karan gifted the world with her Seven Easy Pieces collection. The idea was simple: these seven pieces were designed to be minimalist, versatile and the antithesis to the cluttered and overflowing wardrobe so many had grown accustomed to. Of course, as one of the world’s most famous fashion designers, Karan’s passion for style remained a priority.

In short, a capsule wardrobe is a wardrobe that includes a small collection of garments designed to effortlessly work well with one another.

Your collection may look like this:

• 1 pair of black jeans
• 1 pair of blue jeans
• 1 pair of smart black trousers
• 1 black dress
• 5 t-shirts
• 5 blouses
• 2 jumpers
• 1 pair of black boots
• 1 pair of brogues
• 1 pairs pair of heels
• 1 pairs of trainers
• 1 pair of walking books
• 1 denim jacket
• 1 Waterproof Mac
• 1 Waterproof Parka

What? You didn’t think we’d create a capsule wardrobe without including a couple of our own pieces in there, did you?

A capsule wardrobe is what you make it and it’s open to interpretation, so you certainly don’t need to follow the bare-bones example above. It’s all about building a manageable wardrobe that perfectly complements you and your needs.

In recent years, the capsule wardrobe has benefited from a resurgence in publicity, perhaps in part due to growing concern over the issue of sustainability and the impact that fashion has on the planet. Fashion is deemed to be the second largest polluter in the world, second only to the oil industry. And as the fashion industry grows, the environmental damage continues.

If you like the idea of building your own capsule wardrobe, read on to uncover just a few benefits.

You’ll find it so much easier to get dressed in the morning

How often do you open your wardrobe only to find yourself staring into it and wasting valuable minutes of your day contemplating what to wear? Having a large wardrobe may initially seem like the answer to all your style problems, but in reality, a large collection of clothes is more likely to lead to overwhelm.

When you build a capsule wardrobe, however, you’ll save time and energy each morning and have more room in your life for the other things that matter to you.

You’ll reduce your impact on the environment

It’s no secret that fast fashion is destroying the planet, with £140 million worth of clothing from t-shirts to jeans ending up in landfill each year.

The issue is complex and in order for real sustainable change to be made, everyone from clothing manufacturers to consumers have a role to play.

One of the most actionable moves you can make as a consumer is to buy more consciously and focus on only purchasing pieces that you know you’ll love and cherish until you can no longer wear the item of clothing any longer. It might not be possible to fill your entire wardrobe with high value items and for this reason, fast fashion can be unavoidable to an extent. However, one thing you can do is make sure that the fast fashion items you purchase won’t end up in landfill when there’s still life left in them. Curate your wardrobe with care and intention and your impact on the environment will plummet.

You’ll learn to only buy items you love

Only buying items you love can take some practise. How many times have you panic-bought a dress because you’re three days away from your cousin’s wedding and you ‘need’ something new to wear? How often do you stagger into the changing rooms with dozens of items draped over each arm because you’ve had a bad day and you’re in need of a pick-me-up? It’s only natural to comfort-buy clothes and fill your wardrobe with items that deep down, you know you won’t wear, but it’s also possible to train yourself to be a little more considerate about your clothes-shopping habits.

Where to begin…

Creating your own capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be a fast process. In fact, if you’re passionate about doing your bit for the environment, it makes sense to change your clothing collection gradually, rather than purging 90% of your garments in one go and immediately starting afresh. Over the coming weeks and months, start to think carefully about which pieces in your wardrobe you love and be sure to donate or recycle those that don’t make you feel your best self.

When it comes to looking for new additions to your collection, look out for long-lasting and versatile items that will stand the test of time while working in harmony with the rest of your style arsenal.