This is by far the hardest part of the capsule wardrobe. I guarantee if you can get through this step you’ll be on the way to a simpler, more manageable wardrobe for the fall and winter – now doesn’t that sound nice?
My capsule wardrobe consists of under 50 pieces (but no more), not including accessories and shoes.
1) Eye Up Your Closet: Start by walking into your room and looking in your closet as it is – messy and all. What you see will be a good indication of what you probably wear most and what ends up on the bottom of the pile and often forgotten about for one reason or another.
2) My Favorites Pile: Start by taking out the items you always grab first and that you love the most and put them aside. These are your “favorites”. Make sure you don’t kid yourself and put items in this pile that aren’t true favorites. If you haven’t worn it in the last 6 months, it doesn’t belong in this pile. This pile includes ALL clothes you wear.
3) Definitely No and Not Sure Pile: Once you have your favorites pile set…start to see what you have left in front of you. Start weeding through it and put your “definitely no” items in one pile and your “not sure” items in the other. Your definitely no items should be things you haven’t worn in the last 6 months (some people say a year…but girl, I say 6 months). It should also include items that don’t fit anymore. Just do it – get rid of it. Don’t hang on to it if it doesn’t make you feel good NOW. Remember, we are working on simplifying your options, getting rid of clutter, and being realistic. This step may take the longest – and that’s ok…if it means coming back to it the next day or even a few days later, that works! But just focus on realism and being honest with yourself. You’ll be happy you did!
3) Next Season Pile: Once you have your two piles set – favorites and not sure (because you packed up and sent the definitely no pile to the thrift store – right?) Now you need to weed through your favorites pile and pull out anything that doesn’t fit with the season you’re in. Then, do the same for the not sure pile. The not sure pile is one you can come back to later on in this process – but keep it separate from your favorites pile. I recommend folding everything from the not sure pile and putting it away in a tote or on a shelf in your closet or in your dresser.
Your favorites pile has been thoroughly examined and you now feel like the clutter is lifting…your not sure pile is hiding away where you can’t see it (purposefully). It’s now time to prepare for Step 2 of the capsule wardrobe process, Find Common Themes.
In the meantime, go do your purging and get organizing!
Past Blog Posts in this Series
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?