Are you wanting to create your very own capsule wardrobe? It’s easy to get started, but you sometimes can find that you aren’t getting what you want from it.
The problem could be that you’re making some common mistakes. When you know what to avoid doing, you’ll get the wardrobe that suits you best, so let’s take a look at the six most common mistakes that many make as they create their capsule wardrobes.
1. Sticking Too Rigidly to the Rules
This sounds like a strange mistake to make. If you’re looking to create a capsule wardrobe, aren’t you going to have to stick to the rules?
“It’s so easy to find a set of rules and try and follow them to the letter,” said Carol Peters, a design writer at Boom Essays and State Of Writing. “The fact is though, that everyone is different. The rules may work for others, but not for you.”
Find a set of rules that give you a good starting point, but allow yourself to be flexible. For example, if the rules call for 37 items but you’re at 40 and can’t part with anything, that’s okay. You can still have your own capsule wardrobe even if you’re not following .
2. Trying Someone Else’s Plan
This is a similar mistake to the previous one that is so easy to make. You browse around online and find a plan that looks amazing and you decide to copy it to get the same experience. But, by doing so, you quickly become frustrated with the lack of results.
When you copy someone else’s wardrobe, you’re not taking your own life and wardrobe into account. For example, if you’re trying to stick to only two dresses — even though you love to wear dresses — you’re going to have a bad time.
You can use that other person’s plan as an initial base, but you’ll want to adapt it to your own fashion and style needs.
3. Using Poor Quality Pieces
In a world of fast fashion, it’s very easy to purchase low-quality pieces. However, a capsule wardrobe doesn’t allow for this, so you’ll need to fill your wardrobe with higher quality pieces. A cheaper version of an item will show its age faster and wear out, which is not what you want. Each piece in your capsule wardrobe will need to pull its weight, so ensure that you’re buying items that will last for a longer time.
4. You Can’t Pick A Style
You’ve started putting your capsule wardrobe together, but now you can’t decide what to put in it. The problem is that if you are not sure what your style is, then you can’t pick the outfits that should go into your capsule wardrobe. It’s what stops a lot of people in their tracks.
The key here is to think about what you removed from your wardrobe in the first place. What wasn’t working in there, and why did you toss it? Looking at what you have removed, therefore, is a clue as to what would work in your wardrobe and what you’d like to wear on a day-to-day basis.
5. Your Wardrobe Doesn’t Fit With Your Lifestyle
This mistake is related to the first error of sticking to too many rules. You’ve put together a capsule wardrobe, but now you’re finding that you don’t have the clothes you need for your lifestyle. It makes things more difficult for you, and getting dressed can actually be more stressful.
Stress is the opposite of what a capsule wardrobe should be making you feel, so how do you fix this mistake?
“The key to creating a good capsule wardrobe is thinking about what you need in it,” said fashion blogger Andrea Howell, who has written for Paper Fellows and UK Top Writers. “You want to pare the wardrobe down to the pieces you’ll wear daily.”
As you populate your closet with your capsule wardrobe, consider what kind of clothes would work best for you and your lifestyle.
6. Too Focused On Trends
It’s so easy to go all-in on the latest trends and use them in your wardrobe, but that’s not something that will work well in a capsule wardrobe. In this case, the clothes need to stand the test of time and typically trends won’t be able to do that. As such, you’ll feel that your capsule isn’t working when that trend goes out of style.
There’s nothing wrong with including a couple of trend-led pieces, but if you want to make your capsule wardrobe work, you’ll need to go with mostly classic pieces that will continue to work for you from season to season. This way, you’ll also save money on replacing the trend pieces when the next season comes around.
These are some of the most common mistakes that so many people make when it comes to their capsule wardrobes. If you are aware of these pitfalls, then you’ll be able to avoid them when creating your own wardrobe, and instead make something that works for you season after season, every year.
Sara Sparrow is a fashion writer with UK Writings and Academized, where she covers fashion tips and advice on creating the perfect wardrobe. She’s also a regular contributor to OX Essays.
