Capsule Wardrobe; Dream or nightmare in minimalism.

What is a "capsule wardrobe"?

A capsule wardrobe means that you consciously choose for a small wardrobe, with a collection of garments that you can combine well with each other. You can choose to put on a seasonal capsule, for example 30 pieces of clothing per season, or that you keep all your clothes together, because you also want to combine that summer blouse with a blazer in autumn.

Project 333

Maybe you have heard of Project 333, after an idea from Courtney Carver. She chose 33 pieces of clothing (clothing, accessories (scarves / belts), jewelery, coats and shoes) from her wardrobe and wore them for three months, until the change of season made her entire wardrobe replaced by 33 new seasonal pieces. Home clothing, underwear, sportswear, nightwear and everyday jewelry are not among the 33 pieces.

What are the advantages of such a "capsule wardrobe"?

Well, there are quite a few!
You have more overview; your wardrobe is tidy and empty, your garments get the chance to 'shinen', and your entire wardrobe only consists of beautiful pieces, because you have chosen them to the best 33. Choosing what you are going to wear today will be much easier, because of that overview.
Because you have seen the finest pieces in terms of fabric, color and cut for the composition of the capsule, the chance of a bad purchase is much smaller. Because you have clear to yourself what you like to wear, you will make less of a purchase that does not fit with it, and which, as a result, you will never wear.
Because you only have a limited number of garments you wear, you better take care of your clothes. They now also demand attention. Between 70 cloth hangers you saw that beautiful top never hang, now she jumps out. The chance that you buy much more consciously qualitative items, instead of fast-fashion bargains, is great. If you already make a purchase, that purchase must be more beautiful and better than what you already have, because in order to stay at 33 you will have to remove something. Your cupboard is gradually getting better quality.

The clothing industry is a particularly polluting industry and therefore has an enormous impact on the environment. By having less, you are going to need less and therefore buy less. Because you buy less, your ecological footprint is getting smaller.

You save a lot of money. You now know what suits you, and if you have assembled a good capsule, you will also see how little you need. Maybe you want to make another purchase, to complete your wardrobe, such as a nice blazer, or good jeans. But once your capsule is ready, it is like a house. You do not have to buy anything anymore! And because you also leave that discounted fast-fashion, which afterwards turns out to be a bad buy, you save even more. And; all the clothes that you are going to ‘sell’  now, you still can make some money for it!

And that's how I do it:

I also have a "capsule wardrobe", but I have chosen to keep all my clothes accessible, regardless of the season. So I can wear my favorite thick sweater on a chilly spring evening, or a light-hearted blouse when I go to a party in the middle of the winter. So in principle I would have 4 x 33 = 132 garments (clothing, accessories (scarves / belts), jewelry, jackets and shoes) 'allowed' in my closet (excluding home clothes, underwear, sportswear, nightwear and everyday jewelry). But that is really too much for me! I go for half; 61 pieces.

What do I have in my closet of clothing, accessories (scarves / belts), jewelry, jackets and shoes?

11 trousers (shorts, jeans, and everything in between)
1 dress
1 jumpsuit
4 cardigans
2 blazers
8 sweaters and jumpers
8 blouses
2 shirts
5 sleeveless tops
2 belts
1 bikini
4 jackets (one for each season)
12 pairs of shoes (from sandals to sneakers and from Ugg's to boots)
As you can see; exactly 61 pieces!

Goodluck with your effort to minimalize your wardrobe!

By: gmvdminimalism