This capsule wardrobe formula will help eliminate the stress around what to keep in your wardrobe. Decision fatigue can get in the way of letting go of clothes, but this capsule wardrobe formula will help you decide what stays in your closet.
A capsule wardrobe formula is a simple way to decide how many clothing items, shoes, and accessories to include in your wardrobe each season. Instead of counting random pieces, the formula creates a structure, like tops, bottoms, shoes, and accessories, so getting dressed is easier and your closet becomes and stays clutter-free.
I’m sharing the capsule wardrobe formula that works best for me, along with my Uniform Equation (this is how I keep my wardrobe really simple). Make adjustments to my recommendations because you may need different items for your lifestyle and style preferences.
No pun intended here, but there is no one size fits all when it comes to the items you keep in your wardrobe. There’s no such thing as a perfect capsule wardrobe. I only recommend that you wear what you want, what feels good on your body, and that you stop wearing these 3 things. Declutter your wardrobe so you can experience the benefits of dressing with less. If you’re not sure where to start, try this simple closet decluttering process.
The benefits of a capsule wardrobe (and dressing with less) include:
- saving money and having less interest in shopping.
- more time for yourself.
- less decision fatigue.
- enjoying your mornings more.
- you get to wear your favorite things every day.
- the opportunity to get creative with limitations.
- being curious about how less may improve other areas of life.
- realizing that no one cares what you wear (or do).
- being on time more often.
- less stress and more ease.
If you’d like extra help decluttering your closet, join me for two Closet Declutter Hours coming up soon. Learn more about them here.
The Capsule Wardrobe Formula by season
Each season, my formula changes a little bit, so for demonstration, I’ll share my winter and spring Formulas. Because I still follow the Project 333 Challenge rules, I base my formula on 33 items for every 3 months. If your number is 30 or 40, that’s no problem. The magic is not in the number but in the capsule wardrobe formula. It’s the formula that gives you clarity and ease when making decisions about what clothes stay and what clothes go.
Winter Capsule Wardrobe Formula
- Clothing: 19 (outerwear: 2, pants/skirts: 4, sweaters, shirts, and blazers: 13)
- Accessories: 8 (hat, gloves, tote, purse, belt bag, belt, scarf, sunglasses)
- Jewelry: 2
- Shoes: 4
Spring Capsule Wardrobe Formula
- Clothing: 20 (Outerwear: 2, Bottoms: 4, Tops: 12, Dresses: 2)
- Accessories: 6 (tote, purse, belt bag, belt, scarf, sunglasses)
- Jewelry: 3
- Shoes: 4
When you plan your seasonal capsule wardrobe, create your own capsule wardrobe formula or use mine to help you outline what you’d like to include. Your capsule wardrobe list will prevent you from overthinking your decisions and help you follow your capsule wardrobe formula each season. I make a list for each season like these:
- Winter Capsule Wardrobe List
- Spring Capsule Wardrobe List
- Summer Capsule Wardrobe List
- Fall Capsule Wardrobe List
The capsule wardrobe uniform equation
You can make literally thousands of different outfit combinations with a 33-item capsule wardrobe (see chapter 23 in the Project 333 book) but I simplified my wardrobe so I’d have fewer choices and fewer decisions to make. That’s why I wear a uniform.
My capsule wardrobe uniform equation is what I think about each season when I’m determining my go-to outfits.
Creating a uniform to wear has eased so much stress in my life. No more, “what should I wear?” “Do I look good in this?” “Does this fit?” Decision fatigue is gone, and everything I wear fits my body and my lifestyle.
My latest uniform equation looks like this: black tank or t-shirt + black cardigan + pair of jeans or leggings + boots or sneakers = daily outfit. Sometimes I rotate the black cardigan for a beige crew-neck sweater. I’m wearing this 90% of the time to meetings and gatherings. Otherwise, I’m in workout clothes!
As things warm up for spring, I’ll shift my uniform equation to a black tank or t-shirt + black or beige sweater + beige wide-legged linen pants. Once in a while, I’ll wear something different but mostly, I’m sticking to the uniform. You might notice that I wear mostly neutral colors. That doesn’t mean that a colorful capsule wardrobe isn’t possible. Choose what you like best!
It’s such a pleasure to know what I like wearing and giving to give myself permission to wear it whenever I want instead of forcing myself to wear things I don’t like in the name of variety or feeling guilty for outfit-repeating.
I encourage you to use this capsule wardrobe formula to make your seasonal list. Then join me for the Closet Declutter Hour and I’ll help you remove the things that never make the list.
