Do you ever find yourself dumbfounded by the overspillage of your closet, yet you still can’t find something to wear? The new hoodie with a popular print has dropped, and while bright colors and popular prints are always big throughout the fashion wave, to keep up with these trends do involve steep prices—some steeper than what a highschool student can afford.
What exactly is a capsule closet?
To understand the concept of the “capsule wardrobe” is simple—it’s to take normal closet essentials, and style them into a collection of items that can be worn for multiple years on end. With prints and colorful clothing pieces growing in popularity, an abundance of simple, minimalist items have also been the rage with high-end fashion brands.
Now, with the school year back to its busiest times, alongside the seasonal fashion trends that sprout during the holidays, it can be difficult to produce the most colorfully-abundant outfit that makes the biggest fashion statement. Which is why investing in a capsule wardrobe, filled with timeless pieces you are guaranteed to rewear can be your saving grace.
How to BUILD your capsule wardrobe:
- Familiarize yourself with what’s already in your closet.
Before you go off spending away on your new wardrobe, it’s important to consider what is already in your closet. Some ways to assess your wardrobe could be asking yourself the following questions:
- What do I have?
- Will I still wear this?
- How often have I worn these?
- Are they in good condition?
Once you have separated your pile of clothes, it’s time to consider their final destination. These all vary depending on personal preference. Some options include:
- Selling old clothes
- there are many apps that offer easy access to clothes-selling marketplaces (i.e. Depop)
- donating old clothing to goodwill or other thrift stores
- giving/selling clothes to friends or family members
- donating to organizations accepting donations
- Build your Color Palette And Buy Neutrals
Neutrals are in season. When shopping, look for neutral colors that can be worn year-round.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- black, white, browns, grays etc.
- solid color pieces that avoid graphic designs or images (sometimes including logos)
The idea of “more is less” has become a prevalent trend—being hand-in-hand with other media trends like the “clean girl aesthetics” etc. Whether you intend on the creation of a minimalist, capsule wardrobe, or a maximalist, individualistic closet—basics are the best way to start. However, what you identify as “basic” varies depending on what you consider a staple piece.
- Promote and Practice Secondhand Shopping
When building a wardrobe, it’s always important to consider how sustainable this process is. If your purchase choices don’t appear to be aligning with your sustainability efforts, practicing secondhand shopping is a great method.
Whether it’s going to big thrift shops (i.e. Goodwill, Value Village), or small, local vintage stores and markets, secondhand shopping reeks the same benefits: decreased clothing wastage.
