How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

I headed out on my shopping extravangza to put together a new fall capsule wardrobe that could take me from farmer to fabulous!

This is the process that I followed a little bit about how I put this wardrobe together even though I am far from a fashion maven, this is a great path to follow when you’re refreshing your wardrobe for any season.

What Are You Drawn To

Although you may not be the most fashionable like me, there are undoubtably colours and styles that you are drawn to.

• Do you like rounded necks or V necks on your shirts?
• Do you like pants that pull on or ones that have buttons and flies?
• Are you favouring leggings and long sweaters?
• How often do you wear skirts or dresses?
• Are you on trend or more classic?

Ask yourself these questions as you put together your new wardrobe. After all, you want to wear it and feel confident in it.

I’m drawn to the colour turquoise and the colour red. I don’t like pull on pants, prefer structured pants. I like clothing that I can dress up or down, and I have been digging scarves and long necklaces lately.

Although I wear long sleeves, I tend to push them up to my elbows, so a 3/4 length might make more sense and look more polished. On top of it all, I want to be comfortable. I don’t do 4’ heels. I’m good with boots, running shoes, kitten heels or flats.

Closet Assessment

Taking out all clothes and laying them on your bed. Take out anything that isn’t serving you anymore. What do you have? I bet you have an item you have forgotten about that you’d like to wear more. Here’s your chance!

If it doesn’t fit, you don’t like it, or it looks worn you should add it to the donate pile. If it need repair, put it into fix pile. You can get help with this from a local seamstress or sewer if these clothes are worth keeping.

I relegated a few of my coloured t-shirts that were getting to worn into my farmer pile for use for on-farm activities. I took out a few pairs of pants that were looking the same way. I also took the time to put the shorts away until next summer. We use 2 under the bed storage boxes (68L) that we use to store out of season clothes.

Write the List

I’m looking for 5-7 solid outfits that I can wear to work, and 2-3 more casual outfits that I can wear when it’s weekend or for an evening outing. 

Here’s what I need to make that a reality:

• 3-4 pairs of dress pants
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 dress or sweater dress
• 3 cardigans
• 3-4 scarves
• long sleeved shirts
• t-shirts
• 1 pair of boots
• 1 pair of flats
• 1 pair of leggings

Go Shopping

Hit up your favourite stores, find new stores, or go thrifting and grab the items that speak to you. Take your trusty list so you don’t overspending or overcommit. We’re building a capsule, not a space shuttle after all.

The Right Pieces

After you get your purchases home, mix and match them. If you find one doesn’t work with the overall vision, return, exchange or donate.

For inspiration, you can check out our Mom Style Pinterest board for ideas on what to mix & match. I found keeping the base pieces (eg. sweaters, pants) in more neutral colours and adding the pop of colour or texture in my shirt, scarves and necklaces made it simple.