Building a Capsule Wardrobe

Do you have a lot of clothes but never seem to have anything to wear? If so, I may have the solution to your dilemma.

In pretty much every book on dressing well there is talk of creating a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe consists of basic clothes you can wear year after year and are the foundation on which you build the rest of your wardrobe.

First you need to pick a neutral colour which looks good on you, such as black, charcoal grey, chocolate brown, tan, navy, ivory, or cream. The most popular colours for a capsule wardrobe are black, chocolate brown, or charcoal grey.

Let's build a capsule wardrobe. First I will choose a colour--black.

   The Basics Checklist

• Black three piece suit--blazer, pants, skirt.
• Black cardigan
• button-up blouse in white or off-white, depending on your skin tone
• black camisole
• black opaque tights
• dark denim jeans--the most versatile would be boot-cut.
• little black dress

Once all of the aforementioned items are crossed off your list, then, if you want, you can buy the items you bought in black in a new core colour such as brown, then charcoal grey and so forth.

When you are finished with the basics, then you can add diversity and pattern into your closet. These will be your add-on pieces. While your basics will work for each season, your seasonal add-on pieces will be in secondary colours. Just remember that for each new piece you add, make sure it goes with something you already own.

To show what I mean, I have chosen blues and purples.

   Add-on Checklist

• Blue and purple printed dress (my example has black in it as well)
• Solid purple dress 
• Printed skirt with purple on it
• Purple blazer
• Purple cardigan
• Printed or solid blouse in blue and purple
• Solid tanks in secondary colours--purple and blue

A good rule of thumb is to spend less on patterns than solids, because patterned clothing has fewer mix-and-match possibilities than solids.

And don't forget shoes! I used black as the core colour.

   Basic Shoe Checklist

• Black high heels
• Black flats
• Nude heels
• Black boots (flat or heeled)
• Black booties
• Walkable black flats (canvas sneakers, sandals, or slip-ons)

And last but not least, please make sure you buy some good underwear. A piece of underwear can make or break an outfit.

   Basic Underwear Checklist

• Seamless bra and underwear to match your skin tone
• Seamless strapless bra to match your skin tone
• Black seamless bra and underwear
• At least one set of matching bra and underwear in a fun colour (I love leopard print!)
• Foundation shorts for tummy control under tight dresses
• Half-slip to wear under skirts
• A full slip to wear under dresses

Hope this helps you to start having something great to wear each day!

Joelle