My Essential Capsule Wardrobe Items

I have harped on a hell of a lot over the years about capsule wardrobes. Developing a capsule wardrobe is how I was able to whittle down my extensive clothing collection and be left with a small collection that I can wear interchangeably. The reason why I initially wanted to do this was because I was overwhelmed with the number of clothes that I had, and I found that I was wearing the same few things over and over again.

In this post, I am going to share with you the foundation pieces of my capsule wardrobe. The key items that have led me to be in a position where I feel like I have the pieces for me to build any look at the drop of a hat.

 

 

Base layers.

The foundation of any capsule wardrobe is having a good collection of base layers. For me, this is the core items that help to build an outfit. This is vest tops, long sleeve fitted t-shirts, leggings, tights and other core clothing products. I keep all of these items in one drawer where I can easily reach for any base layer that I may need to reach for, regularly.

 

Tops, shirts and blouses.

I always find that regardless of the time of year, I wear countless shirts. This was a big area for me to try and whittle down. Now I have a few core items in my collection. I have a couple relaxed tops that can be worn for a differing range of environments. Then I have shirts. My shirts are a few relaxed linen ones and a couple smart, more tailored options. Then I have around 4 blouses that vary in level of fancy to chill.

 

Dresses.

I aim to only ever have around 10 different dresses in my collection. Then with the other items that I have mentioned, I can dress them up or down and create different looks. I have a couple smart workwear dresses that I got from Reiss, a few more relaxed looks from All Saints and then for a good measure, a couple fancier options. Since editing my selection of dresses down, I have been so happy with the items that I own.

 

Knitwear.

I am a sucker for knitwear so this one is hard for me. I like a plethora of jumpers and at one stage, I think I had over 50 in my collection. Firstly, a core item for me is a range of cashmere fitted, crew neck jumpers. I have them in black, beige, blue and so many more. These are similar to base layers and always look incredibly smart. But then I also have a few pieces of knitwear in my collection that are slightly chunkier and suitable for cooler weather. Plus a few longline cardigans for good measure.

 

Trousers and jeans.

If I am not wearing a dress on a daily basis, the chances are that I will be in a pair of trousers. A few years ago, I used to buy every pair of trousers that I thought would look good, but now I have a good core collection. I have a well-tailored pair of black, grey and beige trousers. Usually, I opt for a peg leg style, but I do have a few wide leg options. Then in terms of jeans, I have a fitted boyfriend pair and a pair of black skinnies, that is it.

 

Shorts and skirts.

There are very few shorts and skirts that I have in my collection. But that is more down to personal style rather than trying to edit my capsule wardrobe. In terms of shorts, I keep a denim pair of cut offs, cycling shorts and a pair of high waisted leather shorts for more dressy occasion. Then for skirts I do have a couple more, but my key items are a few patterned miniskirts and knee length pencil skirt.

 

Jackets and coats.

I have too many jackets and coats, I know that I do. However, as I look at my collection and the number of times, I have worn my items, I can see the core items. For me they are, leather jacket, denim jacket, pea coat, trench coat, all weather coats. With them, I am good to go for all occasions. Don’t get me wrong, I like having a few more in my arsenal, but if I had to start my collection from scratch, that is where I would start.

 

Footwear.

Ok, I have far too many shoes in my collection, that is certainly where my capsule wardrobe falls down. However, I know that there are a few key pieces of footwear that are required for a capsule wardrobe. For me the footwear capsule wardrobe consists of, black court heeled pumps, nude heeled sandals, flat sandals, loafers, flat pumps, heeled ankle boots, knee high heeled boots, practical trainers and smart trainers. From those, you will have a pair of shoes for all occasions.

 

Accessories.

I have shared before that I am big fan of layering when it comes to outfits. Because of that, I like to make sure that I have a key accessories in my collection that I can reach for in order to alter and give a dynamic edge to my outfits. Whether it is scarves, belts, brooches, jewellery and so much more. Just a few, well organised pieces that can help bring a little more life into an outfit can really help to diversify your outfits.

 

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and learning more about my capsule wardrobe. They can be a labour of love to develop, but they are worth it. I feel like since doing this, I wear so many more items and I can turn my hand to where my clothing items are so much easier. As with most things in life, sometimes the simpler things are, the better. Incredibly worth it in my opinion and I will absolutely maintain this closet organisation.

I want to hear from you guys in the comments below. Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Or do you have clothes everywhere and just buy as you see fit?