The Capsule Wardrobe - Spring Edition

If you’re ever scrolling through Instagram or follow some fashion influencers on YouTube, chances are you’ve come across the term ‘capsule wardrobe’ more than once. But what exactly does it mean? And how do you start building your own capsule wardrobe?

First things first, let’s start with a basic definition. According to Cambridge Dictionary, a capsule wardrobe is ‘a small collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways and includes everything you would normally need to wear’.

There’s a million and one articles to be found on the world wide web about what exactly should go into your capsule wardrobe. In our opinion, there’s (as it so often is the case) no one size fits all answer to this question. A capsule wardrobe is supposed to make you feel your most comfortable and facilitate the process of getting dressed in the morning for you, meaning it has to fit you, your personal style, preferences and everyday life. This means, that the capsule wardrobe will look a bit differently for every single one of us, but there are still a couple of guidelines that might help you to get started,

So, the first step to actually getting started is making room in your closet by filtering out items that have done their time and simultaneously figuring out what kind of pieces you most gravitate towards in your current wardrobe.

While you might want to save the occasional Euro on trendier items, it’s usually a good idea to actually invest a bit more in good quality staple pieces, when building your capsule wardrobe, as you’ll be wearing these items a lot and it’ll save you money in the long-run because you won’t have to repurchase the same item over and over again due to colours fading, shape loss, etc.

Here’s a couple of clothing groups that are probably a good investment for this upcoming spring/summer:

1. The T-Shirt

No matter the colour and size, having a couple of t-shirts is always a good idea, as they’re versatile, simple to throw on, style up or down and come in so many different styles that there’s certainly one to fit every need and wish.
Personally, we’d recommend you getting a couple of simple staples to start off your capsule wardrobe, meaning one or two tank tops and maybe a crewneck or V-neck, depending on your personal preference.

2. The Button-Up Shirt

While the button-up shirt might not necessarily be something that you’d usually gravitate towards, it can be a good staple to include in your capsule wardrobe, as, similar to the t-shirt, it can be worn a million different ways. Some examples: buttoned-up (who would’ve guessed), or unbuttoned (for chillier summer nights for example), tied in the front, thrown over the shoulders,… Well you get the point.

3. The Jeans

It’s not easy to find a good pair of jeans that will fit you in all the right ways and won’t break the bank account, but the search is definitely worth it. Similarly to the previous two points, a good pair of jeans can be styled up or down (do you see a recurring theme here?), worn to all sorts of occasions, and paired with most of the tops in your capsule wardrobe.

4. The Trousers

Once you’ve nailed your jeans-game, you’re ready to up your pants-game as they easily transition you from casual daytime look to cute and comfortable evening style. Most of them can even be worn year-round with a few simple twists in the shoe- and top department. Opt for a classic trouser cut, like Palazzo trousers, as they’re comfortable, versatile and look good on every body type.

5. The Blazer

For those early spring days and chillier summer nights, it’s always a good idea to have something to throw over your cute outfit. This spring/summer, the trendy girlies go for the oversized fit, which, we too, would recommend, as it’ll probably fit more looks than a tailored blazer would and will easily transition your daytime outfit to a party-stunner. If you’re still figuring out your style or want to make your getting-ready process even quicker, it might also be a good idea to purchase suits, either trousers or skirts with a matching blazer.

6. The ‘everyday’ Dress

This one’s a more individual pick, but what screams hot weather more than a cute summer dress? Yep, we don’t know either. No matter if you’re more of a mini, midi or maxi kind of girl: having a dress that you can just throw on, will cut your getting-ready-time in the morning by half and still make you look the part. If you don’t have a variety of dresses in your wardrobe yet, try going for a simple one, maybe in a solid colour that compliments your tone and can easily be paired with jackets, blazers or cardigans you already own.

7. The ‘going-out’ Dress

Again, this isn’t a must, but the same rule applies: it’s always nice to have a cute going-out dress in your back pocket that you know you’ll feel comfortable in. Many of the articles you find online will suggest a simple black dress, but that isn’t a must in our opinion. If you usually gravitate more towards colourful looks, don’t make an exception in this department, as long as you know that you’ll get a lot of wear out of.

8. The ‘Three-Shoe-Rule’

Three pairs of shoes. That’s it. That’s all you need this spring to get by. Okay, granted, there’s no rule that says that, or at least there wasn’t until we published this article, but why not make it a rule? Instead of hoarding à la Carrie Bradshaw, get yourself a cute and (listen up!!!) comfortable pair of loafers (or ballet flats, depending on what suits you better), sneakers and heels (pssttt… we heard that kitten heels and platform shoes are still on-trend, so let’s take advantage of the smaller heels as we can).

Let’s recap!

• Go through your current wardrobe, sort out items that you don’t wear or are in a pitiful state and make room for new things.

• Figure out what styles and items you naturally gravitate towards the most and make a list of things that could facilitate getting even more wear out of those items.

• Invest in quality items, as you’ll wear these items a lot and want them to look good and feel good for a prolongated period of time.

• Make sure the items you purchase can be combined with lots of items that you already own, styled in many different ways and for various occasions.

• Your capsule wardrobe should make you feel comfortable and reflect you and your personality. Go for timeless pieces that make getting ready in the morning a quick and enjoyable process. Remember, clothes are supposed to work for you, not against you.

• Don’t hesitate to include colour, if that feels more like your jam, as long as the items work well with other items in your wardrobe.