Tips for the Simple Closet {Capsule Wardrobe}

I got rid of anything I didn’t love; anything that I was always adjusting and felt uncomfortable in; anything that was unflattering (because of size, shape or fit). When I was on the fence about something I just thought, if I wouldn’t buy an item all over again I shouldn’t let it keep space in my closet…..

…. and it felt good.

It’s been over a month since I did this and I haven’t found myself missing anything that I got rid of.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned so far about (working towards) having less clothes:

• Learn your body shape and try to dress to flatter it
• Learn what colours are best on you and stick with a ‘palette’ in your clothes so it’s easier to mix and match
• Take pictures to get a better perspective of how the clothes fit you. You’d be surprised to find the mirror and picture give you a very different view. If clothes are unflattering, alter them, get rid of them or send them to the PJ pile
• Learn your style and stick with it, you are more likely to wear clothes that you feel reflect you rather than a mishmash of all the latest trends. To learn your style, start pinning and pinning. Eventually you will see a trend in textures, silhouettes, colours that you identify with
• Try a 30for30 challenge to ‘interview’ your clothes and learn how to mix and match what you have. Or even spend an afternoon putting outfits together, trying everything on, accessorizing, taking pictures. It sounds superficial but it will make your day way easier if you can have go-to outfits that you know ‘work’ and not end up with a floordrobe before you run out the door
• Identify ‘gaps’. Once you start understanding your style and putting together looks with what you have, you will likely find some items are missing. Make this your new shopping list and don’t shop for entertainment, shop for your shopping list (unless you are at Target then you brain is like ‘screw dat list, get all the cute things!!!’. True story)
• Keep your clothes simple and utilize accessories, shoes and jackets to change looks
• Invest the money in clothes you wear regularly, like jeans, cardigans, plain shirts. Spend less on the trendy items like accessories that you may not wear through all the seasons
• Google or look on Pinterest for ideas. Bought a teal pencil skirt that you just loooove and don’t know how to style it? There’s a pin for that.
• Be okay with wearing the same clothes often. Sounds weird, but watch the video below for some insight on how this may be a ‘north american’ mindset to always wear something new
• Keep it fitting to your lifestyle. I still have a stash of ‘comfort clothes’ in the dresser, because #wecanthavenicethings #nowhiteshirts #momlife
• Don’t make hard and fast rules – have as many items as you feel are manageable. I read about one woman who went from 600 to 100 items, and some people go from 30 to 10. Whatever works for you
• Be ruthless in your purge. If you feel any hesitation, then try storing your purged clothes away for a month and if you miss it, you can add it back in

Need more inspiration?

Check out Redefined Mom (organizing your closet and making it functional), Putting Me Together (on remixing and accessories). Greater than Rubies (she makes a plan to buy one item a month and follows it). The Tiny Twig (on the No Brainer Wardrobe)

If you like the idea of a minimalist wardrobe I highly recommend this quick Ted Talk by the Daily Connoisseur.