A functional wardrobe will save you time, money, and a lot of stress. By functional, I mean everything in your closet coordinates with each other and works for your lifestyle. With this simple approach to shopping, you can get by with fewer items, yet have tons of options. Here is how to buy a capsule wardrobe, in one day, at one store.
1) At home, look at your current wardrobe and see what you’re missing or what is causing you wardrobe stress. Do you need a better work wardrobe, a better casual wardrobe, or a combination? If you can buy pieces that mix and match for both, you’ll get more bang for your buck.
2) Decide what store to shop at. There’s lots of options, but to get your entire capsule wardrobe, you should focus on one store. Pick your favorite. The buyers of your favorite store have already hand-picked items, so now it’s just a matter of picking items that work for your lifestyle, body type, and best colors.
3) At the store, where should you begin? First of all, if at all possible, I recommend that you get a salesperson to help you. They already know the store layout and the merchandise. With her help, you can get this done in half the time, and go home with more cohesive items. So, let her know what types of items you need, and use her expertise to pull items throughout the store.
4) Things to consider for your capsule wardrobe are lifestyle, body type, and your best colors.
5) As an example, see my printable for a Minimal Summer Wardrobe for work. Start with the basics (or bottoms), such as pants. Pick bottoms that are in the same color family, for instance one pair black, one grey, one navy.
6) Then pick a variety of tops that all coordinate with the pants. You should pick a few solid colors and a few prints, but the most important thing is that each top will go with at least most of the bottoms. You’ll be able to mix and match ALL the items for several combinations. Remember to pick colors that are flattering for your hair and skin tone.
7) Now it’s time to add in a few extras. You will probably need a cardigan or jacket to layer over your tops. Make sure it’s a basic solid color that goes with everything you’ve picked out so far. If there’s room in the budget, I would add a dress. They’re easy to throw on and usually dressier for certain situations.
8) Now we’re moving on to the accessories:
- Shoes – Pick at least two pairs in basic colors that go with your bottoms. If you could only have two pairs, I would pick one in black and one in a nude color.
- Handbags – You need at least one good quality handbag in a color that goes with everything. It should be in the same tone as the other items in your wardrobe. For instance, in my example, I would pick black. Of course, if you have room in your budget, you could add another purse in a ‘pop’ color.
- Other accessories, such as jewelry and scarves – Make the most of your mix and match strategy by picking out accessories that go with your new items. This is another great reason to buy everything at one store. You could add scarves, if you like. At the very least, I would pick out a few pairs of earrings in different styles and a few necklaces, making sure they work with the necklines of your tops.
That’s it! Just think how great it will be to get your wardrobe put together in just one day! It sounds expensive, but if you do this strategically, you might not need to buy anything else till next season. Well, ok, let’s be realistic. Who can resist shopping for that long? Not me! But with your basic capsule wardrobe put in place, you can now just shop and add in more items later when things are on sale or when you find that irresistible item.
The best benefit of all is really that every day you KNOW you have plenty of options to choose from and you’ll always look great! ENJOY!