Capsule Wardrobes Are Still the Answer
When everyone is hating on the minimalist wardrobe, here's why I think it's still relevant.
Is anyone actually still following those generic capsule wardrobe guides? You know the ones: "How To Build A Minimalist Closet" or "10 Essentials Everyone Needs." Because they keep being referenced as the reason why capsule wardrobes don't work, and it's maddening.
Even I’ve got my gripes with them, and I’ve had a capsule wardrobe for over a decade! But these guides have warped what people think capsule wardrobes are.
My whole thing is about creating a small wardrobe with a big personality. So it's frustrating when people critique capsule wardrobes based on the same two assumptions:
You need to "throw away" almost everything you own to create one.
Less clothing equals fewer options, which means boring outfits and no personality.
The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to figure out what you love to wear and why you love wearing it. It can be fun, playful, and as bold as you like, while still being practical and functional. It’s not about owning an arbitrary number of items, and it definitely shouldn’t be full of boring beige basics and outfits that all look the same (unless you want it to..)!
Sure, if you follow those guides that tell you exactly what to own and how to wear it, you're going to end up with a generic style and unimaginative outfits. But if you actually have personal style, you can make a capsule work whether you have 10 items of clothing or 100.
The idea that fewer clothes mean less style also assumes that more clothes equal more style. But it doesn't. Having a wardrobe overstuffed with options doesn’t automatically make it stylish; it just gives you more stuff to wear and more colours to choose from.
Fashion icons like Iris Apfel or Grace Jones might have colourful, eclectic wardrobes—but their style isn’t about quantity (even if they do own a lot!) It’s about how they put it all together. They’d look just as iconic with a smaller wardrobe because style isn’t about how much you have; it’s about how you wear it.
Someone with a small, intentionally curated capsule wardrobe can have a much more distinctive style than someone who’s bought out an entire thrift store. Simply because they’ve been much more intentional about the clothes they buy.
So, ignore the critics who say capsules are boring, and ignore the generic advice that makes everyone look the same. A capsule wardrobe can give you the framework you need to make better purchases, discover outfits that excite you, and have fun with fashion to create a collection of clothes you'll wear for years.
In the truest sense, having style isn’t about the size of your wardrobe—it’s about having style to begin with.
Reading this is HEALING!! I do this work for myself as well - but loveee “in defense of less” because it doesn’t require starting over AND it doesn’t require boring!!!
Good article. I too am also a capsule devotee, but describe my approach as "capsule plus." My basic capsule for fall-winter or spring-summer is 30 items...15 tops, 9 pants/jeans, and 6 top layers. These are in my chosen base colors of black, white, ivory, camel or stone, and gray (fall-winter) or navy (spring-summer). Then I add about 20 items for (seasonal) fun with the only requirement being that each addition can be used in at least 2-3 combinations. I also have an all-year LBDs and suits(3) capsule of 10 items for when I need it. These 60 items take roughly 60" of hanging space. I have app 108" of hanging space, so nothing is crowded. A big part of my wardrobe variety is in accessories, but I do also use blues/aqua/teal and blush/rose in the 15 basic tops. Just to put my first 30 items in perspective: this makes 810 distinct outfits ... I'm not bored! If there is a quantity issue, it is that I still have too many choices when I get dressed. Heh.