How to Start a Winter Capsule Wardrobe

We all know how easy it can be to buy into fast fashion, but the reality is, the more you invest in key pieces to get you through the season, the less likely you are to spend ages getting ready in the morning! Having a capsule wardrobe means everything is already organised and your pieces can all easily be styled together; say goodbye to not knowing what to wear and hello to versatile fashion!

To get your capsule wardrobe all set up for the coming winter months, we’ve put together a step-by-step process to piecing together a capsule wardrobe and the items we think you won’t be able to live without.

Step One: Declutter

Like Marmite, you will either love or hate this bit. Completely empty your wardrobe, drawers and boxes of all clothing items and accessories. Lay them out on the bed or floor and work your way through each item, placing them into keep and discard piles. If the last time you wore an item was for your birthday 3 years ago, chances are, you won’t wear it again, so it’s time to get rid. You need to be strict at this stage and think about what your current style is and whether you could still see yourself wearing each item of clothing.

A capsule wardrobe is defined as items that are deemed essential and used often. They should all coordinate with each other, so you have a variety of different outfits. This is why you have to be brutal.

Step Two: Take A Break

Grab yourself a cup of tea and sit down for ten minutes to reassess. Sometimes a little break is all you need to focus your mind to able to make decisions.

Step Three: Repeat Step One

Go through your ‘keep’ pile and make sure to cut this down again. We know it can be difficult to part with clothes, but if you’re not going to wear them enough, you’ll be better off donating them to charity.

Step Four: Categorise

Decide on how many items in total you would like to keep; the average for a capsule wardrobe is 28-33 pieces. Then create a list of categories that will become your core items. The following categories usually work best:

• Jeans
• Smart trousers
• Skirt
• Dress
• Simple t-shirt
• Blouse
• Jacket
• Coat
• Scarf
• Bag
• Flats
• Heels
• Sunglasses

Now you have your categories, you have somewhere to slot in each of your items. If you have 10 pairs of jeans and 1 blouse, you may want to mix things up a bit.

Step Five: Create

This is the fun bit. Mix and match your key pieces to create various outfits. This is where you can see if there is anything missing from your capsule wardrobe and whether you need to invest in more versatile pieces.

For style you can invest in, shop our range of dresses, knitwear and coats and jackets.