What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

Capsule wardrobes are a selection of clothing that can be interchanged and worn in a variety of ways. Why is that important? The more you can interchange – the more options you’ll have to wear during the season! Want to learn more? Read my intro to capsule wardrobes blog post.

How to Choose Fall Capsule Wardrobe Clothing

It’s all about neutral layers! I live in Ohio, so our fall weather can consist of anything from 80 degree days to as low as 30 degrees (hopefully that’s as low as it goes). Most of the clothing you add to your capsule wardrobe should match a similar color palette. You should be able to mix and match these pieces without it being obvious that you’re wearing them over and over.

And finally, even if people notice you’re wearing the same 30-50 pieces – who cares. Remember, this is helping you to trim down your wardrobe, and make it easier to pick out your outfits for each day.

What Clothing Items Do you Need for Your Fall Wardrobe?

Capsule wardrobes typically have between 25 and 50 pieces. Depending on who you ask, the number will vary. You’ll also need to determine if you want to include shoes and accessories in that number.

What you need to remember is that you get to determine what works for you. You can choose to narrow down your closet as much or as little as you want. For example, I’ve narrowed down my closet, but I’m allowing myself to wear whatever coats, jewelry, and shoes I want to wear. Since the weather tends to fluctuate where I live, I would need to include two to three coats to accommodate the temperatures. While this might not fall in line with some of the rules that people follow for capsule wardrobes, it works for me! (Here’s a free capsule wardrobe checklist to help you plan.)

Tops

• 3 T-shirts
• 1- 3 Buttons-downs
• 2 – 5 Blouses (Include at least 1-2 dressier tops)

Layers

• 3 Pull-Over Sweaters
• 2 Cardigans
• Jeans Jacket or Blazer

Dresses

• 2 – 5 Dresses (Include at least one dress that can be dressed up)

Skirts and Bottoms

• 2-3 skirts
• Black Dress Pants
• 2 Pairs of Jeans
• Corduroys or Another Fun Pair of Pants

Don’t Be Afraid to be Flexible with your Capsule Wardrobe

If you’re new to creating capsule wardrobes, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, or (gasp) change out some of your capsule wardrobe pieces.

How do I do this?

After I set my capsule wardrobe pieces, I turn my hangers to the wrong side. After I wear a garment, I turn it around. Once it gets turned around, it’s officially in my capsule wardrobe. If I haven’t worn it yet, I allow myself with the ability to select something from what I already own or something I’ve recently sewn. Again, I know this may not be as strict as some may want a capsule wardrobe to be, but it is working well for me. 🙂

Styling Your Capsule Wardrobe for Fall

Here comes my favorite part – styling! Here are some styling ideas from the pieces that I currently have in my fall capsule wardrobe.

Are you thinking about creating a capsule wardrobe? I hope this post provided you with some inspiration and tips to help get you started!