Winter is here, and I need a whole new wardrobe!!

Fear not – I’ve been shopping in the garage and not the mall. I’ve laid all my winter and autumn clothes out, and I’m ready to chose 30 items for my winter capsule wardrobe.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

About three months ago, off the back of the six items challenge (six clothes for six weeks), I opted to put only 30 items back in my wardrobe for the duration of Autumn. This is called a capsule wardrobe, and it generally includes 30 main items, with unlimited use of accessories, underwear, active wear and shoes. Click on this link to view my video about that decision.

Why a capsule wardrobe? To make my morning routine easier, to continue on my path of living more minimally out of respect for the environment, to declutter, and to just be mindful of my consumption.

Here are a few tips to curate your capsule wardrobe
(winter-themed, of course):

1. Be practical. Make sure you have enough warmth for the following three months. And remember, it is only three months so if you have trouble letting go of something, it’ll be back in your grubby paws before you know it.
2. But not too practical!!! Got any favourite pieces from your autumn wardrobe? If they are warm enough for winter, keep them. You can always add an extra layer. Hold on to the things you love!
3. Put together outfits (like I have below) so you can see what works. That way you can see the mix and match possibilities, and you already know what you have when you’re late in the morning.

Check out what my winter looks like.

1. Colour coordinate. This is pretty easy because in winter everything tends to be dark so you can easily mix and match. At the same time, don’t be afraid to add a touch of colour to that.
2. Be versatile. Think about how to dress items up and down. I find you can almost lift any outfit for a night our with high heels, lipstick, a great jacket and attitude!

My Choices

Two jackets. 1 pair of kick-flare cropped jeans (love these from Nobody Denim). Three skinny casual pants (black, floral and blue). One black dress (this one is all seasons) and a denim pinafore. Also, a black stretch pencil skirt, leggings and a neat pair of dark blue trousers. Two cardigans, two knit jerseys plus two cotton long-sleeved tops. Add a peach shirt and a denim shirt plus a mustard dress shirt. There’s a black and white tunic plus one cotton black v-neck (also an all season one) for a total 21.

I’m leaving room for one more jersey (a black turtle-neck knit above the knee if I can find one), and well… I don’t need any more. I could allocate the space to 5 pairs of shoes, two scarves, and a hat to get to 30. There’s people out there who do exactly that – include everything in the 30.

I don’t have a special occasion outfit per se, but there’s plenty here that I can dress up.

By the way, a capsule wardrobe doesn’t come with hard and fast rules, so you can change items if you want to. It’s up to you really. It’s about being mindful about our clothes, valuing them and caring for them (and thereby taking note of who made them and how). If we just add or change at a whim, we are no longer being actively mindful, and then the reason is lost.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.