Insert HTML here
How to Create a Winter Capsule Wardrobe in 2023
Capsule wardrobes are a lifesaver. They help us save money and time, too.
If you’re curious about winter wardrobe ideas from sustainable fashion, you’re in the right place.
Let me tell you a secret. Before I became a wardrobe minimalist there were times I would look into the wardrobe, see a mountain of clothes, and get frustrated because I couldn’t find anything to wear.
Does that sound familiar?
If you feel the same way sometimes, then a winter capsule wardrobe might be all you need.
Having a minimalist wardrobe will help you pick an outfit in 5 minutes instead of 50. Also, you would protect the earth from the waste and harmful chemicals that come with producing new clothes.
What is a Minimalist Wardrobe?
A minimalist wardrobe consists of a few essential clothing items that can be combined to create many different outfits. Those pieces are all you need to look fabulous all season.
There’s no hard and fast rule regarding how many items your wardrobe should contain. Still, a sweet spot is between 25 to 50 clothes and accessories. However, the number of items that make up your capsule wardrobe this winter is entirely up to you. It depends on how many items you own, how often you go out, and the size of your closet space.
As with everything else in a minimalist lifestyle, less is more. So, even with 20 items, you can create 40 or more outfit options by layering and creatively combining pieces.
What is in a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe includes your basic clothing items. Those essentials can be mixed and matched to make different outfits for every occasion you may have this winter.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Wheat-colored skirts and coats! When people think of capsule wardrobes, they often picture a closet full of neutrals, blacks, and whites. But your capsule wardrobe for winter should be far from boring.
Your wardrobe should contain some neutral basics, but it shouldn’t end there. Your signature style should be loud and evident.
Your capsule wardrobe should contain splashes of color, print, and statement pieces that reflect your personality. You should feel comfortable and stylish while practicing sustainable fashion. Otherwise, it would become a burden. And without the joy of personal expression, what is style?
Do you love bold prints? How about a splash of color? Or particular hues that compliment your skin tone or bring out your eyes? Incorporate them, and you’ll have a winter wardrobe that you love.
So what is in a capsule wardrobe? In this list, you will find the capsule wardrobe essentials that keep you cozy this winter.
How to Create a Capsule Winter Wardrobe in 2022
Today’s a good day if you’ve been itching to clear your closet out for a while. So carve out an hour or two, play your favorite music and let’s get down to creating your dream wardrobe from the items you already have.
Select the Treasure: your essential clothing pieces you cannot live without
Look into your wardrobe and pick out the items that fall into your wardrobe essentials checklist. Also, keep things you feel happy wearing and tend to wear often. For example, we all have that favorite pair of jeans that seems to have been made for us. Such pieces are core elements in your capsule wardrobe.
Examine What You Need
You might need to mend some existing clothes so they can serve as capsule wardrobe essentials. Investing in a good tailor can save you from buying new clothes.
If you need a new item, you can buy from ethical brands, or for a cheaper option, second-hand items are readily available online and in thrift stores. Of course, ethical brands might be more expensive than fast fashion. Still, they last for years, are of superior quality, and are produced with eco-friendly methods.
Flip, Resell Or Donate The Items You Don’t Need
You might love an item to pieces, but it should go if you haven’t worn it in a year or two. The same applies if it doesn’t fit anymore.
Donating items from your closet will help others live sustainably instead of shopping for something new. Also, if you want to make some cash, you can sell them online on second-hand platforms or local fashion markets. Remember, for a capsule wardrobe to work, minimal items are needed.
When you need new pieces, a good trick for maintaining your minimalist wardrobe is to donate or sell an item for every new one you buy.
Your Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist
The following core closet essentials are needed to layer up and come in any color. You can start with black, white, and neutral pieces and insert some extra color based on what you love.
1 - Undergarments
A considerable part of the minimalist wardrobe for women that you might overlook would be undergarments. A lot of ethical brands make underwear from eco-friendly materials. You can invest in organic fabric undies like:
- Camisoles
- Three Bras (Black, Nude, and one without shoulder straps, including a sports bra)
- Knickers
2 - Tops
You can have any of the following in any color of your choice. Of course, when all else fails, black and white are safe bets any day for a wardrobe minimalist. By keeping your bottoms neutral, you can play with your tops to add a splash of vibrant colors to match your personality and occasion:
- T-shirts
- One long-sleeve white shirt
- Bodysuits
- Black Turtleneck sweater
- Cotton button-down shirt
3 - Bottoms
These bottoms can pair with more than one top and jacket to give you a fabulous outfit in five minutes. All you need is the following:
- Two Jeans (one blue jeans and one black skinny jeans)
- Two or three Work pants (classic black and navy blue plus one light colored)
- Two Skirt for work or everyday wear (again, stick to neutrals here, so you can play with your tops)
- Two Ethical leggings for your weekly workouts
- One pair of comfortable track pants.
4 - Outwear
The best capsule wardrobe jackets are made by ethical brands or bought second-hand. To keep you warm throughout the winter season, we suggest the outerwear listed below:
- One Business Casual Blazers
- One Knit Jumper
- Ethical Camel Wool Coat
- Vegan Leather jacket
- Wrap Coat with chunky knit
- Puffer Jacket
5 - Dresses and Additional Essential Clothing Items
Keep in your minimalist wardrobe some of the below items for an easy outfit:
- Two knee-length winter dresses (select natural fabrics and neutral colors to dress up or down with accessories).
- One corporate suit for work (if needed)
- One or two dresses for special events (again, look at classic styles to jazz up with jewelry, sustainable scarves, and hair pieces)
6 - Shoes and Accessories
How many pairs of shoes a person should own? Shoes are definitely a wardrobe staple, especially when you need them to keep you warm during the harsh winter months. But we can focus on owning classic timeless styles that can go with pretty much everything! We suggest three pairs of timeless pieces this winter:
- Vegan leather Knee-high boots (my personal favorite, couldn’t live without those!)
- Eco-friendly Barefoot Grounding running shoes
- A pair of black stilettos
Other essential items and accessories we shouldn’t forget are:
- One or two scarves made of responsibly sourced wool
- A knit cap (you can find a great selection of those in thrift stores)
- One pair of ethical winter gloves
- One or two shoulder bags for your everyday activities (one black and one brown to match all your outfits)
- One clutch for your night outs
- A pair of sunglasses
- Cozy Socks
Final Thoughts on Creating a Capsule Wardrobe for Winter
For greener earth, we need to make sustainable lifestyle choices. Little things like selling clothes that don’t fit, wearing a shirt numerous times, and buying eco-friendly or second-hand fashion items, can go a long way in making fashion a tool for global change.
If you are looking at simple ways to extend the life of your clothes, check out this article: “How to make your clothes last forever.”
We hope this article helped you build a winter capsule wardrobe. Will you spread the love and share this article with a friend?
