I share a lot about minimalism on my blog and am actually in the process of writing a book about minimalism + motherhood (a dream I've had for some time!!) and one of the keys to living minimally is learning to create what is called a capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe refers to a collection of clothing that is composed of interchangable items to maximize the number of outfits that can be created -- most often these are classic, timeless pieces (lots of neutrals) that can be layered and interchanged to work year round for every season based on how you style them. I do this for myself and our three girls and it has been a game changer in our spending, laundry, closet organization and of course, minimalism in general.
All the clothing we own for our three girls (5, 3 and 18 months) fits in a single 4-drawer dresser. This includes their pajamas. They each have one drawer of their own clothing and then we have one pajama drawer that all 3 of them share. Their rooms have large closets but we primarily keep them empty or hang up nicer dresses, photo shoot pieces, etc. 99% of their wardrobe is kept in their dresser and I love it. I can fold laundry in less than 5 minutes and have it all put away in less than 10. Mom win.
5 keys to creating a capsule wardrobe:
choose pieces that are neutral 75% of the time // This is how I shop for both myself and my girls. I love grays, whites and blacks or solid color pieces that I can layer a jacket over easily or tights under (black leggings or skinny jeans for me). Keep patterns simple and classic -- think stripes and polka dots, nothing too bold and bright. If you have girls, use fun brightly colored bows, bonnets and shoes to add a pop of color to an outfit. Neutral pieces will transition nicely no matter the season and never go 'out of style' like a very unique momentarily trendy piece.
a few neutral staples in the girls' wardrobes:
polka dot & solid color ballet dresses (alice + ames)
army green peplum lightweight zip up jackets (old navy)
basic tees and long sleeve shirts in neutral colors (zara)
solid color peplum crews or hoodies (childhoods)
blue jeans (gap and old navy)
black leggings (cat & jack)
leather sandals in summertime and leather boots in fall/winter (adelisa & co)
a few neutral staples in my wardrobe:
white ripped jeans (1 pair)
denim ripped jeans (1 pair)
classic skinny dark blue jeans (1 pair)
black jeans or similar form fitting black pants (1 pair)
black leggings (of course)
white tanks & black tanks
black, white & cream bralettes
black peplum tee
basic white top with some lace and flutter sleeves
army green jacket (my fav here)
jean jacket (mine is from apricot lane boutique, one of my fav stores ever)
black romper (also apricot lane)
look for layers // When I am picking out clothing for Spring & Summertime, I make sure to select pieces I can easily layer in the Fall & Winter. For example, for the girls, ballet dresses in the Spring & Summer are perfect paired with cozy tights, boots and a sweater in the Fall. Add leggings or tights under rompers or one pieces for younger babes as the temps drop. And as you start simplifying, you'll really get to know (and always remember) exactly what you (and your kids) own -- you won't overbuy it, wondering if you need this or own something that color, etc.
For myself, I love my green madewell jacket and my jean jacket for layering -- I throw them on over everything. When my favorite tops are white, black and grey, the green jacket is perfect. When I'm wearing something a bit more colorful (but still nothing bright...I love muted tones like mauve and olive), I'll wear my jean jacket because hello, denim looks good with everything.
Whenever I buy something for myself or the girls I ask, "How can I layer this?" -- because I want to transition everything to the next season seamlessly. The goal of a capsule wardrobe is to not have to run out and buy 20 new things every time the season changes, but rather add in 4-6 new pieces per child (max) depending on what they need most for that season.
only buy what you love // Since I started shopping and living this way, I noticed one of the best parts was that every single thing in my closet -- from jackets to tops to pants and shoes -- was my favorite thing. Something I loved. That I didn't want to take off. And that I wanted to wear every single day. If you have clothing in your closet that you don't love, why do you own it?? If you have pieces that don't make you feel beautiful or confident, get rid of them. When you start rebuying and rebuilding your capsule wardrobe, only buy what you LOVE. Don't settle for pieces that are 'okay' or 'look fine.' And do the same for your kids. If I don't love something (because obviously I'll be seeing it all the time on them not to mention washing and folding it regularly), I won't buy it.
less is more // I only own 3 pairs of jeans and they are the best fitting, most comfortable jeans ever. I love them and I want to be in them all the time so there is no need for more than 3. They fit well, look good and are neutral so I can pair them with everything. When you find pieces like that, they are the cornerstones of your capsule wardrobe and you won't be tempted to buy every pair of jeans you find or try on, because nothing will live up to the few you own and love.
With my girls, the less I buy (despite how much darling girl clothing is out there), the happier we all are. Olivia and Penelope love picking out their clothes in the morning and it's always a simple, quick process for them to get dressed because they aren't overwhelmed with choices. Everything is 'their favorite dress' or 'their favorite shirt' so there is no complaining or arguing. This saves time and stress as a Mom.
You may see cute pieces in stores or online (hello, small shops on instagram) but remind yourself that less is more. Limit yourself to just 4-6 new pieces per child per season (max) that fit the above criteria. And make sure those pieces fill in the gaps for what they actually need. If your daughter has tons of dresses, let the pieces you add in this Fall be sweaters or tights or a cute neutral jacket. Try not to buy another dress because you're aleady well stocked in that area. Or if you do, get rid of two that she owns and doesn't wear often. Look at what categories of clothing they have a lot of and what they need more of and let that guide your purchases. And for every one thing you bring in to your home, get rid of 2-3 things you no longer love, wear or need.
forget about the rules // I get asked by my friends who want to start a capsule wardrobe, 'how many shirts should I own?' or 'how many pairs of shoes are appropriate?' and it's honestly so hard to give you a number or to set strict rules in place. For me, 3 pairs of jeans is perfect. For some people, that may sound like way too few.
The key to starting to minimize and create a capsule wardrobe is ending up with less than you owned when you started. Maybe your closet is overflowing or your kids' drawers are so full they can't be closed and you know its time to make a change. Cut what you own down by 1/3-1/2. Then see how well it works for you. Maybe you can continue reducing or maybe it feels like it's just right. If you cut your closet in half and still feel overwhelmed by the amount of clothes or choices, continue reducing. It's a process of trial and error and the actual number of shirts or pairs of pants you end up with (or your kids end up with) will be a little different for everyone.
For me, I always err on the side of less (3 pairs of jeans, 3 neutral jackets, 12 tops or less, 2 pairs of black leggings, etc) but that doesn't mean you can't have a little bit more than I do.
Ultimately, let the current pieces you keep (from what you already own) and the new pieces you buy (to revamp or refresh or fill in gaps) as you get started be guided by the following questions:
Do I love this?
(or does my child love wearing this?)
Does it fit me (or my child) well?
(I suggest trying everything on and seeing how you actually feel in it based on the fit)
Do I feel amazing in it?
(or does my child enjoy wearing this?)
Would I go out to the store and buy this today?
Do I reach for this at least once every 2 weeks?
(or do I put my child in this at least once every two weeks?)
Will I wear this (or will my kids wear this) in the next 2 months?
(with the exception of winter jackets in summertime, shorts in winter, etc)
If the answers to any of the above questions are no, donate it or pass it along to a friend who will wear it and love it. The question 'would I go out to the store and buy this today?' is probably the most eye-opening for me. When I was creating my capsule wardrobe and laid out all my clothes and started asking myself that question, I was amazed that so many times the answer was no. I wondered why I bought it in the first place. And it has helped me to be much more selective with what I buy now -- for myself and my girls.
I hope this post was helpful and gives you a good starting point if you are wanting to minimize. If you would like me to share more on the topic of minimalism, creating a capsule wardrobe or anything else related, leave a comment on this post or send me a message @blessednestblog and let me know what you're looking to see and I'd love to put something together for you!! Thanks, as always, for reading!! XO
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