How To Start A Capsule Wardrobe | Step By Step Guide

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Want to know how to start building your capsule wardrobe today? Keep reading then, this post is for you.

I was the girl who was always showing up in jeans and t-shirts, but not anymore!

A few years ago I stumbled upon the concept of the “capsule wardrobe” and I started researching and experimenting like crazy.

Here we are now after I built my capsule wardrobe journey and I went from having nothing to wear to always having something to wear while feeling more stylish at the same time!

So, how do you actually start a capsule wardrobe?

To start a capsule wardrobe you need to go through 6 steps.

1. Analyze your clothing habits for 30 days.
2. Identify your overall style.
3. Purge your closet.
4. Go through shopping phases one and two.
5. Determine your desired color palette.
6. Go through shopping phases three, four, and five.

There is a lot more to these six steps than you may think. Also, knowing about the five shopping phases is key to achieving the perfect capsule wardrobe. Keep reading to have all the information you may need to start your own capsule wardrobe.

In this article

1. Capsule wardrobe step-by-step guide
   • Analyze your clothing habits for 30 days.
   • Identify your overall style.
   • Purge your closet.
   • Go through shopping phases one and two.
   • Determine your desired color palette.
   • Go through shopping phases three, four, and five.
2. The 5 shopping phases
3. The 9 categories you need to include

Before we start talking about every step to start a capsule wardrobe I quickly want to suggest you get clear on what is your style first.

By knowing this you will avoid purchasing clothes that don’t resonate with you and that you won’t end up wearing, so I think it’s really important.

Capsule wardrobe step-by-step guide

1. Analyze your clothing habits for 30 days

Even though this step might seem time-consuming and boring, it is really essential.

Getting to know yourself and your clothing habits is key to getting this process right the first time. I will give you one simple example of why that is the case.

When I started analyzing my clothing habits I immediately noticed that I was avoiding wearing jeans and pants. I was doing that because all I had was skinny jeans and really tight pants that would hurt my stomach during the day.

If I didn’t take the time to notice something like this I would have continued purchasing only this type of pants later in my shopping phases, basically preventing myself to create great outfits with jeans and trousers.

You need to know what you like and what you don’t like wearing, there is no point in a closet full of useless clothes.

My suggestion to you is that you keep notes on your phone (even on paper if you prefer) of little things and habits you notice about yourself while the month goes on.

2. Identify your overall style

After step one you will have a lot of data on yourself and your clothing habits to identify two very important things:

• Your style
• What type of occasions do you more frequently need to dress for

To identify your style you need to pay attention to what you feel comfortable and confident wearing. For example, in my first month I went out with my friends one night and, let me tell you, I was feeling myself 😂.

I made note that I wore an elegant and polished outfit that had some edgy elements to it. So, I tried wearing something along the same lines as this a few days later and I felt like the most confident and sexy girl on the planet.

Your own personal style is going to be what makes you feel powerful and beautiful. This is what clothes are all about: expressing yourself and what you want to communicate to the world.

Of course, taking notes on what occasions you need to dress repeatedly for is also important. For example, if you have a job that requires a specific dress code or you frequently go to lunch with your friends you will need lots of outfits for these events.

If you still don’t have a clear idea of your style don’t worry, being able to find your own style is one of the many perks of building a capsule wardrobe.

3. Purge your closet

This step can be stressful but in the end, was one of my favorites. You need to start fresh, and having loads of clothes you don’t even wear is not going to serve you.

This is why in this step you are going to either sell, donate or throw away clothes that you don’t need anymore.

The easiest way to start purging your closet is by getting everything out and sorting them into one of the three categories we mentioned: sell, donate, or trash.

Now, you may experience a few difficulties during this process. For example, what do you do if you find clothes you never actually wore but you still think they are stunning and one day you will absolutely wear them?

In this case, I suggest you create a new category: “under test clothing“. In this category, you are going to place every item you almost never use but still think could serve you.

After two or three months you are going to come back and evaluate these items. If you wore them you get to keep them, if not, it’s time for the two of you to part.

4. Go through shopping phases one and two

Okay, you know your style and your habits, also you purged your clothes. Now what?

When starting a capsule wardrobe adding new clothes is essential most of the time so this is what you need to concentrate on from now on, but you need to do it methodically, especially if you are on a budget.

You will read through all five shopping phases in detail a little bit later in this post, for now, let’s concentrate on the basics of phases one and two.

In the next few months, you are going to go shopping as you normally would. I suggest you keep your spending habits the same, you don’t want to break the bank just because you are building a capsule wardrobe but if you have the means to go an buy lots of new clothes then, of course, go ahead and do that.

In these two phases, you are going to build the foundation of your wardrobe, this is what will allow you to create any outfit you can come up with later. So, even if it looks boring to you try and buy everything you need (I will go in-depth about it in just a moment).

5. Determine your desired color palette

In step five you will need to identify your color palette, this is going to come in handy when you start to introduce colors in your closet.

There are two things you need to take into consideration here:

• what colors do you like
• what colors suit you the best

Of course, you don’t want to introduce colors you don’t like but keep in mind that choosing the right colors for you not only will make your outfits look great but also they will make YOU stand out, not your clothes.

Also, make sure all the colors you choose can go together. Basically, the goal of the capsule wardrobe is to make it easy for you to create infinite outfits with fewer clothes.

6. Go through shopping phases three, four, and five

When you completed all of shopping phases one and two, you are ready for the next steps.

In these phases, you are going to expand your wardrobe. In particular, in phase three you get to start playing with statement pieces. Next, you will grow your wardrobe with seasonal colors, different fits, and fabrics.

Finally, phase five is all about maintaining and refreshing your complete capsule wardrobe and, most importantly, this phase is all about enjoying it.

The 5 shopping phases

1. Shop for capsule pieces

You are going to set two rules for yourself in this phase:

• Only buy neutral colors
• Only buy basics

In this first phase it’s important you concentrate not only on neutral colors but also on basic clothing. When I say basic clothing in neutral colors I mean you need to purchase a t-shirt, for example, in white, black and gray.

Next, you could buy denim jeans, so you would need them in both black and white and you could also add a light-washed pair. Do you see where I’m going here?

There are specific garments you need for each phase. Once you’re ready, you can access the full capsule wardrobe checklist here.

2. Shop for neutral pieces in different shapes

Now that you bought the very foundation of your closet we can work on expanding it a little bit. In the next months, you need to buy different versions of the items you already have.

This basically means you need to add basic items to your closet but with a little bit of a twist that, of course, will vary based on your preferences.

Here is a great example to help you understand what I mean.

Notice how in the first photo you can see a plain white t-shirt, this is basic by definition. As you can see we also have a white t-shirt in the second photo, but it’s cropped whit a cute twist on the front: this is a white t-shirt with a twist! (no pun intended ahah).

You see this is really simple but it will allow you to create more interesting outfits or even more outfits overall.

You basically have to find a different version of everything you added to your wardrobe during phase one. Of course, when I say everything I mean everything you can find, you still need to purchase things you like and will actually wear.

I know at this point it may seem like you can’t create that many cute outfits but keep going, you will build and elevate over time.

3. Shop for non-capsule clothing

Non-capsule clothing is a fancy way to say statement pieces. This means we get to have a little bit of fun in this section!

You basically want to scope the internet or the mall for statement pieces that inspire you. Naturally, this will vary a lot based on your style. For me I know a bright pink blazer will definitely be a statement piece, maybe for you it will be something you could wear to go grocery shopping.

What I want you to do in this phase is absolutely have fun. Buy those pair of cowboy boots you always wanted but were scared to wear, take risks and enjoy yourself!

4. Shop for different colors, fits, and fabrics

Now, in this section, we want to include both basic and statement pieces.

Start experimenting, maybe instead of buying another plain black skirt go for tweed or suede. I assure you that styling an outfit with different textures and fabrics is as fun as playing with colors. In addition, you could try new fits. For example, try something oversized if you typically go for a tight fit.

Also, this is a great occasion for us, neutral lovers, to spice things up a little bit.

During this phase, you could also add seasonal colors and garments. For example, if you started this process during spring it’s more likely that you bought lighter garments and colors. It could be a great idea to introduce some winter capsule wardrobe essentials.

Aurora’s tips

to have cohesive looks it’s way easier to shop in sets. this way you can wear the set together but also, every piece of your set can go with many other clothes from your capsule.

5. Maintaining and growing your capsule wardrobe

Finally, your capsule wardrobe is complete. You have different fabrics, colors, fits, and textures, all kept together by your unique style and taste.

In this phase you are able to use any of your clothes to create a new outfit, you are basically using your capsule pieces to polish off the statements.

Enjoy your brand-new wardrobe and have fun!

The 9 categories you need to include

Before you go and have fun with your clothes, I want you to have a little list of the nine categories you need to concentrate on when you go shopping. Also, remember you can always reference the complete capsule wardrobe checklist.

1. Tops
2. Bottoms
3. Jackets
4. Loungewear
5. Activewear
6. Underwear
7. Swimwear
8. Footwear
9. Accessories

This post was all about starting your capsule wardrobe from scratch.