City living can be hectic. It’s likely you’ll have a long commute, a busy job, and after-work activities that take up a lot of your time and energy. So, you’ll want to make life easier for yourself any way you can. This is why so many professional women swear by having a capsule wardrobe: it can make your mornings go much more smoothly by limiting how much work you have to put into choosing what you’re going to wear every day.
Creating a capsule wardrobe will also help you to step away from fast fashion, which will benefit your bank account and the environment. But, if you’re used to having a closet that’s bursting at the seams, reducing everything down can be daunting. To help you out, we’re going to give you our top tips for creating a city-appropriate capsule wardrobe.
Start by getting rid of anything you never wear
We’re all guilty of keeping some pieces of clothing far longer than we should. Whether you have a formal dress that you’ve kept for a few years “just in case”, or you have a sentimental attachment to some pieces you know you’re never going to wear again, you should have a ruthless clear-out before you start to build your capsule wardrobe back up.
Anything that you wear on a regular basis can stay — we’re not expecting you to start completely from scratch. But, the idea is for you to be left with a wardrobe that’s made up exclusively of pieces that you love and wear. So, keep this in mind when you’re going through your existing clothes and buying new ones.
Decide how many garments you need and stick to it
One of the easiest ways to ensure you abide by your capsule wardrobe pledge is by giving yourself a number of garments that you can stick to. It’s quite common for people to have 35–40 pieces in their capsule wardrobe, but everyone’s different. And, as long as you’re not too lenient, you can choose the right number for you.
Once you’ve reached the limit you’ve set for yourself, implement a one-in-one-out system. This will ensure you think very carefully about any purchase you make, because adding something to your wardrobe will mean you have to get rid of something else. It’ll help to keep you in line and prevent things from spiralling out of control when you’re feeling a little bit spendy.
Invest in quality
When you start to buy fewer pieces of clothing, you’ll be able to spend more on the individual garments you do buy. So, instead of spending £150 on 10 different jumpers, you can spend that on one or two that are of a higher quality. Generally speaking, this should mean that they last much longer. Plus, you’ll put more thought into what you buy, which should mean you end up with timeless pieces that you can happily wear for years to come.
While you can find some fantastic pieces on the high street, it’s also worth looking at higher end retailers that you mightn’t have checked out in the past. Garment Quarter stocks a wide range of women’s designer clothing from top brands including COMME des GARÇONS, Diane von Furstenberg, Moschino, and Versace. And, their prices are often better than those you’ll find elsewhere so, even though you might be looking to invest in quality, you won’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to create the capsule wardrobe you want.
Take good care of your clothes
When you have a capsule wardrobe, each piece of clothing you have is sure to get a lot of wear. And, if you’re investing in quality pieces, you’ll often find that they’re made from luxury materials that require special treatment. So, it’s important that you take proper care of the garments you have.
One way that you can ensure nothing gets needlessly damaged is by buying some good quality, cushioned hangers, like these ones from The Range. They’ll help all of your garments to keep their shape and they’ll look great in your wardrobe, too.
Creating a capsule wardrobe will help to take some of the stress out of your daily life, because you’ll no longer need to make big decisions about what to wear every day. Plus, it’ll be good for your bank balance, as well as the environment. So, get started by having a big clear-out today.
