Do you like changing your wardrobe by season? I love it. It's a process that I really enjoy, but I can't really explain why. I think that, in part, it's because, over the years, it has become a simple task. It's not at all tedious because I don't have a lot of clothes, so the review and change doesn't take me long and I'm very satisfied seeing everything in its place.
I have very few clothes because I have a minimalist or capsule wardrobe . Well, they are not exactly the same, but to avoid getting into technicalities, I will call it both ways.
WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE
I mean creating a wardrobe with a more or less reduced number of garments that go together , so that it is easy to make the decision of what to wear each day.
In a minimalist wardrobe, all the clothes are used . There are no clothes that are just left over. Very conscious decisions are made about buying and removing them . To do this, it is very necessary to understand well what you want your wardrobe to be like, to analyse your style, your routines… It is a whole process. Maybe it seems easy to you or a challenge. At the time, for me it was the latter. So I am going to share what I learned in case it helps you.
CAPSULE WARDROBE STEP BY STEP
I'm going to suggest some steps to follow to create your minimalist wardrobe based on what I've learned from other people who have shared their process or from professional organizers, such as Lucía Terol from Sencillez Plena , Alicia Iglesias from Orden y Limpieza en Casa , Adri Coines from Minimalistamente orElena HG . And the truth is that my process was a little different because I came across its content when I had already built a good part of my capsule wardrobe.
Step 1: Analyze your style
At this point we will focus on two aspects:
- Lifestyle : Our daily routine determines the way we dress . Working from home is not the same as going to the office every day or having a uniform at work. You have to take into account whether you do sports, what sport, how many times a week… Is there much difference in how you dress from Monday to Friday and on weekends?
At this point, I invite you to focus on the present moment . What is your life like right now? This will help you understand what you need right now. It is easier to make decisions from there than if we start thinking about how I would like to start doing this or that. When that moment comes, we will make the necessary decisions and we will be flexible. But if we start from there, we will not be able to get rid of the “just in case” things.
I'll give you some examples. When I became a mother, my wardrobe changed. Beyond breastfeeding, I needed my clothes to be comfortable and manageable and not interfere with the baby carriers I used for years. When my son was 3 years old, I started working and I had to get hold of some clothes for my workday. A few months ago I adopted a dog and now I take a lot of walks in the countryside. All this has made my needs change and they are reflected in the clothes I wear. A minimalist wardrobe is a living wardrobe , it is not a prison. But decisions are made carefully, avoiding impulsiveness .
- Clothing style : Look at the clothes you wear and the ones you don't wear. What color is it? What shape is it? What fabrics predominate? Would you say it is casual, elegant, classic, extravagant...? What are your favorite clothes? Why? What happens to the clothes you don't wear? Some people, in this step, encourage you to try on all the clothes. I, at least, would tell you to wear the ones you have doubts about.
I'm going to leave you here the characteristics that I identified that my clothes have in case they can be of help to you when doing the analysis.
Step 2: Describe your ideal wardrobe
All the questions in the previous section provide you with a lot of information and help you identify what things absolutely have to be in your wardrobe . So, at this point, I suggest you take a pencil and paper and write down what items of clothing have to be in the wardrobe you want to have. Provide as much detail as you want, both in terms of the number of items and their colours, shapes, styles... And keep in mind that the items of clothing must be combinable .
Step 3: Discard and modify clothing
Based on the list above, discard what doesn't fit. Does that mean we're going to throw away everything that's left over? No, not at all. It wouldn't be a sustainable gesture at all. First of all, what's not on our list but we could use, we're just going to set it aside . But isn't that just in case? No. There's a difference. Let me explain with an example. According to my list, I need, for example, 3 pairs of jeans, but it turns out that in my current wardrobe I have 4 in perfect condition and I like them all. I set one aside and I'll keep it together with other clothes that I wear the same way. When one of the 3 pairs of jeans breaks, I'll have something to replace it with without having to go shopping. I've done the same with underwear. I had a lot of it, I set some aside and I'll recover it when something breaks. It's a way to save money and resources for the planet.
And it's not the same as keeping a pair of trousers that you're not completely convinced by or that don't fit you right now. In these cases, the best thing to do is to try to get someone else to give them a second life, either by giving them away, donating them or selling them second-hand.
You might also find that there are clothes you're not wearing because they need fixing or there's something wrong with them that can be fixed . For example, you have a T-shirt that you really like with a print, but you don't really like how it fits. Can you modify it to make it fit? Here are two examples of this video and this other one.
Only in the case of damaged clothing do we recommend that you throw it into recycling containers.
Step 4: Detect needs and acquire them consciously
Once you've discarded the clothes you're not going to wear, you'll have a closet with fewer items and you may well need to buy some things, but you'll do so in a conscious way, knowing exactly what you need . It won't be about going shopping to see what you can find, but rather looking for specific items of clothing.
In fact, what if you created a clothing exchange network in your environment? There would be no need to go shopping on many occasions. What if your friend has that blouse in the back of her closet that she never wears but that suits you perfectly?
If you can't find what you need this way, try buying second-hand . This way we avoid consuming more of the planet's finite resources. If you can't find what you need this way either (it happens to me), choose to buy from sustainable fashion stores . The clothes are more expensive, yes. There's no other way. The materials and production chains have nothing to do with fast fashion companies . But, since you're building your capsule wardrobe, you'll find that you need less clothes and that, perhaps, you can afford to spend a little more money .
Step 5: Repeat the steps every season
When it's time to change your wardrobe, do this review, discard and identify if you need anything new. Repair what needs to be fixed and evaluate if there is anything in your lifestyle that has changed.
Another example: I have noticed that next summer I will need to replace my tank tops because some of them are already very worn out. I have many months to search and find what I want, without acting on impulse. In addition, I have a high probability of finding the clothes cheaper, if I buy them, because they are out of season.
A MINIMALIST WARDROBE IS A SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE
If we recap everything we have said so far, it seems clear that it is easier to achieve an eco-friendly wardrobe if it is minimalist. We have few items of clothing and they are all used , so we will be optimizing the planet's finite resources. If, in addition, we accompany it with good care for clothing, repairs and transformations , we will continue to climb stages on the path to sustainability.
And, of course, when it comes to shopping , the ideal is to do it in the most conscious way possible , with time, without impulses, prioritizing second-hand clothing and sustainable brands whenever possible.
Do you dare to create your own capsule wardrobe? We'd love to hear about your process.
