Can someone explain the term 'capsule' wardrobe please?

[Pogger]

I was talking to my SIL this morning about going back to work soon. I said that I assumed that organisation was going to be the key to not having a nervous breakdown every morning. She said 'Absolutely. Although the most important thing is probably a capsule wardrobe'.

Have googled it and it seems to be a small number of clothes that all go together. Does anyone have one? How small is small? Please explain!

Couldn't ask her to elaborate. She's perfect & stylish (and scares me a little)

Like a top or two, a pair of trousers and/or skirt, a matching cardi .. every one of them looks good on its own and matches each other when put together.

Something like one of each but not really, as sometimes, you don't even need one of each. Does that make sense? And also, to suit most casual and smart-casual/formal occasions.

Greenday has it right. I used to work in a (horrible, pushy) shop which was obsessed with capsule wardrobe-ing. Really, just to sell more stuff to a customer who just came in for trousers. But everything goes, and is good quality, nothing terribly loud or wildly patterned, so that it all can be worn a lot without it actually looking like you are wearing the same stuff- even though you are! Crafty!

IMO, it's a concept that works on paper not never that well in reality. Hence a waste of money...

Agree with greenday.

Just lay your clothes out the night before and minimise morning stress that way.

I always think a capsule wardrobe would get very dull and boring very quickly - its nice to have a few different looks.

Capsule wardrobes are ok if you have a vast array of interesting and stylish accessories - which invariably means more shopping - not that I ever need an excuse!

on that Gok show last year, he seemed to be able to create a capsule wardrobe which consisted of about 26 items including accessories.

Personally, I'd rather eat my own head. What's life without loads and loads of clothes, eh??

I reckon one "key piece" (chanelling Fashion Week here) is a pair of trousers that looks good with either a cardi or jacket and either a smart -t-shirt/ tank or a crisp shirt/ blousey thing.

its bollocks ins tit
its like when fashion eds come out wiht all that crap "i take a blanket, a sarong and a sencted candle to Bali for three weeks and dont need anything else!"

its just editorial
not rl

It's probably worth investing in a few key "worky" pieces though.

Then save the interesting purchases for wearing in your own time. I suppose it depends how formal an atmosphere you will be working in.

LOL at MrB

my new look £20 suede heels have been v goood

4 years?

I take a pork pie, a set of adjustable spanners, and the latest Martin Amis book. For a week in Tuscany. Sorted.

lol
new thread

Go on then, start one.... I'll join you in a minute.

Apologies Pogger for the hijack. I'll take my childish humour over the page.

i di but its no good.
my capsule wardrobe MUST include an apron as i am terribel at geting food/grease on things.

Capsule wardrobe = same old boriong classics in black or navy blue so you always look like you're wearing different versions of the same thing.

What's the point in that? How bloody dull. You may as well have a uniform.

Just buy a load of reasonably priced clothes and throw 'em away when you don't like them any more.

That said I do have 3 really nice suits which I have had for years. So would rephrase that and say but 1 or 2 really good items and then supplement the rest of it with basisc from Tesco, New Look, House of Frase and other work places.

I spend most of my money on clothes for outside work tbh.

Ideal capsule wardrobe (for office job type):

1 or 2 pairs smart black trousers
1 or 2 smart trousers in any other colour
1 or 2 smart skirts, probably 1 black/navy

1 good winter coat
1 good summer jacket / suit jacket

a selection of t-shirts, tops, knits, shirts, blouses etc that go with at least 2 of the trouser/skirt options

(n.b. how many tops etc you choose will determine if you have 6 outfits or 600 - I'd say more than 10 and it's not a capsule wardrobe!)

1 or 2 cover up/cardigan type things for cooler days.

I think the whole point of having a capsule wardrobe is that you can put on your trousers/skirt and know that whatever top you pull out will match. So you're not stood around in the morning in your knickers screaming that you've got nothing to wear!

For those who say accessories are the key, I think that depends on you personally, I don't wear a lot of costume jewellery, I wear the same things every day. I do have 6 or 7 handbags which I change according to mood or outfit, but other than that I stick to the same 'style' and the same looks but on a rotated basis, so I'm not wearing the same trousers or colours from one day to the next.

Most women I know have their own version of a work 'uniform' - whether it takes them a week, 2 weeks or even a month to rotate through it!

How VERY slack of me not to thank everyone for their thoughts on this!

Would love to say that, actually, I've been trapped in my enormous wardrobe all this time, wrestling my many, many uncoordinated & random clothes into some kind of order, but really I managed to lose the thread somehow & only just found it again.

Will be buying myself one lovely pair of boots, an equally lovely pair of shoes, and will also purchase some cheap separates that vaguely go with work-type things I already own.

Simples.

Thanks for the advice & for making me laugh

hey Pogger my biggest tip for work wardobe is DRESSES. negates all that what goes with what nonsense in the morning, bung on dress, opaques and jewellery and off you go (hi ho hi ho etc)