For those that don’t know, Sustainably Chic defines it “A capsule wardrobe is a limited selection of interchangeable clothing pieces that complement each other”
However, I didn’t want to commit to anything and get rid of a whole pile of clothes if it wasn’t for me. I could have trialed it by picking out a few items from my wardrobe, but I knew I wouldn’t be disciplined enough to not go and get something out if I thought it would complete an outfit.
So when I fell pregnant, it was the perfect time to try this out.
I didn’t want to buy a lot of clothes for such a short time period – yet it would be very easy to get sucked into all the personalised ads from retail companies showing you gorgeous maternity models with amazingly dressed bumps.
So I decided on the absolute bare minimum I would need. 2 sets of pajamas, 1 black pair of jeans, 1 blue pair of jeans, 1 dress, etc. An additional challenge I set myself was to find everything I needed secondhand.
I’m trying to be more sustainable in my shopping habits, so I used Vinted.
I received one voucher for maternity wear so I spent it on a cute maternity hoodie that had an extra panel for baby wearing. Spoiler alert, it was a bit of a gimmick and although I used the maternity hoodie a lot, the baby panel was a bit of a wasted feature. I could have just got a second-hand maternity jumper and saved the money!
What were my findings after 6 months with a capsule wardrobe?
It was much quicker to pick an outfit
Instead of going through multiple draws of clothes to try and piece together a nice outfit, and then bemoaning I had nothing to wear, I went straight to the one drawer and picked something out.
I couldn’t get decision fatigue, because there really weren’t that many options. It felt like it required less headspace in general.
I had to stay on top of the laundry
Previously I never needed to do a wash every 5 days, but I did find I was running out of things much quicker so had to be a bit more regular with the laundry.
I saved money once I had everything I needed
Because I’d planned what I needed, beyond an exceptional item that I forgot to include, I didn’t buy any other clothes.
Even the cute maternity items in the sale. I wasn’t even tempted to look because I knew I didn’t need anything, because I had set a plan at the beginning.
I felt in control of my wardrobe rather than unhappy with it
It’s so easy to feel dissatisfied with the clothes we own. Advertising tells us we deserve the latest piece of clothing and social media shows us how our friends are keeping up with the trends. It leads to a never-ending shopping trip where we never have enough.
Instead of buying what we like and wearing them for their lifetime, it’s tempting to shop for the trends and push them to the back of the wardrobe when they’re no longer ‘in’.
But because I had decided on the items I needed, I was finally owning my wardrobe.
I gained a lot more space
Suddenly, I had a completely empty chest of drawers that I didn’t need to use because everything fitted into my wardrobe.
And there was still plenty of room in there. It was easier to keep everything folded and organised so it made it less stressful for me.
Everything single item I had fitted me
There were no longer jeans that were too tight and dresses that I’m honestly never going to wear again. Suddenly my clothes didn’t remind me every time I looked at them that I wasn’t the shape I wanted to be.
I was a bit bored of my clothes choices
Honestly, towards the end, I felt a bit sick of the clothes. It was so nice to have a larger option to pick from after 6 months.
I definitely feel a small capsule wardrobe is to limiting for me. I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t think I would opt for it long-term.
Will I continue with my capsule wardrobe?
Did I return to my post-maternity wardrobe and make it a capsule wardrobe? No. Whilst there was a lot I liked, I felt it made me feel like clothes were just functional, rather than something I could enjoy.
I like putting an outfit together and having more options.
I met in the middle. I’ve been reducing my wardrobe by selling or donating the items that don’t really suit me, don’t fit me or I don’t really like anymore. So I have removed a lot of items. However, whilst I still feel I have too many clothes, they are currently all ones I do like and will wear.
So I’m keeping them, wearing them and enjoying them. I’m avoiding buying any clothes apart from maybe a gift or two at Christmas, so my wardrobe has shrunk in size, and will probably continue to shrink as some of my clothes become too worn.
I do think it was a great experiment to test out a capsule wardrobe and provided me with valuable insights into how I want to manage my clothes in the future.
By taking control of my wardrobe, I can resist the temptation of impulsive purchases and the allure of sales.
Ultimately, I want to be the one making the decisions.
