If you’re one of those who stare at their cupboard which is bursting at its seams and exclaim “I have nothing to wear” twice a day, this one is for you.

Ever since Susie Faux coined the term in the 1970s, capsule wardrobes have inspired many people to declutter and live a life of minimalism at least in the clothing department. If this is the first time you are looking at the two words being used together, here’s what it means.

Capsule wardrobe basically encourages you to pick out a few essentials, which would mainly be some staple and versatile items of clothing and a few statement pieces. They do not include your workout clothes, underwear, pajamas or accessories. The objective is to rid you of decision fatigue and at the same time increase creativity since you need to maximize the amount and type of outfits with fewer items. It is more like a lifestyle change and not about deprivation.

To get started on this journey, first, you need to declutter and then pick out the clothes you want.

DECLUTTER

Yes, unfortunately, you need to clear out your cupboard. Take out everything and put it on your bed. Now sort through them and find the ones which still have the tags on them. Clothes with tags should be the first things in your donate/gift pile. You haven’t worn them since you bought them or maybe someone gave them to you and it is just not your style. Don’t worry, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Next, the items which are damaged, torn, wrong size and outdated. Stop lying to yourself that you will get the rips fixed and that the cheetah print will come back to fashion. It is not going to happen.

Let go. Throw them away. And the final step of your declutter is the items that were probably impulse buys and you’ve used them to their last threads or have worn once and won’t ever do it again. Out they go.

Is your bed looking clearer now? Good.  The next step is to take all those pieces of clothing which were super expensive and you bought them for maybe a wedding or something like that. If it is something you cannot mix and match with other things, then just carefully put these away on the topmost shelf. These should not be interfering with your daily clothes.

CREATING YOUR CAPSULE WARDROBE

Firstly, you need to divide the clothes still on your bed in three categories: Casual, Dressy and Work. The most popular challenge in this field is the 333 project where you pick out 33 items of clothing for 3 months. But you can tweak it according to your needs. Here’s a list of a few essentials you must have in your capsule wardrobe:

Tops 

1. White shirt: A crisp white button-down shirt for work and other formal events is a must have. You can dress it differently by using the accessories.
2. White t-shirt: A classic white tee is the best thing you can have in your wardrobe. It goes with a variety of things and can be dressed up or down and tied up, the possibilities are endless.
3. Other tops: Let’s face it, white might get boring after a point, so a few solid color tops and some patterned ones might be what you need to perk up your brunch dates with the girl gang. But limit them to a 5, don’t go overboard.
4. Kurtis: Have a few comfortable and pretty Kurtis handy for some puja or any other function that you might need to go to.

Bottomwear

Classic blue jeans: A good pair of denim is an investment everyone needs to make. Definitely, keep that.

Black trousers: A pair of well-fitted black cigarette pants is just the thing you need for all work-related events.      Maybe keep a couple of these since you will be using them every day almost.

Leggings: A reliable pair of leggings goes a very long way. Keep the basic colors, black, white, blue and red and you should be good to go.

Skirts:  If you do wear skirts often, stick to two or three of varying lengths and keep the colors basic. Keep pastel shades or monochrome to create versatile looks.

Shorts: Keep a pair of your comfiest shorts which you feel you look the best in, that way when you feel like wearing shorts you don’t have to think much about it.

Footwear      

1. Nude pumps: A pair of nude pumps will go with any outfit and make sure they are comfortable so you don’t get shoe bites every time you step out the door.
2. Black heels: a comfortable pair of black heels for work and other formal events will go a long way in giving you confidence.
3. Flats: When you just cannot walk in heels anymore, a good pair of flats is all you need. Make sure it is in a          nude color to go with all your clothes.

Extras and accessories

1. LBD: This one is self-explanatory, you can style it in a hundred different ways and you’ll get youtube videos for the same.
2. Maxi dress: For events that can be a little more formal or when you’re too lazy to shave your legs and want to look elegant, a maxi dress is your best friend.
3. Blazer: A well-fitted blazer will amp up your work look a few notches in no time. Have this one handy.
4. Jackets and Shrugs: You don’t want to look cute and keep shivering at a party just because nobody else feels cold. Keep one or two shrugs and jackets to keep the goosebumps away and gain you major style points.
5. Scarves: Have one or two scarves for days when your outfit needs just a dash of color or print, it will definitely elevate your look from Plain Jane to Chic.
6. Bags: You basically just need two bags, a casual tote bag for everyday use and a classy clutch for all the night outs. You seriously do not need to create a bag museum, gift or donate, please. It’s fun!Feel inspired yet? Here’s an image to help make the idea clearer.

   

   We hope you feel inspired enough to create your own capsule wardrobe and unleash your creativity in all your clothing choices. Remember this is not about deprivation, it is about a lifestyle change to do more with less. And most importantly, have fun!

XOXO!