This is a guest post by Melissa, from Suger Coat It
The truth of the matter is that most of us have TOO MANY clothes. We don’t wear them. We buy them hoping they will work with other items we have but it isn’t the case. They sit on our wardrobe and year after year they group together and overtake the space we have. Right!?
This happened to my mother. Growing up she had an extensive wardrobe with a walk in closet plus jackets and suits in closets all over the house. A large portion of these clothes went unworn for years.
The collection of clothes was a habit I picked up and carried into my adult life. My clothes spilled from my walk in wardrobe to the spare room after spare room until I had no idea where to even find something when I did consider wearing it.
I had bundles of clothes but would wear the same items over and over again. That’s where simplifying your wardrobe to an easy, low fuss capsule wardrobe is such a great idea. A capsule wardrobe is one of those jargon type phrases used to describe a number of pieces that all work together in a mix and match fashion.
How do you then turn your overstuffed {or perhaps under-stuffed} wardrobe into sleek and modern capsule wardrobe?
Start by working out a celebrity role model or a style that you love. This will give you an idea of what sort of look you are aiming to create. Make sure it’s realistic for the life you lead now, not the jet setting life of your future.
Choose key items that make up this look. Consider how easily of the items work together as you go. Lots of images, inspiration, clippings or one heck of a Pinterest board will help. For example for someone like Elle McPherson you would need to include items like:
- jeans
- simple white button up shirt
- classic blazer
- white, black or grey t-shirt {or two}
- slim fit dress pants
- chunky knit jumper
- cardigan
- blouse
- shirt dress in linen or chambray
- pencil skirt
- little black evening/cocktail dress
- leather jacket
- trench coat
- belts, scarves, accessories
- loafers
- sneakers
- pair of heels
See how that works? You can wear the t-shirt with the skirt, under the dress, with either of the pants, under the leather jacket or with the shirt. Add some accessories and you are set for almost any occasion that comes your way.
Do this for your favourite fashionista and your own list is born. Over all the bases. If you are likely to wear jeans more often than not, add more blouses, shirts or jackets.
Now you package up everything in your wardrobe other than these items into storage or moving boxes. You could go nuts and throw everything away but the hot tip is that you will have forgotten something on your list that you’ll already own. Mark the boxes well and if they are still there after 3, 6 or 12 months then donate them.
Over time your needs may change, your likes and dislikes. You can update the items you want to keep and replace items that don’t fit in anymore. Keeping an edited, streamline capsule wardrobe like this simplifies your wardrobe, keeps clutter at bay and REALLY shines a light on what you need and don’t need.
All total wins in my book.
styletheluxe.com
Melissa Walker Horn is the chief blogger at Suger Coat It, a blog about living the sweet life. Known as Suger, Melissa loves her family, too much butter on fresh bread and anything with stripes on it.
She created the Confident You series and shares her love of fashion, the gym and cooking most days of the week on her blog. The Budget Fashionista Workbook is Melissa’s first eBook and will followed by Confident You in 2014.
A social media addict and consultant, you will find Melissa anywhere you search for Suger with an e.
Find Melissa here: Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
The Budget Fashionista Workbook
Katrina has graciously allowed me to take a moment to let you all know about the recent release of my eBook The Budget Fashionista Workbook. The workbook will empower you to get into your wardrobe, sort it out and using considered choices start building a stylish wardrobe on a budget. For $11.99. No steak knives.
The simple fact is that most of us have purchased an item we’ve never worn, spent more than we should or wandered the shops with no idea. It’s expensive and time consuming to be so haphazard about it all. Using the checklists in the workbook you’ll be able to work out what you have and what’s missing to go after a personal style you love.
