It’s February, Lunar New Year is here, and prior to that, if you were hardworking, you would have #KonMari-ed your closet.
If you have not, then we hope this post comes in helpful to provide an extra dose of motivation for wardrobe organization.
A capsule wardrobe is a set of clothing, typically made up of 30 - 40 items, which can be mixed and matched to create a wide variety of outfits.
People who live in countries with seasons typically create 4 seasonal capsules each year.
If you live in a country like Singapore where SOTP is based, where it is summer all year round, we suggest a slightly different approach.
Here’s how to create a capsule wardrobe the SOTP way.
Step 1: Clean up your Closet
The best way to do this is the way Marie Kondo does it. If you have not watched her Special on Netflix, I suggest watching it to get inspired.
Stack all your clothes on your bed and sort out them out into 3 piles.
This should not include workout clothes, special occasion clothes, accessories, swimsuits, pyjamas/loungewear and underwear.
However, once you are done with your main capsule wardrobe, apply the same process to the rest of the items mentioned above.
Pile 1: To Keep
Pick the pieces you love that ‘sparks joy’ for you.
These should be pieces that fit you well and you wear frequently.
Pile 2: To Go
This should include pieces that are in poor condition (you’re never going to mend that hole you said you will), do not fit you, or haven’t been worn in more than a year because they’ve gone out of style (do not keep it with the hopes that it’ll come back in fashion 10 years from now).
Donate the pieces that are still in good condition to charity or to a friend and throw the rest out.
Pile 3: Maybe
The sentimental pile.
Pieces you don’t wear much but can’t seem to let go.
Keep this aside in a storage box for now and get back to them later when you are ready to decide/let go.
Step 2: Categorise your “To Keep” pile
- Some of you may have to split your clothes into workwear and casual wear. Omit this step if you are not working or lucky enough not to have a corporate dress code at work.
- Categorise your pieces into tops, bottoms, dresses and outerwear. Categorise your shoes into flats/heels and casual/smart.
- Lastly, categorise your clothes and shoes into i) Neutral/base colours (black, white grey, beige, etc) ii) Accent colours (bright green, red, etc) iii) Prints (florals, polka-dots, etc).
Step 3: Organise
If the number of items you have is less than between 30 - 40, congrats! For those of you who have more, take another look at your “To Keep” pile and see what you can do to reduce the number of clothes. Here are some tips:
- If you have a few pieces of clothing that are very similar, for example - 3 different white short sleeve tees, ask yourself which one you love best. Keep that and move the rest into the “Maybe” box.
- Remove the pieces that you love but don’t wear much because they are incredibly hard to match or maintain. Remember, your capsule wardrobe should be easy to mix and match. You should not have to open your closet, pick up and item and spend more than 5 min wondering what you can match it with.
- Try on your pieces in front of the mirror. Take them out if you aren’t 100% happy and confident at how you look in them.
Can't seem to stick reduce the numbers and don't want to?
Don't beat yourself up.
A capsule wardrobe is meant to help you reduce stress and free your time up by reducing all the clutter and noise from your wardrobe.
There are no hard rules to the number of pieces, find what number works for you and just be mindful of what you buy and have.
Step 4: Invest in new essential items
If you feel like you are missing an essential item that will complete your capsule wardrobe, here’s the time to shop for them! Instead of heading out and purchasing fast fashion clothing, consider investing in pieces that are not mass produced, made to last longer and more environmentally sustainable.
And that is it, your capsule wardrobe is complete!
Keep to these items for the next 3 months and resist the urge to go out there and shop.
At the end of 3 months, re-evaluate your capsule wardrobe and decide which pieces you want to keep and plan and purchase new items to reinvigorate your wardrobe.
You can do this by keeping your neutral 'base' clothing and switching up accent pieces - the seasonal 'in' colour or different prints to your wardrobe.
Remember, less is more and keeping out the clutter will give you more energy to do the things that matter.
We would love to see you take up the capsule wardrobe challenge.
Tag us at #sotpcapsulechallenge. You can do it!
