Capsule wardrobe

sweaty_betty

Hi there - I have finally realised that I have far too many clothes that I don't wear/don't fit/don't suit me/I have bought on impulse and never worn:eek:

So, my plans is to go through my wardrobe and get rid of all of the above, then look at putting together a capsule wardrobe of clothes that I like and will feel good in - particularly for work.

I've looked online for inspiration on what should be in a capsule wardrobe, but have the slight problem that I don't wear dresses/skirts (unless over trousers) and don't intend to start, so my capsule wardrobe is going to be very trouser-based.

My thoughts are:

Trousers (bootleg or wide leg - don't do skinny) in the following colours:
- black
- brown
- navy
- beige/cream/grey
- jeans (x3) in dark blue

Jackets/cardigans/jumpers:
- cardigans in black, cream, purple
- thin jumpers in black, cream, deep red, deep turquoise
- lightweight jacket in black (I'm taking this one/two seasons at a time)

Tops:
- work/smartish shirts in white, black
- 3 mantaray tops in "my" colours (purples, browns, deep reds)
- 5 summer tops (sleeveless, casual etc)
- vests for layering in black, white, purple

Dresses:
Couple of short dresses that will be worn over trousers or shorts (on holiday)

Any thoughts on what I'm missing? Or do I have too much for it to be a capsule wardrobe??

TIA

honey06

hi Betty

wow, lovely idea, hopefully one that wont be too expensive! you might find you have quite a few things lurking unloved already in your wardrobe when you have a declutter its fun to rediscove a hidden gem!!

my first thoughts are that it's not that its too much necessarily, but that it still needs a bit of thought as its still a bit random.
and maybe think on 3s for each

trousers
if your "colours" are browns/reds/purples, why go for black and navy for base colours?
camel works well with black and either cream or white for a colour combo to build around, and you could then add flashes of colour (red/purples) with accessories or T shirts.
if you do go for black and navy as base colours, ditch the brown (actually do that anyway-- its a drab colour!! go for either grey or camel as a 3rd option)

dont go for 3 dark blue jeans- thats a wasted opportunity to add versatility- what about black jeans (or even dark red or purple)

jackets/cardigans
jackets- one dark, one lighter and one print in the base colours
I would go for jackets rather than multiple cardigans

tops
I guessed that the mantaray tops are the debenhams range?
not really workwear- too casual/floral/holidayish.

accessories
thats where you could add in colour/change the look with statement necklace, belts, scarves and shoes

HTH

Kiwisaver_2

I have recently started a similar project and had fun rearranging my wardrobe over the past few weeks; I have chucked out loads and now have nice free hanging space that actually helps make my clothes look instantly better. I have been reading a lot of website for ideas and here's one I really like:

http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.co.nz/

This one is really popular among bloggers too:

http://theproject333.com/

Even if you don't like the style of the clothes it's useful to see how they group things together around a few basic items and see what colours and things work well. So far I have only been playing around with stuff I already have with a view then to adding in a few bits and pieces to expand their potential 'wearability'. I have picked about 28 things to further play around with and then thinking about what I need to add and have been looking at accessories and such.

It's still a work in progress but I have been working on the basis of actually wearing things and deciding if they're a keeper or how I might enhance or adapt to wear the same clothes with something else I already have. I chose basic black base items; long skirt, short skirt, smart trousers and black skinny tregging type pants to wear with dresses and tunics. Through a fairly natural selection I have veered towards a black / camel and purple palette too.

I've never been very adventurous with coloured shoes but went and bought a nudey coloured pair today; as I can now see lots of opportunities to wear them with the stuff I have chosen. If you had asked me a week ago I would never have suggested that would feature highly in my core colour scheme.

The major surprise is that I have decided I probably can manage without a pair of jeans; since my opportunities to wear them are limited - I would prefer to swap them out for something a bit more versatile.

sweaty_betty

Thanks - some great suggestions there!

Good idea re jackets - I'm always stuck on the style to go for as I'm fairly big so cropped/standard length cut off at a wide point - not a great look! I'm guessing long line jackets are the way to go - any recommendations would be great though

I shall also have a good look through those websites for inspiration over lunch

Anoneemoose

Ooh I was literally going to post a similar thing. I have so many clothes that are literally awful really. Bought because I am bigger than I want to be and because they are comfy and mainly cheap. Cheap because I don't want to spend lots on things that are just to cover the fat!

I have lost a bit of weight now and hoping to get some more off as well so going to start thinking of things and only going to buy stuff that suits my shape.

I have been reading about capsule wardrobes and the recurring thing is to buy the best quality you can as it will last but I have no idea which brands to go for.

sweaty_betty

My weight is also going up and down. I have clothes from size 14/16 to 20, unfortunately I'm currently in the bigger ones:o

What I've done is to bag up those that don't fit and put them away until they do (then sort through them to figure out which will fit into the capsule wardrobe style ). My trouble is that in some ways I don't want to spend a lot of money on expensive basics if they're going to be too big soon, however I want to look good while I'm losing weight!

At the moment I'm buying clothes from matalan, TK maxx, new look etc - if they last, great, if not then at least I've not spent a fortune.

If I was buying for keeps (and could fit into the clothes!) I'd go for next, monsoon and some online "fairtrade" fashion brands as they have always lasted well for me.

Of course there's always the charity shops too

pirateyqueen

The only thing I would say, is that if you're planning on losing more weight then don't go in for the expensive, high quality key purchases just yet. You don't want to spend a lot of money on an item just to find it too large in a few months.

sweaty_betty

I love this blog:
http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.co.nz/
Thanks to the poster who suggested it