Capsule Wardobe: How the minimalist fashion trend works

Fewer clothes mean less stress when getting dressed: that’s at least what the capsule wardrobe principle says. But is this minimalist fashion trend really easy to implement in everyday life? What’s the best way to go about it if you want to try it out? And what are the advantages and disadvantages? We have all the information.

Capsule Wardrobe: What is it?

The idea of ​​the capsule wardrobe originated in the 1970s: Susie Faux, owner of a London fashion store called “Wardrobe”, developed the idea of ​​a wardrobe full of timeless basics that would never go out of fashion. The American designer Donna Karan spread the basic idea further when she developed a collection of seven items of clothing that could be combined with one another in 1985. And these two ideas, that you can get by with just a few items of clothing that work together in any combination, describe the principle of the capsule wardrobe.

According to this principle, a maximum of 37 items (including shoes and bags) per season should be enough. You should only keep items that can be combined in a variety of ways, that you really like and that give you a personal feeling of well-being. If you can get by with fewer than 37, that’s even better. There is also no strict list of items that you absolutely need. The capsule wardrobe should be designed according to your personal taste. It is best if the items are timeless, high quality so that you can wear them for a long time – and ideally also sustainably produced.

These pieces belong in the capsule wardrobe

Tips for women

Of course, the contents of the capsule wardrobe should match your own style. But it can help to own or keep the following items of clothing in order to have room for combination. One light and one dark They should definitely be. Because they can be styled both casually and chicly.

We also recommend fabric trousers and skirts, which can be styled in a variety of ways. Tops and shirts in different designs can always be restyled – and with a sweater and tights, a dress can also be worn in cold seasons. Blouses, sweaters, cardigans or blousons in simple colors complete the capsule wardrobe in terms of clothing.

As far as shoes are concerned, five pairs for all seasons are enough for a minimalist wardrobe. We recommend boots, warm winter shoes, sandals and chic shoes like pumps. That’s all you need to combine them.

Tip: If you don’t get along well with the clothes you have all year round, you can adjust your capsule wardrobe every three months and add any missing pieces and store or sell any that are unnecessary.

Tips for men

It is also definitely useful for men, available in at least two versions: light and dark. They can be combined in many different ways, whether with a shirt, sweater or jacket.

You should also have smarter models such as suit trousers in your capsule wardrobe. The number and models must of course suit the wearer and his life situation. Other items for the minimalist and easily combinable wardrobe: shirts, tops, sweaters, cardigans. They should match each other in terms of color and also go together in terms of style. And men don’t need more than four or five pairs of shoes: boots, sturdy winter shoes, sandals or other summer shoes and dress shoes are basically sufficient.

A capsule wardrobe in just a few steps

If you want to try out for yourself whether the reduced but practical wardrobe suits you, you should follow these five steps.

1. Create an overview

First, you should get an overview of what you actually have in your closet. Then you should think about what you need for when: What do I wear to work? What to meet up with friends? And what to a fancy dinner or another special occasion? At the beginning, it can be a good idea to exclude socks and sportswear. Ultimately, you make the rules yourself; the first step is to reduce the contents of your closet to the bare essentials.

2. Sorting out

Then it’s time to clear out. The best thing is to really clear out everything you own. And then it’s time to sort. You should only keep what you really like, what fits and what you wear often. Everything else can be sold, donated or given away. Items you are unsure about can be put away in a box for now. If you miss them, you can get them back, if not, they can be sold or donated. Another good tip: instead of a wardrobe in which you quickly lose track, it’s worth having an open wardrobe. with which you can always see at a glance what you have and how you can combine it.

3. Analysis

Now it’s time to look at what actually makes up your wardrobe: What colors and cuts do you like? What style do I actually wear? And what do I like about it?

4. Concept

Now you have significantly fewer items of clothing in your closet and know what you like to wear and what you wear a lot. But that’s not all. Now you have to organize your clothes so that you can easily combine them with each other – without having to think too much about it. It’s practical to develop a color concept. To do this, you first choose a base color. This could be dark blue, for example. This color works well if you like wearing jeans and denim. Then you need two neutral colors that go well with the base color. These could be beige, white, gray or cream, for example.

To avoid having a run-of-the-mill wardrobe, you can choose an accent color. For example, a or with a wild print. Or a jacket with a statement print. Or chunky sneakers. These tips are just a rough guide. If you’re confident in combining things, you can of course do it however you like. The important thing is that many items of clothing can be easily combined with one another. This is the only way to limit the number of items.

5. Shop more consciously

Once you have created an individual, well-organized and well-organized cashel wardrobe, you should of course not fall back into old patterns and gradually let them overflow again. This means that you should definitely not organize your wardrobe according to short-lived trends. This will make your wardrobe all the more sustainable. It is better to borrow items if you ever need something, repair broken items and only buy something new and timeless if you need to replace an item. The best thing is to buy really high-quality items so that you can wear them for as long as possible. And if you really want to wear a trend, the best thing to do is to buy a used item and then sell it again to really think sustainably.

The advantages of the capsule wardrobe

If you only have a few items in your wardrobe and know that almost all of them can be combined with each other, you will of course save time and energy when getting dressed in the morning. You will also have more money for other things if you don’t follow every trend. The bedroom stays nice and tidy when there are fewer clothes lying around. And: Conscious consumption saves resources and does something good for the environment. A minimalist clothing style is sustainable – and therefore minimalism definitely makes sense in other areas of life too. With fewer clothes, cosmetics and possessions, life is actually usually easier in the end.

Disadvantages of the capsule wardrobe

The capsule wardrobe doesn’t really have any disadvantages, as it saves time and money and conserves resources. However, for those who express themselves strongly through fashion, like to try out a lot of things on themselves and attach great importance to always having an outfit that is on trend, the capsule wardrobe is a real challenge. But: Even these people can take it as a guide and reduce their closet to basics, which they can spice up with trendy items. The main thing is that they shop more consciously and sustainably, and that already does a lot of good.

More information can be found here.