While the wardrobes of women getting dressed for work tend to need more than just a capsule, thinking about getting dressed within the capsule framework will multiply your wardrobe and make it a lot more fun to decide what to wear for the day ahead.
While the wardrobes of women getting dressed for work tend to need more than just a capsule, thinking about getting dressed within the capsule framework will multiply your wardrobe and make it a lot more fun to decide what to wear for the day ahead.
First, what is a capsule wardrobe?
35-40 pieces – a mix of tops, bottoms, jackets, shoes, and accessories – within a color story that mix and match together. With 35-40 pieces, you can get up to 100 outfit combinations.
If that seems extraordinary, consider this mix of pieces:
INTELLIGENT STYLE INQUIRY: How many outfits can you create from these 7 items?
Rather than looking at it as 2 outfits to wear with this one jacket, you can see all the different outfit combos when you consider the shoes, layering, and accessories.
Now, how do we leverage the capsule mindset?
Within the capsule framework, you’re wearing EVERYTHING in your closet. Every piece has a purpose. You’ve included each piece with intention. You add new pieces and immediately create 3-5-10 new outfits.
You leverage the capsule mindset by deciding that from now on, every piece in your closet has a purpose. You WEAR everything. Maybe not all the time (those cocktail dresses), but when the occasion arises, you’re prepared and excited for what you get to wear.
We’re not committed to ONLY capsule wardrobes because they’re constraining. That’s how they’re designed. But we are committed to ONLY buying things we love that make us feel amazing right off the bat. (Editor’s note: Some pieces you LOVE but you’re also not 100% yet off the bat … those are pieces that will move you along in your evolution of style.)
And how do we get here in only 10 minutes (at a time)?
Intelligent Style leverages a concept called embodied cognition. Embodied cognition is learning through experience. Embodied cognition is when you know something so innately, that it feels effortless. Intelligent Style is effortless. You get to effortless through experience.
What keeps us stuck from doing something we’ve always wanted (like have a closet full of clothes we love) is the overwhelm of the project.
So, let’s break it down. 10 minutes at a time.
- Go into your closet.
- ID 5 pieces you LOVE.
- ID 5 pieces you want to love and you’re not yet ready to let go of.
- ID 5 pieces you never wear and keep ‘just in case.’
- For those ‘just in case’ pieces, immediately add them to your donation or resale pile.
- Also for those ‘just in case’ pieces, note if you do need this item and add it to your ‘wardrobe action plan.’
- Take those 5 pieces you want to wear and pick one to play with to create outfits NOW. Spend these remaining 7 minutes playing with clothes.
→Yes, you should not be over-thinking each of these categories. You KNOW. So the first 6 steps should take 3 minuets or less.
For your next 10 minutes:
Pick another 1 or 2 from your want to wear pile to play with and create outfits. These pieces tend to be the ones that stretch you to your next level of your style evolution. There was something about them that made you say YES to adding it to your wardrobe, even if you weren’t quite ready to OWN wearing them.
Step into it. Embody your next level.
For your next 10 minutes:
Rinse and repeat these 10 minutes of embodied cognition until you’ve gone through your whole closet and are left with ONLY pieces you LOVE and wear.