Happy Good Friday, y'all! I can't believe we're almost a week into spring. I feel like I've been in spring cleaning mode for about a month now (too early or... nah!) and have been decluttering + reorganizing everything from my home decor to my bathroom counter to my closet. I may or may not have a deep love for minimalistic style (which is so hard to reflect in your home when you have about ten thousand legos on the floor!) and I find it's taking over my lifestyle and even my wardrobe.
Have you ever heard of a capsule wardrobe? I hadn't either until last summer when I saw a post about it on Instagram. I was a new mama to a tiny baby boy and barely had any time to shower and wash my hair, let alone try to put myself together for the day. I had a headache of a closet that was a terrible mixture of maternity clothes, old clothes I was starting to fit into and new clothes for my "in-between" state. I had a few pieces I loved and felt good in no matter what size I was, but they just seemed to get lost in the confused black hole that was my closet. I was so intrigued but also very intimidated by the idea of having a capsule wardrobe because all I could think was "how the heck am I going to survive with wearing the same 40 pieces for a whole season and not hate all my clothes"?! Even though it was so out of my comfort zone and had no idea where to even begin, I decided to give it a try and I loved it!
By now you're probably thinking, "okay, that was a cute story, Kristina, but what even is a capsule wardrobe?". It's simple! A capsule wardrobe is a system of cleaning out and organizing your closet. The rules are pretty basic, you just go through your closet and pick a number of items (my number is 42!) that are versatile, reflect your true style and make you feel like your best you. Then, you wear those items for the next season (or three months) and you don't go shopping until just before the upcoming season. That number doesn't include lounge/workout wear or intimates and, even though some versions do include jewelry and hair accessories, I don't include those in my final count (for now!). Pretty easy right?
What I really love about capsule wardrobes is that it not only saves you the time you would spend looking through your overstuffed closet to find an outfit for the day and the money you would spend on trendy and "fast fashion" items that just sit in your closet, but it helps you declutter your life and, in turn, your mind. In a world that is so consumer-minded and always looking for the new trend, it helps you think outside of that box and be content with what you already have. I'm not bashing shopping or fashion or style because I still really love those things! I just love that the capsule wardrobe helps you take control of those things and not let them control you.
The best part about all of this is that it doesn't have to be a permanent thing. I do go through my clothes every season and take out things I haven't worn to sell or donate but I store everything else. The first capsule wardrobe I did I left everything that was season appropriate in my closet and just separated what was part of my capsule and what wasn't. For whatever reason, it helped me to know that I had other options at hand if I got bored or stuck with what I had. But, as I started really thinking about what my style was and what my "uniform" was (more jeans and t-shirts, less dresses and skirts), I didn't feel the need to keep those extra items in the closet.
If you want to read more about capsule wardrobes and even get some free wardrobe planners (they're super helpful!) I highly recommend the blogs INTO MIND and Unfancy to help you get started!
My Spring Capsule
Yep, this is it! After two weeks of planning and transitioning and light shopping I am so happy with my selections. My style is usually very casual and comfortable but still cool. Even though you can definitely make an amazing and versatile capsule wardrobe with colors, I just have a deep love for neutrals and find that they not only are so easy to mix and match, but they also just reflect my aesthetic.
I included links to everything in my closet - some of them are for the exact item but most of the pieces in this capsule I've had for a good while so they were nowhere to be found online. For those pieces, I included a link to a similar item or this year's version of that item.
links: /1 (old) similar /2 jeans by Mossimo/ /3 (same jeans, different washes and I distressed one of them myself) jeans by Bullhead/
links: /1 wedge booties by Dr Scholls/ /2 (old) similar/ /3 (old) similar/
/4 (old) similar/ /5 (old) similar/ /6 (old) similar/
/7 flats by Mossimo/ /8 (old) similar/ /9 gladiator sandals by Old Navy/ /10 shoreline sneakers by Converse/
/4 (old) similar/ /5 (old) similar/ /6 (old) similar/
/7 flats by Mossimo/ /8 (old) similar/ /9 gladiator sandals by Old Navy/ /10 shoreline sneakers by Converse/
I'll be doing a weekly post with photos of the outfits I wear from this capsule wardrobe, along with posts on different ways to style the same piece to help get the most of your wardrobe (whether you're capsule-ing or not!) so be on the lookout for that!
Happy spring cleaning + capsule wardrobe-ing!
xo Kristina
This was so helpful. I didn't even realize I kind of keep my closet as a capsule wardrobe at all times (Minus shoes). I find purging clothes every season to be therapeutic and stress relieving.
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