Like many things in life, building a capsule wardrobe takes time and patience. As the seasons change, it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting a complete wardrobe refresh. However, don't succumb to the fast fashion trap; investing in quality over quantity is the best choice for your wardrobe.
Fashion and how we dress are forms of personal expression. (I know I would lose all sense of my identity without colour or animal prints.) With ever-changing trends, the urge to impulse buy is hard to resist. The key to a capsule wardrobe is investing in basic pieces that can be dressed up or down to match your style for any occasion.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist collection of interchangeable clothes that can complement each other. Traditionally, a capsule wardrobe sticks to mutual hues and consists of 10-20 pieces that can be styled up or down. So, although a capsule wardrobe might appear plain on the surface, it can serve as the foundational base for every outfit. A capsule wardrobe should be a considered edit of pieces that you can rely on and should be personal to you. It won't look the same for everyone, but we've assembled a starter kit for those looking to refine their wardrobe.
The Classic T
A good quality, well-fitting T-shirt is surprisingly hard to find. Once you find the perfect one, I would recommend getting it in every colour!
Crew Neck Short Sleeved - Uniqlo
Tailored Trousers
Once known as the office uniform, tailored trousers have got a new identity and now a well-made pair of wide-leg or straight trousers is an essential part of a classic wardrobe look. Throw these on with an expensive-looking jacket and trainers and you’ve got a low effort outfit with maximum impact.
High waist Flannel Trousers - Arket
Tailored Sloan Trousers - Abercrombie and Fitch
Wide Leg Tailored Wool Trouser - COS
Jeans
Shopping for the right jeans can be a lot like dating: time consuming, exhausting and largely very disappointing. Will there be a gap at the back? Will they fit my leg length? Will they be comfortable to wear all day? There never seems to be a perfect pair but whatever your concern, we’ve pulled together some great all-rounders.
Extra Straight Jeans - Weekday
Vintage straight, high jeans - H&M
Blazers
When it comes to an elevated, classic look you can’t beat a blazer. From oversized to fitted a blazer is a must have for a stylish and considered wardrobe.
Double breasted wool blazer - COS
Single Breasted Blazer - And Other Stories
Fragrance
There’s nothing more personal than the fragrance you wear and whilst the right fragrance definitely won’t last forever, it’s important to pick your perfect scent match. The right fragrance will have people asking ‘what are you wearing?’ And they won’t be talking about your clothes. We found a British fragrance brand that are elevating luxury with their high quality fragrances that play on classic scent notes to give long-lasting, signature scents.
Some like to stick to a cult favourite scent whereas others like to have a few on rotation, Thomson Carter offer a wide range of different scents for both men and women so you can choose based on your scent preferences. To find your match, take the quiz on their website.
Building a capsule wardrobe and breaking out of impulse purchase spending habits might seem like a bit step but once you make it, your guaranteed to start dressing like the classiest version of yourself. Look at what you already have - what you might be missing - and build from there.
Member discussion