Before I even knew what a capsule wardrobe was, I began investing in quality pieces of clothing for my wardrobe. Pieces that I can wear year round. Pieces that can be dressed up or down, layered, that never go out of style.
These capsule wardrobe essentials are pieces I am willing to invest in financially because I know I will have them for many years. They are the anchor items that I base the rest of my capsule wardrobe around.
Even if you aren’t interested in building a true capsule wardrobe (I still struggle with that term – and the rules that come with it TBH), you can invest in a handful of high quality basics that you LOVE!
Your capsule wardrobe essentials might look different than mine, and that’s ok! I work from home full-time and my wardrobe is very casual. When I worked in an office years ago, my wardrobe needed to look different!
Whether you are creating a true capsule wardrobe, or just trying to minimize your wardrobe, the goal is to create a collection of clothing that you love, feel good in and are practical for YOUR lifestyle!
ADD ITEMS SEASONALLY
If you live somewhere with distinct seasons, your capsule wardrobe will likely change throughout the year! We get very severe winters where I live so my winter wardrobe looks very different from my summer wardrobe!
These are just the basics that make up the foundation of your wardrobe. Each season you’ll likely want to add seasonally appropriate pieces!
You can see my first official capsule wardrobe – my Fall 2020 Capsule Wardrobe here!
SUSTAINABILITY
I am making efforts to purchase clothing from more sustainable companies! I am prioritizing buying from companies that source sustainable, eco-friendly materials AND pay their workers a fair wage.
However, I’m no where near perfect at this! I don’t purchase new clothing often. In fact, 95% of my clothing is over 1.5-2 years old. So I’ve linked similar items since most of my clothing is no longer available!
If you want to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle, one of the best things you can do is buy NOTHING. Don’t worry about replacing the things you own with sustainable alternatives. Just make do with what you have until you absolutely need to replace it 🙂
MY CAPSULE WARDROBE ESSENTIALS
PANTS
I wear the same pairs of pants + denim year round! Each season I might add 1-2 extras, but my capsule wardrobe essential pants are a pair of lightwash jeans, dark/mid-wash jeans, black denim and casual joggers.
TOPS
Simple, basic tops are my go-to. You may love color, patterns or textures – and that’s ok! Your capsule wardrobe tops don’t have to be super plain, but they should be versatile + easy to dress up / down or layer.
These are tops that I would wear year round. With a pair of denim shorts in the summer, or with a cardigan + jeans in the winter!
LAYERS
I didn’t include jackets or warm weather clothes in your capsule wardrobe essentials, because those will change with the seasons!
But a lightweight cardigan and a classic denim jacket can be worn year-round!
DRESSES
A denim dress or LBD (little black dress) can both be worn on their own in the summer, or with layers like tights + a jean jacket in the colder months!
If you don’t love wearing dresses, a black jumpsuit is the perfect option! I love this ethical + sustainable company for jumpsuits (and other capsule essentials!).
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