Back to School 2021: Capsule Wardrobes!

This is a new concept I've come across recently but one that I feel is so important for students especially! You're torn between the need to have outfits for so many different situations and the lack of space that you may have in student accommodation or that tiny flat you're living in.

I first heard about this idea through taking part in the Get Organised HQ 2021, and have since noticed the term cropping up everywhere! It's an idea that's started to become wildly popular alongside things like Marie Kondo's style of decluttering and the minimalism aesthetic.

According to The Good Trade [1], the capsule wardrobe is "about personal style" but is a more mindful way to think about clothing. You don't need a closet full of outfits you don't wear. This creates decision fatigue - too much choice is overwhelming! So, to get around this you have the capsule wardrobe.

Take your clothes and slim it down to clothes that you want to wear, things that spark joy, to use the KonMari term. You may not especially like your work uniform but there are elements of your job that will spark joy, like "This is my outfit for work, I do not have to make a decision about what to wear because it is made for me which means I have less decisions to make on a morning".

One of the things I say about myself is that given the chance I dress like a "toddler who gained money and the desire to dress as hideously as possible in the best way" which means my outfits if I'm having a lazy day at home rarely match. I've worn bright pink fluffy socks, a deep green skirt and yellow tank top while cleaning. It brought me joy, so why not? But, I have wanted to have more of an aesthetic to my clothing lately, so... Capsule wardrobe!

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

Okay, but how do I create a capsule wardrobe?

So we know it's all about slimming that wardrobe down to make choices easier, but how do we get to this stage? Well, it's all about personal preference. You don't have to be entirely minimalist and own a specific amount of clothes (unless that's what appeals to you!).

For me, I started thinking about this in terms of what I'm comfortable with & what the climate is like here. I needed warm enough clothing for cold winters, and cool enough clothing for warm summers. I also like layering so that even on a warm day I can go out in a tank top but have something on my arms if there's a breeze.

Because I want to save space I have a box where I store winter clothes during the summer and vice versa, because that works better for me in the long run. So essentially two changeable wardrobes I can bring out whenever.

I've seen Style Bee's 10x10 challenge [2] - take 10 items from your current closet, mix and match into 10 different looks for the next 10 days. And remember to not take it too seriously!

I'd advise this for university: have a selection of bottoms, tops and "toppers" (coats, sweaters, cardigans etc) that you can use for 10 days. This gives you two full working weeks worth of outfits.

So you may choose:

• blue jeans

• green skirt

• white tank top

• long sleeved brown t shirt

• plaid shirt

• leather jacket

• grey sweater

• backpack / school bag

• Trainers

• Boots

The amount of outfits you can create with this that look different? I can think of 15 just having a quick look. So, you've got the blue jeans, white tank top and leather jacket. Blue jeans, brown shirt and sweater. Jeans, tank top, sweater. And so on. That's just three outfits using one pair of bottoms! I had one bag I used for university so I only ever really need one bag in the capsule wardrobe for this, but in terms of shoes - both boots and trainers would go with all those outfits.

Doing this makes getting dressed easier.

When I was at university I had a specific set of clothes for "exam days" whether this was a test in class, presentation or a coursework hand in day. It made me feel much more confident and positive because I had crafted the outfit around that. An example using the above outfit choices might be green skirt, tank top and sweater. Because it makes me feel confident. I'd probably wear boots that day too, just because it makes me walk, and hold myself differently.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

What about for not-university?

You can create wardrobes for other things too! For me, I kept the same sort of clothing for work since every job has required black trousers/ jeans and a black top so far (barring the jobs where uniform is provided) so I always have these staples.

For interviews it's then easy to reach into the "work" capsule and pull out a black shirt, waistcoat (if I want to be fancy), chinos and boots.

These are the ways I've adapted things for myself rather than a seasonal variation (excluding the two wardrobes!). I have the work, university and "relaxing" capsules year round and then just alternate between the thermals, crop tops and big coats.

This helps to keep the clutter down, give you more space back and also reduce costs. Rather than buying everything, buy things you know you're going to wear, that fit into a capsule.

Tips

• Have a generic set rather than using specific clothes, e.g

  • Blue jeans, a striped t shirt, boots and leather jacket

    • This combo is always going to be in style, and you can have different tops that fall under the "striped" category!

  • Long skirt, long sleeved neutral coloured t shirt, boots, and leather jacket

    • Is it warm? Ditch the jacket, want a bit of colour? Add a scarf or a cute hat!

• Don't forget to have fun!

• If you need to separate "formal" clothing, so I have a few dresses I never wear outside certain occasions and that's okay! I love them, they spark joy and they're for a purpose. I don't often wear dresses but these are for things like meals out, dates and events.

• Look for ideas on Pinterest

• Start with something like 2 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1 top layer 4 tops, and one accessory. Or swap out a top for a dress. I went by making capsules for occasions firstly, and then put those into my wardrobe/ drawers, before working on the non-work, non-formal outfits.

• I include accessories since I don't want these to overcomplicate decisions, however I wouldn't include scarves, gloves, or hats since they fall more into "function" category than something I use for fashion.

• Don't be ashamed of what you own or how much you own. I started out with 120 items of clothing. This is summer, winter, lounging about clothes, jumpers to layer, sentimental & formal. I'm aiming to cut that down to 100 this year. And then who knows for next!

Hey! Tara here and thanks for checking out my blog. I update every Tuesday with posts about studying tips, advice and talk about productivity and organisation too. If you want to keep up to date with my latest blog posts I’d love it if you subscribed to this blog.