Capsule wardrobe 2022-2023 for women

British business course organizer Peggy Chisholm argued that an organized wardrobe indicates an organized mind. Indeed, there is no need to spend a lot of time in the morning, endlessly chasing designer novelties and sending luggage to the mezzanine every season – several problems can be solved with the help of a capsule wardrobe at once.

If your closet is still a confederation of styles, colors, and textures, and it’s hard for you to manage it all, it’s helpful to get familiar with the new term. And for those who know what a capsule wardrobe is, we have prepared some bright looks for the 2022-2023 season.

What is a capsule wardrobe

The term is not new: in the distant 70s, the Englishwoman Susie Fox came up with it. Under the “capsule” she meant several elements of clothing that do not lose their relevance and are combined with each other. It is not surprising that the concept of a capsule wardrobe soon interested designers, and then all fashionistas.

Today, a capsule is a collection of interchangeable things, collected either for their intended purpose (work, vacation, walking with a child), or for a whole season. With this approach, you can easily assemble an image for any occasion, and to be in trend, it is enough to purchase only a couple of new things in the next season.

By the way, there is also the concept of “basic wardrobe”: this is clothes for all occasions, which can consist of several capsules that are similar in style.

Why you need a capsule wardrobe

Let’s take a look at the main benefits:

1. Save time

Just imagine: you put your hand in the closet and, without looking, fish out a couple of things from the shelf that will definitely look harmonious with each other. Agree, comfortable? Tormenting what to leave the house in, hasty fitting in front of a mirror, spoiled mood – all this is in the past. It is enough to have classic jeans or trousers, a pair of plain T-shirts, a skirt, a jacket and a few accent pieces of clothing – your look will always be perfect.

2. Smart spending

A ready-made capsule wardrobe is not just one or two, but many interesting looks at once. Of course, they will need to be periodically refreshed with new clothes. But on the next shopping tour, it will be enough to buy, for example, a seasonal sweater or a non-trivial scarf – and here are a few more new looks. And no one else will call you a spender!

3. Free space

This point follows from the previous one. The less you spend in stores on new things, the more space you have in your wardrobe. It is easy to navigate in such a space. And it definitely won’t be that you lost your skirt, but found it no longer relevant after two seasons.

Despite the fact that each bow of the capsule wardrobe consists, in fact, of the same elements, thanks to different combinations, you will see a new you in the mirror every time. You just need to show imagination!

How to build a capsule wardrobe

Agree, the arguments in favor of a capsule wardrobe are ironclad? If you have already appreciated the benefits of this approach, let’s start implementing it!

First you need to conduct an audit: we get everything from the shelves and hangers, do not forget about the mezzanines and boxes with shoes!

Then we sort: old and torn – we throw out what is not in size or no longer like it – we give it or alter it. We will work with the surviving things! First you need to collect the basis of future capsules, analyze your color type and body type, style and lifestyle. Then, in fact, make a list of things for the future capsule and go shopping.

1. Foundation

What is left of your toilets: your favorite jeans, a pullover that you always wear, an “eternal” trench coat – all this will become the basis of the future capsule wardrobe. For such things, it is usually easy to understand what style you follow, what colors you prefer to wear, what you value more: comfort or sexuality. Such an unpretentious analysis will help to build a vector for future work on compiling a capsule wardrobe.

2. Basic things

This includes versatile items of clothing that can become the backdrop for future looks. These are classic jeans, straight-cut T-shirts, plain turtlenecks and so on. You can “test” every thing: if you wear this skirt with shoes and sneakers, combine it with silk blouses and textured sweaters, then feel free to leave it in the base.

3. Footwear

Many stylists are convinced that classic pumps and white sneakers should be in every woman’s wardrobe. It seems that everything is logical. But let’s be honest: not everyone loves shoes, and not everyone can find sports shoes (not to mention white “impractical”).

When choosing shoes, you need to take into account your lifestyle, style and available “top”. If these are all business suits, and you bypass gyms, you may never need sneakers. Suddenly, even in nature, you are more comfortable in boots with soft soles than in sneakers.

4. Expanding the base

We turn on the analytical functions of the brain and re-check the wardrobe: jeans – yes, skirts – too, but for some reason not a single blouse. So, write yourself a fad on the shopping list. Thus, gradually, we “close” all the empty places in the wardrobe.

Accents must be added to the main things of the capsule. For example, a bright striped shirt dress can look great both as an independent outfit, and with jeans, and, for example, over another dress – why not?

5. Accessories

They should not be neglected when compiling capsules: after all, it is the accessories that set the character of each image. Don’t believe? Here is an example. A classic white shirt is just a white shirt, and coupled with a leather belt already speaks of you as a bold and extraordinary person.

Accessories can match the style of the outfit or – if you want to add playfulness – contrast. Let your imagination run wild!

6. Colors and prints

It is generally recommended to include 1-2 base colors in each capsule. It doesn’t have to be white or black. Universal are: brown, gray, dark blue, beige. Next, we choose one or two primary colors that will play a key role in future images. You can’t do without accents: it can be a couple of additional colors or shades. You can play on the contrast or dilute the palette of your wardrobe with different tones of the same color. If you assemble the capsule yourself, color wheel charts will come to your aid (google it, it’s really easy).

Important: do not forget about the color type! In this regard, you can act intuitively: if you like how the dress looks, and others say that it perfectly emphasizes the color of the eyes, then you guessed it.

Prints are akin to accessories – they should not stand out from the general style, and contrast in this case is an exception that emphasizes the general rule.

Capsule wardrobe examples with photos

If you don’t want to bother putting together capsules, but you really want to upgrade all your clothes, then you can turn to a stylist for help.

But if you are determined to work through the problem yourself, references will come in handy.

You can peep interesting options on blogs from professional stylists or in fashion magazines. In addition, many boutiques supply their catalogs with examples of capsules.

For starters, check out our selection.

Popular questions and answers

Surely you still have questions about compiling a capsule wardrobe. Of course, it’s a responsibility! The comments of our expert will help you in your undertaking – answers questions stylist-image maker, coach Tsvetana Sofronova.