GLAM + STYLE

Capsule Wardrobe

More style, less stress

By Lauren Caggiano

Many are calling 2019 the year of minimalism, as we saw exhibited in the popularity of Marie Kondo’s tidying up method. Why not carry those sensibilities into 2020, with a new way to approach curating your personal style?

Enter the capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a practice of editing your wardrobe down to staples that fit your lifestyle and body right now, mixing them up regularly, and shopping less often and more intentionally.

The key word here is “intention.” Because when being mindful, the process of buying new clothes or getting dressed slows down and becomes more conscious. For example, a small collection of items, including clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes, encourages you to wear your favorite things every day.

A smaller wardrobe can be interpreted as an act of rebellion of sorts. We live in a culture that places value on more. Oftentimes that results in a closet full of clothes that we may never wear or even like. So in this way, a smaller more genuinely you wardrobe is the way to go. has a few recommendations. She said it’s critical to find and hone your own style and care less about societal norms. From here, she suggests picking 33 items (including shoes, accessories, and jewelry) for each season. If you have a different wardrobe for work, you may want to do two smaller capsule wardrobes to encompass more items.

Kelly Benton, a working mother of two in Fort Wayne, was an early adopter of the capsule wardrobe. She said the benefits derived were mainly psychological in nature.

“It really took away the guilt of getting dressed every day,” she said. “My weight has fluctuated a lot over the years, but I find it hard to get rid of clothes that are too small. When I set up my capsule wardrobe, I put everything that was too small or didn’t fit in a bin and put it out of sight. When I went to get dressed every day, I knew

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that I’d be happy with any item I chose, and that it would fit me well. No more staring at my closet and being reminded that I used to be a smaller size.”

She also felt more disciplined when out shopping. “I’m more intentional about purchasing only clothes that I love,” she said. “When I’m in a dressing room wondering whether I should buy an item, I ask myself ‘do I LOVE this?’ If the answer is no, it goes back on the rack. I also learned what colors and patterns I’m really drawn to.”

On that note, Benton has some words of advice: “You don’t have to stick to a certain number of clothes, but make sure you absolutely love every piece. If you put your other items away and don’t miss them after a couple months, donate them (without sorting through them first!).” a