Capsule wardrobe. Anyone managed to do this successfully?

[JAB2012]

Just that really. I went through my wardrobe at the weekend and I have too much stuff. I am terrible at coordinating and wear the same outfits again and again! I was thinking having a good clear out and building a capsule wardrobe may be the way forward! Has anyone managed to do this successfully and stuck to it?! Any tips?

I got Pinterest. Made/copied 4 outfits I loved and stuck to that for a few months then gradually increased the capsual if that makes sense so now I have 10 outfits that all work as 10 outfits with some mixing but not much tbh

I've also bought duplicates of my favourite outfit, so I really like my white gap jeans with a H & M cardy so I've doubled up on that for when it looks tatty

I think I have.
A couple of years ago I spent an age working on a kind of uniform for me. My clothes are all either, black, navy, grey, white, beige. In natural fibres. I don't know exact numbers but I have a selection of

Slim leg jeans/trousers
Tube/pencil skirts
Cashmere or cotton jumpers
Linen t- shirts/vests
Dresses
Ankle boots and sandals

Everything goes pretty much with everything else, so lots of possibilities. It was kind of dull at first, but as I added things I added texture (not patterns) and interest with accessories. It is still kind of minimal, but that's the way I like it.
Pinterest is your friend!

I forgot to say I do still impulse buy and have fun, but have some set rules for my clothes, so I don't make too many mistakes and don't have too many clothes.
My rules include:-
Is it made from Natural fibres
Does it go with things already in my wardrobe.
Do I have an occasion for it?
Does it fit my life?
Does it fit?
Does it make me look good!
Would Jeanne Damas/Emnanuelle Alt/Stella Gibson (for work wear) wear it?
Is it cheap!
I have put many an item back if it didn't meet my criteria and like all my clothes, so I must be doing something right.

I've done it. It took a lot of time though and going back over my wardrobe again and again. I think you have to do it gradually to figure out how much you need and what type of things you wear.
I found YouTube videos and Project 333 type blogs really helpful. The site Into Mind is really good actually, as it teaches you the different types of capsule wardrobe and takes you through step by step.

My unintentional capsule wardrobe appears up to be three pairs of jeans (two of which are identical dark blue skinnies), three superdry t shirts and two hoodies.

I did in pregnancy because I didn't want to buy lots of stuff. I found it liberating actually.

I found this website really helpful, particularly the bit about identifying colours for your wardrobe and really thinking about what you need to wear and enjoy wearing

Thanks all! Really helpful. The main thing I struggle with is coordinating items and I buy too many clothes I end up re-selling or giving away. My aim is to streamline. I like your rules ohchristmas and will have a look at the website you mention secret.
I was thinking of maybe going to a personal shopper at John Lewis to invest in some essential pieces. Anyone done this?

I had my colours done. Tbh I'm not convinced about making your eyes pop etc but I like "my" colours and by sticking to them it means everything in my wardrobe goes with everything else

Yes I have a capsule wardrobe but you would be bored by it:
Black skinnies in a variety of lengths and finishes jeans/trousers.
Navy blue t shirts plus a few black cashmere jumpers.
That's it.
Variety is in coloured jewellery.
Bags are mock croc and shoes are ankle boots or sandels. Coats are wool and dark colours but with interesting cuts (COS).
I do have a few missoni dresses and silk t shirts for nights out.
It is easy getting dressed in the morning though.

What helped is that I looked through my wardrobe and saw if there was anything I really enjoyed wearing, or kept buying variations of. Then, instead of buying say five rubbish stripy tops, you buy one good quality Breton top that you really like, suits you and will last.

The into mind website is really helpful, as is consciously going through your wardrobe and really thinking about what clothes to have / wear. It is easier having a uniform in a way, and lots of "fashion" people do (like Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour). It makes getting dressed much easier

One site that really helped me with colours is The Vivienne Files. It is good generally on colour schemes but also building capsule wardrobes. Some of actual choices are a bit old for me (I'm mid-30s) but the concept is there.

For work yes it's easy 5 outfits to last each week depending on season.
For the rest definately not.
I have loads of clothes for nights out, casual, events, summer holidays, plus tonnes of jackets and coats, shoes/boots. I would hate to not have choice and I do wear it all over the year. I like the look of those French capsules on Pinterest, half a dozen clothes that mix and match but I would get bored and not sure it's realistic more fantasy. Those others that say wear 33 clothes for 3 months well that adds up to about a 100 things if you interchange a quarter of them. I have a similar amount and it's loads not exactly minimul.
I'm not someone addicted to shopping either I've got loads of stuff already and just add to it occasionally. I'm not a fan of getting rid of stuff either I do a clear out of a few things once a year, not bags full that I read regularly on here.
I'm very fussy over what I buy now and expect it to last a few years.

Place marking.
Pinterest is really helpful too.

I have. Takes some thought but great fun too and huge bonus in basically having an easy time getting dressed almost every day. Decide a style or look: classic, romantic, sporty, dramatic or whatever.
Decide colours - base colours and accent colours.
Cull wardrobe accordingly, then buy any necessary fillers.

Also shop for your actual life.Now I basically wear charcoal and navy as a base, plus denim. Orange, teal, mustard and pine as accents. Plus white. I have a wardrobe that is good for work and at the weekend as many of my clothes can be dressed up or down with different shoes, makeup etc.

I still have the odd bit of proper formal wear tucked away for occasions - a pair of heels, a good suit and a black cocktail dress.
I sometimes add in a frivolous item because I like it - like an easy summer dress once summer finally arrived. Or the odd thing I know I'll just have fun either for a season or 2. I have a silly comic book skirt that makes me giggle- I wear it when life gets too serious (dh laughs at me but I love it)

I started with shoes and basically realised I never wanted to have to wear uncomfortable shoes again. I realised this was totally doable in my work context so then it was what can I wear that looks good with the brogues and boots I will wear?

My pared down wardrobe helps me realise when I'm getting too uniform as well. I can see it sell in one go so now i notice that I have bursts of buying essentially the same item again and again ending up eith 5 grey jumpers or whatevers. Now I think do I need more than 1 navy short sleeve top? The answer is usually return it and buy a grey one instead. Or something striped. Then I have an unobtrusive top which is what i wanted but a more varied wardrobe. I love not having endless clothes I never wear. Plus at leadt 75% of my clothes go with each other and most days I'm pleased with how I look.
Sorry im going on and on but this is the best thing I did for myself in years

Also this year the best thing was laying out my wardrobe. Having a think and realising all I needed was some summer trousers in a light colour, a swimsuit ( I hadn't swum in years), a denim shirt and then replace my tired sandals and moth eaten cardi and I could adapt my existing wardrobe for holiday.
Maybe not great if you crave variety but for me this is just ideal. I'm getting more confident at spending a bit more per item as I need less items too.

The into mind blog is great although her visuals are very pale and scandi snd shes quite tall which I found difficult as I'm short and dark and I'm not arty enough to just use the principles.
I loved lost in a spotless mind and learned loads from her. She's changed her blog but have a look in her archives. lostinaspotlessmind.com

Having colours done and a go over by a stylist to get rules for shape etc was really helpful for me. Makes finding and coordinating much quicker. I know which shapes I can and can't wear and it cuts time right down for decision making.

I switch out for seasons, go through wardrobe, pack up winter stuff during summer and vice versa for winter - as part of that I stash away anything that doesn't fit well so I get a bit of time to skinny up rather than just bin favourites that I got a bit fat for. It ends up being a capsule along the way because I am checking what goes with what and matching along the way.

My weight and shape can change a size or two across a year and I accept and accommodate this now instead of squishing into too small - much tidier result and plenty money saved on panic nothing fits shopping!

At sale time I replace staples like neutral vests, shirts, work trousers etc and donate to the charity shop so nothing gets too worn looking. Agree with natural fibres whenever possible and buying doubles for stuff that works. I like ordering a bunch of stuff online so I can try it with the rest of my wardrobe to see if it works.

There is plenty of room for pattern and colour in a capsule wardrobe, just stick to 2 or 3 colours in any outfit so if wearing a brightly patterned dress then pick a colour out of the pattern for cardi/jacket/shoes/bag and it works without being to try hard. If doing all neutrals add a bit of colour with belt & shoes or bag & scarf etc.

Try emptying your wardrobe totally and put back only what you absolutely love then work up from there - less is more!

That last line should be:

Try emptying your wardrobe totally and put back only what you absolutely love that fits well and flatters then work up from there - less is more!

Sorry for going on, agree with being able to buy more expensive as you get the hang of capsule

Thank you viper and lasttime. I am inspired by your posts! The endless searching for items and the uncoordinated mess my wardrobe is in actually impacts my quality of life. It may sound a bit dramatic but not finding items and spending ages trying to figure out what to wear in the morning is really frustrating! I like your tip of pulling everything out and only keeping what you love and what fits. It will be a fun project to get stuck into!

I'm glad it's inspired you. I felt like I was going on and on. But this really has improved my life lots. Enjoy its fun and you get better at it.

Me too!

I find the empty suitcase from summer hols is an excellent storage facility for next season's wardrobe.

My other excellent tip (from this board I think) is dress up cheap with expensive to get a polished look so for example you can almost get away with head to toe primark if you have a nice jacket or bag to finish it off. If you are ever unsure how to make something you love in your wardrobe work, scout for a similar item on net a porter to see how they style it.

Get yourself a Vogue subscription for christmas, you deserve it

lasttime - I have a comic book bag - can we be bffs?

Not so much a planned capsule wardrobe, but I have about 44 items across my winter and summer wardrobes, excepting things like swimwear or beach kaftans. I could still do with getting rid of a few things - and filling a few gaps.

The only downside is that clothes do tend to wear out a bit faster (even though I buy decent quality items) as they are being washed more often.

The other thing is that I wear a lot of dresses, so many items are complete outfits in themselves.

viper let's please be bffs! I was thinking snap at the wardrobe for weight fluctuations tucked away. I've given up donating my bigger clothes as I lose weight because 12 months and there I am again. Plus comic print bag = excellent!