Help! Anybody understand a capsule wardrobe?'

[muppetagogo]

Finally have become enlightened and trying to deal with the mountain of out of date clothes and things that don't fit. Surely someone here is much more organised and knows how to create a capsule wardrobe - for eg how many? What?! Colours?
Desperate to sort it out and grateful for any help!!

If you want to go hardcore - Project 333. That’s 33 items for 3 months. Excludes underwear and sportswear as long as it actually does sport - you must count leggings as one of the 33 if you just eat crisps on the sofa in them 😄

If that’s too far, I’d clear a wardrobe totally. Put back some dresses / trousers / tops / skirts (however you like to dress - four pairs of jeans is fine if you never wear a single skirt)

plus shoes / trainers / sandals

couple of jackets / coats

in combinations that give you multiple outfits.

That probably means a limited colour palette so that you mix and match easily.

Alternatively, if that feels like too big a step, just work through one drawer / cupboard / wardrobe etc at a time.

For example, earlier today I ‘reviewed’ everything in one of my big bedroom drawers. I got rid of all underwear that no longer fits (or will never fit) or is old and/or I just don’t like. I also discovered a huge stash of tights that I’d forgotten about (including some really nice Wolford ones that I’d bought, stashed and forgotten). Yesterday I went through my one of my boxes where I keep gym kit (I used to do a LOT of gym so needed a lot of kit) and sold some things on Vinted last night, binned some and kept some. At least now I know what I have!

I find this piecemeal approach easier as it means I slowly whittle down my clothes/shoes etc but not so overwhelming that I want to avoid doing it. And it means I’m more likely to avoid a frenzy of getting rid of things that I later regret (I’m thinking of my fabulous Prada shoe collection from years ago that I sold on and now I regret it BADLY).

Start out with basic outfits that you normally wear, and basic colours that you normally wear as well. Are you a jeans and t-shirt person, skirt and blouse? Do you have separate wardrobe for work and home? Knock down some basic questions first, then sort by bottoms and tops.

• 2-3 pairs of jeans
• 2-3 pants, leggings, and trousers
• 2-3 shorts
• 1-2 skirts
• 5-7 T-shirts, tank tops, and bodysuits
• 3-4 tops & blouses
• 3-4 sweaters
• 1-2 dresses
• 2-3 jackets, coats, and blazers
• 3-5 pairs of shoes
• 2-3 belts
• 2-3 bags

Try to stick to your basic and favourite colours. I don't wear a lot of black, so I have blue and white jeans, navy trousers, basic t-shirts in white, black, navy and olive-khaki, etc. Keep your pallet limited, but throw in one colour that you really like, whether is it green, yellow, orange, rust, etc. If all your basics are neutral, then your one colour should match with any of the bottoms and shoes/bags.

good luck and get shopping! Keep us updated. For budgeting purposes, you can either try for one whole outfit per month, or concentrate on one category at a time.

Have your colours done. Then you know what to prune straight away.

At the moment my capsule wardrobe is everything that I actually wear. I have a lot of clothes that I've only worn once.
I've started putting the pieces I love on a separate rail and working out what I can wear with them. The capsule wardrobe is beginning to work itself out now.
When I buy anything new I'm thinking will this do well with all my favourite pieces and if not then it stays in the shop.
It's gradually coming together.

Thank you all for the advice! Am going to try this weekend and like the 333 idea as a start point, have been working through the numbers 4 jeans 5 tshirts 2 long sleeve T-shirts 2 dresses 5 blouses 1 jumpsuit 2 jackets 4 trousers 2 long dresses 4 jumpers 2 cardigans... will aim to do sport in leggings rather than eat crisps... 33 sounded like a lot at the start will see how I get on. Looking forward to the sleek organised me :-)