Okay, so I’ve been seeing this “capsule wardrobe” thing all over Pinterest and Instagram, and as a petite woman (I’m 5’2″), I was intrigued. Finding clothes that fit well is always a struggle. I decided to give it a shot, and document how the whole journey go.
The Purge (This Was Brutal)
First, I hauled everything – and I mean everything – out of my closet and onto my bed. It was a mountain of clothes. Seriously, I didn’t even realize I owned so much stuff. Then came the hard part: trying everything on.
I followed the advice I found online, get 3 boxs and marked them as “keep,” “maybe,” and “donate/sell.”
- Keep: Things I loved, wore regularly, and that fit me perfectly right now. No “I’ll wear this when I lose 5 pounds” nonsense.
- Maybe: Items I wasn’t sure about. Maybe they needed tailoring, maybe I just hadn’t worn them in a while.
- Donate/Sell: Anything that didn’t fit, was damaged, or I just hadn’t worn in over a year. Be honest with yourself! I found that I didn’t wear my lovely pink overcoat for almost 3 years!
This process took, like, two whole days. It was exhausting, but also kind of liberating. I got rid of SO much stuff. My “maybe” box was also pretty full, but I put it in the storage room, I will check it maybe next month.
Building the Capsule (The Fun Part!)
After cleaning out my closet, I was left with a much smaller, more manageable pile of clothes. Now it was time to see if I could actually build a capsule wardrobe.
Since I am a petite, so I focused on:
- Neutral Colors: Lots of black, white, gray, navy, and beige. These are easy to mix and match.
- Classic Silhouettes: Things that won’t go out of style quickly. Think straight-leg pants, a well-fitting blazer, a classic trench coat.
- Proper Fit: Everything had to fit me perfectly. No baggy shoulders or too-long sleeves.
- Good Quality Fabric: It could be used and washed for a long time.
I picked out a few key pieces that I could mix and match:
- A pair of dark wash, straight-leg jeans that hit at my ankle.
- Black pants that were tailored to fit me perfectly.
- A couple of basic t-shirts in white and gray.
- A black blazer.
- A neutral-colored trench coat.
- A few sweaters in different colors and weights.
- A simple black dress.
- Some comfortable shoes: flats, sneakers, and a pair of ankle boots.
I realized I do need to buy some new basic white t-shirt, the old one is kind of yellow-ish.
The Results (So Far, So Good!)
It’s been about a month since I started this capsule wardrobe experiment. I have to say, it’s been pretty great! Getting dressed in the morning is SO much easier. I don’t have to stand in front of my closet for ages, feeling overwhelmed by choices.
I also feel like I’m actually wearing all of my clothes, instead of just the same few things over and over. And because everything fits well, I feel more put-together and confident.
It’s definitely a work in progress. I’m still figuring out what works best for me, and I might add or subtract a few pieces here and there. But overall, I’m really happy I tried this. It’s made my life (and my mornings) a lot simpler, and I feel better in my clothes. I will keep adjusting the items in my closet.
