Capsule Wardrobe

You’ve been looking at your wardrobe selection all wrong, but I can change that. This is a capsule wardrobe how to for effortless elegance.

Do you want to have an effortless elegance?

Great! Then let’s dive in!

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a set of pieces that are carefully selected to create the optimal versatility with the minimal number of clothing and accessory items.

Many capsule wardrobe plans set out a certain number of each type of item that you should have.

While many capsule wardrobes are very minimalist in nature, they can really vary in size depending on your lifestyle needs and personal preferences.

Here’s where my special Effortless Style Services Wardrobe System comes in.

I know that each and every person has different needs out of their wardrobe and one size does not fit all. That’s why I created the Lifestyle Inventory Quiz. It’s part of the Ultimate Closet Cleanout Toolkit, which you can get below. The Lifestyle Inventory Quiz takes into account how formal or casual you dress, how often you do laundry and at what interval you will wear the same outfit again among many other factors.

Go ahead and take the Lifestyle Inventory Quiz. I’ll be waiting here once you get back.

Alright, now once you’ve taken the quiz, jot down your lifestyle mix in the Ultimate Closet Cleanout Toolkit that goes along with the quiz.

How to Start Your Capsule Wardrobe with the “Effortless Eleven Essentials”

The “Effortless Eleven” as I like to call them are the first 11 pieces of your wardrobe. They are the foundational, core pieces. They are the building blocks of the entire wardrobe, no matter how big or small your entire wardrobe ends up being.

Take a look at your Lifestyle Inventory Quiz results. Which category has the highest percentage? Is it business casual? Business professional? Or just outright casual? Your top 11 foundational pieces will need to work with that category.

Not only should your “Effortless Eleven Essentials” fit in your most worn category, but it should also align with your Iconic Style. (If you want to take the Iconic Style Quiz, I’ll wait right here for you to get back).

Now that you know your lifestyle mix and your iconic style, we’re ready to get into the good stuff.

11 essentials you need to start your capsule wardrobe

What are the Effortless Eleven?

Remember, that these essentials will look differently for each person. Iconic Style specific Effortless Eleven Style Guides are coming out soon.

The Effortless Eleven should be mostly in your dark neutral or light neutral color with the exception of denim. Medium neutrals will work as well. For Winters, this is stark black and bright white, for Autumns this could be charcoal, Navy or Brown and off-white or cream. For Springs, this would be a medium to dark warm grey, brown or navy also with off-white or cream. And lastly, Summers neutrals are cool greys and browns, navy paired with a soft white.

Your Effortless Eleven should be timeless classics. No room for trendy pieces here.

If you only wore these 11 pieces, you could mix and match to come up with at least 72 different outfit combinations. That’s more than 2 months’ worth of ensembles.

Your Effortless Eleven will consist of the following:

  • A coat or light jacket depending on your climate
  • Dressy (for you) shoes
  • Less dressy shoes
  • Pants (could be jeans)
  • Another pair of pants or a skirt
  • Tank or Camisole
  • Button-up top or blouse
  • Another top
  • A layering piece such as a blazer or a cardigan
  • A second layering piece
  • A versatile handbag/purse
Effortless 11 Wardrobe Essentials

Tips for Success in Curating your Effortless Eleven

11 essentials you need to start your capsule wardrobe

Common Questions/FAQ About Capsule Wardrobes

How many clothes should be in a capsule wardrobe?

It depends on many factors including your climate, and other lifestyle factors like the dress code at your job and simply your preference for how much variety you want in your life. To find out what size wardrobe is right for you, take the Lifestyle Inventory Quiz.

How much should I spend on a new wardrobe?

I would suggest investing around 5% of your take-home pay on your wardrobe each month. Remember to shop your closet first, then of the items you still need, use your budget to buy one or two items a month to fill in the gaps or replace items that have worn out or no longer fit.

After I have my Effortless Eleven, what other pieces should I use to complete my capsule?

More on this later. . . but for starters use the pieces that you already own. To round out the Effortless Eleven Essentials, add in a few statement pieces in some non-neutral colors from your color palette. Depending on how big you want your wardrobe to be, you could also add another set of 11 in a different neutral color. Or, you could do one Effortless Eleven for Winter/Fall and another for Spring/Summer. This would be especially helpful if you have drastic seasons. The key is that as you add pieces, they all can mix and match effortlessly creating endless options for you.

The Last Thing You Need to Know about Choosing the Effortless Eleven for your Capsule Wardrobe

To summarize, here are a few key things to remember. Your Effortless Eleven should be in neutral colors that are flattering on you. They should be somewhat basic in design to stretch their versatility and most importantly should fit your lifestyle.

Start building your Effortless Eleven Essentials in your capsule wardrobe today. Download the Effortless Eleven Essentials Checklist below to get started.

And finally, share your Effortless Eleven Essentials outfits on the Effortless Style Services Facebook Page! I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!

11 essentials you need to start your capsule wardrobe

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