Try This: Minimizing Your Wardrobe

Do you ever open your closet...

paw through all of your clothes...

sigh....and say:

"I have NOTHING to wear."

That was me.

Every.

Damn.

Day.

But here's the thing...

I just had too many options.

For example:

35 pairs of pants (mainly black...I have a problem.)

8 dresses

5,436,700 shirts. 

Okay, okay....a little exaggerating with the shirts..but on the real sh*t..things were getting ridiculous.

Do you know what I realized?

I wear the same 15 shirts and  5 pairs of pants regularly.

Serious.

For some reason, I have a hard time getting rid of clothes I no longer wear.

Do I really need that 70's blouse that I thrifted?

No.

But, I couldn't separate from it!

It was time for a change...a big change.

I had read about doing a capsule wardrobe.

What is a capsule wardrobe you ask?

Basically you narrow down your wardrobe to classic staple pieces that can be mixed and matched.

You select about 40 items (including shoes, pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, etc.)

You wear those 40 items during a season (3 months)

During that season you DO NOT:

Wear other items from your wardrobe....

or

Shop for clothes. (I KNOW!)

But guess what...the last two weeks of the season, you  determine a price point for what you want to spend on your next capsule. You go shopping, purchase a few new items, and swap them out for unwanted items from your current capsule.

This way, you will always have an up to date wardrobe of items that you love and always will want to wear!

Perfect.

So, I decided to take the challenge. 

Friends....

It was terrifying.

(Shirt: Old Navy, Shorts: TJ Maxx, Leggings: H&M)

I knew if I left my clothes that were not part of my new wardrobe, I would end up sneaking some in.

It really helped me to decide what clothes i really loved, and which items I really didn't need.

"Would I want to wear this a few times a month?"

"Would this____ go with multiple outfits?"

"How many white/striped shirts do I really need."

I'm pleased to say I narrowed down my closet to 40 items.

I put all my other clothes in multiple big-blue-ikea-bags & hid them away in the basement.
My mornings have become so much easier by only having a few items to choose from!

(From L-R 1. Skirt: Target (it is really a dress!), Cropped Shirt: Target, Cardigan: H&M; 2. Pants/Joggers: Target (Converse), Shirt: Old Navy, Cardigan: H&M; 3. Pants: H&M Shirt: ASOS; 4. Pants: H&M Shirt: Old Navy, Cardigan: H&M)

My Capsule:

5 pairs of pants

(2 H&M black high waisted trousers, 1 pair black urban outfitter high waisted jeans, 1 pair denim pants.)

2 pairs of black leggings

2 dresses

2 pairs of boots 

(black & brown)

1 pair of heels

3 striped shirts

(I know..but I swear they are all a little different)

1 skirt

1 kimono

3 cardigans

3 white shirts

3 grey shirts

3 sweaters

2 sweatshirts

1 red shirt

2 jumpsuits

2 flannel shirts

3 blouses

Now, here's the thing.

I'm sure most of you are thinking this is something you can't do.

You can.

(This might be the only bright colored shirt I kept in my wardrobe, so I had to document it. Shirt: Thrifted)

I'm sure my budget on clothing is probably quite a bit less than most girls.

Most of my clothes come from H&M, Old Navy & Target.

But, if you happen to have a bit more of an expensive taste,

this gives you an opportunity to save up for a few months, really decide what items you want and splurge a little more when the next season comes around.

It's like a clothing Christmas every few months!

Wahoo!

This capsule has given me the chance to really branch out and mix pieces of clothing that I normally wouldn't put together. You become a little more creative when you have a lot less to work with!

 I also kept in mind what I really like to wear and didn't try to trick myself into wearing items or colors I didn't like. I stuck mainly to neutral colors.

Grey.

Cream

Black.

White.
&
lots of stripes.

Really simple. I knew if I tried to add too many colors, I wouldn't end up wearing most of those items. Neutral colors are my jam. I envy you lovely ladies that rock bold colors!

(From L-R 1. H&M Pants & Sweatshirt, 2. Kimono: H&M, Skirt: Target Shirt: Old Navy; 3. Pants: H&M, Sweater: H&M Shirt: H&M, 4. Pants: Urban Outfitters, Sweater: Target. Boots in all pictures are from Target)

To be honest, I haven't missed a single item that is tucked away in my basement.

THAT is saying something.

I don't even know if i could name five items I threw in that bag.

At the end of this season, I plan on going through those clothes, picking a few items I might want to use for my next capsule, and donating the remaining survivors.

Have you ever thought about minimizing your wardrobe?

Try giving the capsule wardrobe a try!

(Dress: H&M, Leggings: H&M, Boots: Thrifted)

 xo-elle