Guardian capsule wardrobe article- what items do you agree with and ones that you don't?

[PragmaticDramatic]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/24/the-ultimate-capsule-wardrobe-the-only-20-items-youll-ever-really-need
I am assuming you need multiples of these items.

I worked as a waitress for years as a teenager, and I haven't been able to wear a white shirt since.

I don't own most of those items, and certainly can't afford the crazy prices!

My wardrobe consists of midi and midaxi (mostly floral and tiered) dresses and skirts.

I don't wear trousers, t shirts, heeled shoes, snd I hate those short boxy jackets. I don't have an actual coat either, just jackets. Neither do I own any shirts, white, denim or otherwise.

My footwear consists mainly of flat, lace up shoes, and ankle boots.

I don't own a single black item either, hate black clothes.

I manage fine with the clothes and footwear that I do have.

I think it's very much an influencer item......often seen tucked or tied in a weird way.

ABIT boring for me. I do have a beachy white shirt for throwing over vests in summer but I also have a collection of shirt and pussy bow blouses in fun and interesting prints.
I find most of these things too flat for me, my wardrobe is full of prints and colours!

Ah OK - most of my wardrobe is holiday or loungewear so maybe outside of that I could do a capsule!

Ugh. White shirt. Why? It’s on every ‘must have’ list. They’re usually see-through, with dumb ugly pockets on the front, baggy, unflattering to anyone with knockers and pointless if you’ve got nothing to tuck it into, which I don’t because the menopause-God has blessed me with beer-keller tits and a space hopper for a mid section.

And for the similar reasons…cigarettes trousers, kitten heels, Chanel jackets, cargoes (whatever they are) and sleeveless high neck dresses can get to fuck.

I’m more likely to wear the capsule or the wardrobe!

Stupid list. Way too much black ( which won't suit you if you're pale ), only ONE dress? If you have boobs most of those tops and coats are no good either. And what about a nice warm cardi?!

It’s no good for a mum of young children. You would have the casual outfits covered in food and snot stains by day 2. Then what do you do, wear the silky skirts and lace slip to soft play and running about in the woods?

There’s also not much for hotter weather. I love colour but not that blocky red dress. No shorts or leggings!

Oh, I see. Sorry.

It's the shit shoes for years that do it, not the 'good' ones. Somebody who has never worn shoes won't have the muscular deformation/weaknesses/impact damage to ankle, hip, knee, back, etc.

Daily theatre! I love it. Yep, some days I wake up and I want to wear a navy dress with constellations on it, or lilac trainers, or a neon pink t shirt. None of that fits into a capsule wardrobe.

Would be for me as well. Love and would wear most of the items. But I hate colour and 'interesting ' clothes 😀

The list makes sense to me and I have all the items (except kitten heels because with my ankles they just don’t work, I have a heel with a more substantial block but similar height instead). I think the point many posters are missing is the concept of a capsule is that it’s a few core pieces you can mix and match with other things to create outfits that work for whatever occasion. The capsule pieces are usually “boring” in terms of color or cut because they are not meant to be the showstopper. They are just a reliable, timeless base that you use other pieces to adapt through color, jewelry, trendier pieces etc. The capsule doesn’t mean that’s all you have in your wardrobe (though you can actually mix and match the 20 pieces alone to create many outfits), it is just 20 anchor pieces you can rely on to build an appropriate foundation for different events or activities. These are investment pieces because they will likely not go out of style quickly and so spending to get the best quality you can afford makes sense. Anyway. That was a long answer. The short answer for me is, yes, I agree with the list. 😅

@Ifyouinsistthen yes, I take your point, but I still think (as posted upthread) that the list has too many items doing the same thing.

I definitely have a ‘capsule wardrobe mindset’ - I buy things that go with other things, and most of my wardrobe ‘goes’. I wear Birkenstocks in summer, New Balance 574s in spring and autumn, and Solovair monkey boots in winter. No matter how fashionable, I wouldn’t touch kitten heels or ballet flats as they look horrific on me and fuck up my back. For special occasions I have a small wardrobe of sandals (mainly platforms) built up over years. They are pretty classic and suit me.

a good step for me was discovering the Kibbe system. A crisp white shirt or a trench coat isn’t going to suit everyone. The Kibbe system helped me understand so much more about why, and think more freely about alternatives to these ‘staple’ items we are always being told about!

Not really, because I don’t enjoy the ‘daily theatre’ of dressing up. I find too much choice overwhelming and simplifying the process makes it easier for me to pick out something that’s appropriate for a day in the office or a weekend in the playground.

My style tends very classic/normcore though, and wearing bold colours or patterns to stand out brings me out in a cold sweat! My current method of assessing whether I should add something to my wardrobe is to ask whether it would fit in a 90s J Crew catalogue!

Yes I’m similar. I don’t like dressing up! My current style goal is 90s normcore mum.

A bit surprised at all the negativity around white shirts. To me they really are a classic and classy staple that elevates any outfit. I particularly like them with a crew neck jumper, with collar and bottom showing.

Someone on here a few years ago posted something that stuck with me, it was roughly: when you are buying something, can you think of at least 3 outfits you can make with it from your current wardrobe that you’d wear or if it’s a full outfit (like a dress or jumpsuit) 5 occasions you’d wear it.

whenever I’m about to buy another ridiculously bright patterned jumper that realistically I could only wear with jeans and is too hot to wear any time other than the depths of winter I stop and think of this.

i think this is a similar capsule wardrobe mindset. Everything you own must work with most of the rest of your wardrobe and stand alone items need to be flexible workhorses. (Which is why the bright red dress doesn’t work,‘it’s too memorable to be brought out for every occasion- a black, grey or navy dress would be easier to change with different coloured shoes/bags/jackets)

Yes. And a bit naff, especially the shoes. Loafers and a kitten-heel slingback? Yuckorama.

Not at all and I love dressing up, but it’s because I treat my capsule wardrobe as the core and then swap other items in and out.

so I’d wear the cream wide leg trousers with the kitten heels, the Chanel style jacket and a printed silk blouse (not on list) for work and then pair the same cream wide leg trousers with the trainers, the denim shirt and a metalic cropped tshirt (not on the list) for an evening out.

@InfradeadToUltraviolent thank you for the advice!

I agree with @FancyBiscuitsLevel - I like the capsule wardrobe mindset. I'm trying to buy less items that are better quality. I also like being able to mix and match easily. I find that I'm more mindful when shopping as I try to identify what I'm lacking (rather than automatically looking for dresses in the sales).

I've also accepted that there will be lots of leggings in my capsule wardrobe (a lot of my time is spent working from home and I go to the gym regularly).

I have a 'capsule' wardrobe which is somewhat bigger than the Guardian version. I wear white tops a lot so I have 4 white vests, 3 white shirts & several white T shirts in crew, deep v, off shoulder etc. I also like neutral Cashmere so I have several permutations of Cappuccino/cream/tan in cardigan, jumper, wrap, cardicoat etc & jeans in wide/barrel/straight.
I don't get bored but it's variations on a theme 😉 My style is classic Bohemian but if you're a dramatic & enjoy wearing lots of colour I should imagine it's trickier.

It’s not that they are bad (they are a classic for a reason!) but the crisp white cotton shirt just doesn’t suit everyone. Firstly there’s all those who don’t suit white, then those who have a bigger bust, tummy or shoulders, those who don’t look good in stiffer fabrics, etc. I think what I was getting at above is that it’s fair to say a capsule wardrobe should include things that perform the function of the white shirt. I have thin pale blue linen shirts from Uniqlo, white and ecru t-shirts (v and crew neck) that do the shirt thing, and also three shirt dresses. But I’d look awful in a classic white shirt.

Re white shirts I adore the look, but as a petite woman with big boobs I look absurd. I’m very envious of the women that can carry them off.

A white shirt can be made of any fabric though. It doesn't have to be a starched white cotton. A stiff cotton shirt will be difficult to wear for most Individuals without a perfect physique. I like a soft drape so Muslin/ lyocell or a linen mix are ideal or even Ramie or a silk/cotton mix.

Ahh, I love wardrobe chat.

I have what I would consider to be a capsule wardrobe, but only in the respect that everything works together. Which gives so much choice, and I absolutely have something to wear for every occasion.

I probably never wear the same outfit twice because I have so many options. But I don't think I have many clothes really.

I love wardrobe maths and lulling myself to sleep thinking of new combinations.

The Guardian list is pretty dull, it's about building blocks though rather than definitive 'must haves'.

It's generally a good idea to spend money on wardrobe workhorses, depending on one's style and needs.

Any capsule wardrobe list is not a command.

(I like white shirts, I like shirts full stop, I'm not booby and have a great clavicle, they're not for everyone though!).

I read this 'capsule wardrobe' as more of a list of things that you could have one of that type in the wardrobe and dress pretty well- so I have jeans but not those exact ones, a black blazer, not that exact one, black wool jumper, one crew neck, one navy v neck, camisole but not so lacy.

On that front, this is pretty much my wardrobe. I don't wear Breton tops (too Kate Middleton) and I don't have a Chanel style jacket as it's too cropped for me, but they have been in style. No kitten heels due to balance issues, I wore them in the 90's but are over for me, but they are in style.

A lot of people are taking this a bit literally- I mean I don't think even the fashion editors think you should have one wool jumper and call it a day. Or one very distinctive dress.

I think the idea though is to give people who struggle to dress (fashionistas won't have a capsule wardrobe) some good common-sense basics to work out from, and that list is pretty much that.

As for blazers- tailoring is coming back! So, perhaps that black blazer is ahead of the game, and if you wear it with the right jeans/footwear it'll look cool. I still wear jackets a lot and get a lot of compliments, but I think the trick is to style them with other current trends, I think if you wore that black blazer, those cigarette pants, that cami and those kitten heels you really might look like you were working in an office in the 1990s/early 2000s.

I love a boring palate of navy, black, white, cream, beige and then just add stuff through bags, a nice winter coat (tweed is in). It's pretty classic dressing, and I agree it's not for walking the dog! (one proper warm puffa/mac with hood was also needed).