How to Start Building a Capsule based Wardrobe
In my most recent reel, I featured the idea of approaching how you shop and edit from a capsule perspective. I work with clients who are often asking about how to do this, stepping into a more thoughtful approach to pulling together your closet. After years of heading to work, coupled with a few years of working from home, our wardrobes have become somewhat of a mish-match of unmatched pieces. Our lifestyles just aren’t matching with what’s in our closets. If you’re feeling at all that way, or just feeling the need to starting making more out of less, this might be an interesting read to get you started.
Foundation//Start from the bottom up
What I’ve learned over the years as a stylist, is that starting with a great foundation and building on that is the best way to go. I’d recommend the process of pulling out all the bottoms you have (this can be one section at a time, like jeans, or all at once, like jeans, pants, skirts, dresses…) and assessing them (here’s a quick recap of how I assess).
What are you assessing for? Versatility and fit. Does the bottom: have something different than another bottom you own, feel like it adds confidence or value to your wardrobe, make you feel elevated, still fit you properly? What’s important is that each bottom feel as though it’s versatile enough to distinguish itself as a wearable, useful bottom, and fits well so that it gives you the confidence to grab it each day.
What makes a bottom versatile? Versatility might be referring to bottoms that vary in:
Color
Style
Length
Ability to wear with various tops
How do you know if it’s versatile enough? Read on…
FRamework//Use the rule of “three” to add to your foundation
In most cases, if you can pair a bottom with three tops you own, it will feel a lot more useful and versatile. I like to apply the rule of three to my bottoms to pass the versatility test. Can I pair it with at least three tops:
One dressy top (nighttime, lunch out, dinner with the girls, date night)
One basic top (daytime, casual, everyday)
One in between or two in one of the above categories (work or non-work related)
This same method applies when you’re trying on layers. Can your bottom be layered with at least two of these:
Cropped length layer (coat, jacket, cardigan)
Mid Length layer (blazer, jacket, cardigan)
Long layer (long line cardigan, wrap coat)
End Goal // 4-5 + versatile bottoms
The end goal here is to have at least 5 bottoms that feel as though they are versatile enough and fit well enough that you have options and can make your outfit feel “different” enough with a swap of a top or addition of a layer. In an ideal world, you could build off of three bottoms each week to create at least 6-7 outfits. (They will change depending on the season, so that’s why it’s key to edit your closet seasonally. Here are my suggestions for what to do with those edits.) The point is to wear the heck out of them during the current season. Here are mine for the current season:
Snacks Mother Fuller Length Wide Leg Jeans
Reformation Straight Leg Full length Mason Pant
Citizens of Humanity Kick Crop Flares
Citizens of Humanity Paloma jean
Frank & Eileen 1995 Monaghan jean in black
My Capsule Bottoms Chart // Click the Link to Download a free copy
Stay tuned for the next Capsule Wardrobe installment when I talk about how to assess your tops using the Capsule Wardrobe approach. I’ll be posting some quick tips on my YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe!
Conni Jespersen is a San Diego Stylist who is passionate about empowering women to feel confident in their clothes. Read more about my services here.