Here are my 5 tips for building the perfect capsule wardrobe:

1. Start with the basics: Every capsule wardrobe should have a few key pieces that form the basis or foundation of your outfits. A little black dress, a pair of jeans, and a blazer – these are all great items to start with as each might be styled differently. Choose versatile pieces which are easy to mix and match and that can be dressed up or down. Good quality items will also last for years to come, so consider these as an investment when working with a budget.

2. Consider your lifestyle: When building your capsule wardrobe, think about your daily activities, the places you visit regularly and any type of events you would usually attend. Choosing to build a capsule around a specific activity or event such as ‘work’ will give you a specific focus to the clothes you will select for this collection. Consideration for your environment should also play a role. For example, if you work in a casual office, you would choose a different style and corresponding items, than if you work in a corporate business setting. Ensure your wardrobe has pieces that are appropriate the activity and area of your life you are dressing for.

3. Neutral colours: A capsule wardrobe is all about mixing and matching and choosing items which are adaptable. Neutral colours will help you to maximise the number of ways you can wear a particular item and to match with a variety of other pieces. Black, white and beige and great base colours for a capsule closet, as they work well together and go with any other colour in your wardrobe.

4. Pops of colour: Incorporating bolder and brighter colours gives you an ability to add creativity and interest to the outfits in your capsule. When choosing louder colours for your capsule, consider choosing just a select few and ones which can also work well together. Shoes, handbags and accessories are a great way to incorporate these colours to ensure your capsule collection remains entirely flexible.

5. Edit regularly: A capsule wardrobe is meant to be small, focused, hard-working and well-serving. It’s wise to review and edit your collection to make sure it's still versatile and is working well for you. Ideally you should know this, as you’ll be rotating items regularly and getting your wear out of every piece. If you feel this isn’t the case, ensure you try on your clothes on a regular basis to understand what you haven't worn in a while and why. If the reason isn’t salvageable (and be honest with yourself on that!) then donate or sell items that no longer serve you. You can then build a list of the key pieces you need to reinvest in and have some fun shopping to create your new and improved looks!

Building the perfect capsule wardrobe takes time and thought, but it's worth the effort. There are many reasons to building out one or more capsule wardrobes, see my blog post ‘3 reasons why you’ll find capsule wardrobes are a game changer’.

If you need more help in understanding capsule wardrobes, please visit the ‘contact me’ page.