Regular readers of my blog will remember that back in the autumn of 2015, I set about building a capsule wardrobe. This came about because I really reached a point where I felt that I was drowing in 'stuff' and yet was shopping pretty much all the time - I'd recently started a new job and so had to buy 'work clothes' and my wardrobe was groaning with 'uniform' from my previous job, not to mention piles of stuff with tags still attached. I was buying cheaply out of season, then not wearing what I'd bought when the season rolled around, becuase I was bored of it. I was buying in bulk, wearing items once and then not wanting to wear them again. It was really starting to affect me in many ways - I love fashion, styling, charity shopping and high street/online shopping but I felt like it had become a bit all consuming - as soon as I'd bought one thing, I'd be thinking about what to get next.
To spark a change, I started a capsule wardrobe. A couple of days of intense decluttering whittled down my wardrobe to a clothing rail, and an underbed storage box for out of season items. I bought less. I bought better. I suddenly stopped getting bored of all my clothes, beaucse I was working with a set number of pieces and they were all items I really, really loved, and was happy to wear.
I probably stuck rigorously to the 'rules' of the capsule wardrobe for about 6 months, and I really felt that I'd got my wardrobe back under control again. For the back half of the project I did shop a little more, but in a more considered way - I returned a lot less, becuase I completely stopped buying on impulse, and thought about what I was buying a lot more. I spent a little more on key items, discovered brands and lables that I loved, and continued to hit the chazzas for vintage gems to add a bit of interest to everyday looks.
I don't want to say the wheels came off when I stopped actively working with a capsule wardrobe, but it occurred to me the other day that my shopping habits had slipped a little bit. Not to the extent of the way I was before, but I had definitely started creeping impulse buys back into the wardrobe, and before I knew it, I was stuck with a lot of stuff I hardly wore and wished I hadn't bought. Not to worry, though; I still have so many things that I do really love and wear frequently, that a quick cull of the wardrobe, as I do each season anyway, soon helped to redefine what I wear vs what I don't, and has definitely helped me reset and think more carefully about what I buy.
Do you work with a capsule wardrobe? How do you get on with it?
XO Amie
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