HOW TO: Get a better handle on your overwhelming attire choices by creating a versatile capsule wardrobe
Gillian is fed up.
She’s tired of everything in her wardrobe not matching and being overwhelmed with choices. your plan? Donate everything she owns and start over.
She wants to create a capsule wardrobe for a working mom in her 30s, but doesn’t know where to start.
Thankfully, Kimberly French knows what to do.
“I feel passionate about helping others through style,” she said.
French has been a personal stylist and shopper with her business, Kimberly French Styling, for over 12 years. Now working from her home in PEI, she supports and educates clients through the styling process, helping them achieve their signature look which in turn allows them to feel really good about themselves. According to French, it’s about building versatile and effective wardrobes that work day and night and for years to come.
A capsule wardrobe is a good place to start.
A capsule wardrobe is created, curating a limited number of timeless garments, shoes and accessories that are easily interchangeable and capable of creating a variety of looks.
Many of us walk into our overstuffed closets and still feel like we have nothing to wear, French said, noting that’s why people need a capsule wardrobe.
“Your wardrobe isn’t based on quantity, it’s on quality,” she remarked.
However, quality should not be confused with high-priced items, but rather refers to garments that can stand the test of time (clean lines and neutral color palette), are equally versatile (easily worn up or down) and have durable fabric and fit.
Overcoming the overwhelming choice
French’s customers often have a plethora of random items in their closets, leading to an overwhelming feeling when trying to put together an outfit. Nothing seems to work together. There’s no cohesion or sense of individual style presentation, she said.
The great thing about a capsule wardrobe is that it can be tailored to suit an individual’s style, she noted. Yes, there are distinctive pieces that belong in a capsule wardrobe, but a stylist would help create a capsule wardrobe that matches one’s personality. French believes that to truly create the best capsule wardrobe for each person, it should be done with a personal stylist and shopper like her.
Otherwise, French offers the following advice for those who want to put together a capsule wardrobe themselves.
Start by pulling off your favorite pieces from your current wardrobe. Add the elements you’re drawn to when putting together a look, she suggested.
Then, via an internet search, find cheat sheets that talk about creating the perfect capsule wardrobe. This is a great guide, but French advises remembering that these tend to be generic, yet you want to be responsive to who you are through color palette, shape and lifestyle.
French said it’s also important to think about brands or boutiques. Companies like Everlane and The Gap offer their buyers a subtle seasonal capsule wardrobe to build on through the seasons and years.
If you want a little more personal attention, she suggests going to your favorite local boutique and speaking to the owner. Now more than ever, owners are listening to shoppers and are actually buying for their boutiques with the capsule wardrobe in mind, French noted.
“It’s a much more beneficial relationship for a store and a shopper when you walk in and find the 10 items needed for a capsule wardrobe than just buying a random piece sitting in a closet with the tag on,” French said .
The basics
According to French, the ultimate capsule wardrobe should include:
- three denim washes and fits (white, black, blue)
- a pair of tailored pants
- a pencil skirt
- a black dress that can be worn casually or elegantly
- three basic t-shirts in grey, white and black
- a white shirt with buttons
- a turtleneck sweater
- cardigan
- black blazer
- denim jacket
- casual sneaker
- prey
- black loafers
- black high heels
Those are the basics, and they all come together in different ways to create numerous looks for every occasion, French pointed out.
Capsule wardrobes, she said, are ideal for people 25 and older. She doesn’t recommend them for younger people as they are still trying to figure out their style and identity. Unless specifically requested, the French would prefer teenagers and young adults to experiment with their clothing.
While many hope the capsule wardrobe is a one-time solution to never having to buy clothes again, it has to be said that the capsule wardrobe is meant to build on that and items need to be replaced, French explained.
“I recommend reaching out to a stylist — near or far — to get yours started,” she said. “We helped individuals create capsule wardrobes before there was even a name to identify them.”