A Capsule Wardrobe: Part 3

Creating a Capsule Wardrobe (And other goodies!)

The qualities of an ideal wardrobe, according to Coco Chanel:

Black & White
Good Shoes
Dresses
Polish
Well-fitting clothes
Simplicity

The fashion formula for a perfect outfit: 1 basic (dark jeans), 1 interest piece (colorful top), 1 completer piece (cute cardigan) and 3 accessories (layering necklace, shoes and clutch).

So you know the benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe. You have identified your own personal style and have started the journey to loving your closet. Now what? Let the fun begin!!

Work with what you have! Here is a basic list to get you started – but remember: there are no rules!! So you should customize as necessary! There are many ways to create your own Capsule Wardrobe. Here are some starters:

A Classic Capsule Wardrobe:

Tops:

3 Tees

3 Tanks

Casual blouse

Dressy blouse

Blazer

Sweater

Bottoms:

black pants

Skinny jeans

Trouser jeans

Casual jeans

Black skirt

Black shorts

Outerwear:

Leather jacket

Trench coat

Seasonal jacket

Other:

Black dress

Black Suit

Shoes:

High heels

Mid heel ankle boot

Classic flats

Summer sandals

Sneakers

Accessories:

Silk scarf

Leather bag

Clutch

Everyday ring

Stud Earrings

OR make it REALLY simple: if you have 1 nice dress, 2 jackets, 3 skirts, 4 pants, 3 coats, and 7 tops, you can now create over 70 outfits just by mixing and matching!

Try the Rule of Three:

For each category (tops, bottoms, shoes, etc) have 1 classic piece (black pencil skirt), 1 statement piece (pointy heels) and 1 in-between piece (floral blouse).

You can create different Capsule Wardrobes too! A Year-Round Wardrobe, a Business Wardrobe, a Casual Wardrobe, a Travel Wardrobe. Experiment to find the right Capsule Wardrobe for YOU! Just remember the rules: every piece should fit well, be versatile and make you feel fabulous!

Now – let’s have some fun!!

Add pieces to your collection that are multi-functional.

Pick necklaces, bracelets, and rings that can be worn alone or layered.

Research the many ways to wear scarves.

If you have a formal event coming up think about rental outfits from renttherunway.com. lendingluxury.com and girlmeetsdress.com.

Consider multi-functional clothing from companies such as Betabrand.com. Infinity and reversible dresses, skirts, jackets and tunics are a great way to add versatility to your wardrobe.

Consider cataloging all your outfits and making your own Fashion Board or using an App! Stylebook Closet App (stylebookapp.com) “A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what you have in your closet, planning the outfits you’ll wear on vacation, and saving all your favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features.”