The idea of a capsule wardrobe is centered around ideals. Ideally, you can live off 10 pieces. Is anyone likely to do this in reality? Probably not. However, striving to align your wardrobe with the idea of fewer pieces that transcend seasons and trends is worthy of an attempt. As with most things in life, a binary approach is destined for failure. Instead, plant the seed firmly in your mind and let it slowly spring to fruition and guide your shopping habits. The problem with this approach often lies in the coverage.
There's an antiquated notion that a capsule wardrobe is boring, filled with "basics." A white t-shirt, a striped shirt, a button-down, jeans, black trousers, trench. For some, sure, that works. But operating with fewer pieces doesn't necessarily entail minimalist taste in the same sense that a bursting-at-the-seams closet doesn't necessarily entail the inverse. Don't believe us? Then we suggest watching the portion of Michael Kors' Architectural Digest Home Tour that examines his closet—the man must have hundreds of black t-shirts and blazers.
Despite what many publications claim, there are no rules for a capsule wardrobe. The interpretation is subjective. So we've challenged four of our most stylish friends to reveal the 10 pieces they would include in their personal capsule wardrobe if they absolutely had to. While blue jeans, t-shirts, and blazers often served as the connective tissue across all four collections, pieces like statement dresses, fringed suede jackets, and velvet mules filled the remaining slots. The result was an exercise in personal style that uncovered the most versatile items in each of their closets and varied by the wearer."I really had to drill deep and figure out the pieces that I love and see as the fundamentals to my closet. My style is very color- and print-heavy, and I like to make statements, but you really do need essentials that just flow and pull it all together. You can be out here with magnificent ball gowns and no solid coat. There's the Nanushka blazer I wear all the time now, the statement Proenza Schouler dress in that fantastic tomato red that you can dress up or down depending on your mood or the occasion, the white Bottega Veneta pump that is the perfect punctuation to any ensemble (and which my boyfriend finds very sexy), and even though jeans are REALLY scary right now, I have been breaking in my Re/Dones and watching them hug my new, juicier form."
In your eyes, what are the benefits of working with a pared-back wardrobe?
"I wouldn't ever describe my style as 'pared back'—it's impactful—but I think there is a sophistication I love about always being comfortable, moving effortlessly throughout your environment. You don't need to overthink this—it just is."
Do you find that nurturing your own sense of personal style helps to refine your wardrobe to fewer options?
"For sure. I wait to be stopped in my tracks by a piece. There are plenty of trends I can try on for size, but what is blowing me away? What's calling my name? What is keeping me up at night? Those are the pieces you know you'll hang on to and turn to again and again."
Throughout this exercise, did you find you wanted to have everything according to a similar aesthetic, or did you lean towards greater diversity for contrast?
"There's a mix of tried and true classics, like strong denim and a classic blazer, and much more playful items that at first glance wouldn't maybe be considered as your typical 'wardrobe staple' but actually lend themselves easily to my life."
"These are my 'tick all situations' selection—a small wardrobe of pieces that will mix and match with each other, worn dressed up or down. To start, the Nili Lotan fringe jacket is a no-brainer. I have the brown colorway, and I wear it nonstop in the warmer months. Casually, with my Re/Done jeans (which I tailor to fit my body) and a James Perse tee—the best basics I've come across. A few dresses are also key, like the Bernadette robe dress. Wear it alone with a Loewe basket bag and The Row sandals for day drinks with the girls (which could easily go into the night), or dress it down by wearing it open with jeans, a tee, and Supergas. Another dress I would say is a must-have is the LBD; however, spice it up with a designer like Mara Hoffman. Her designs are incredibly structured and well thought out. Celebrating the womanly form, they make you feel amazing! I have one, which I wear almost weekly in the summer—yes, black for summer is incredibly chic."
In your eyes, what are the benefits of working with a pared-back wardrobe?
"Time! No one wants to waste time in the morning when you need to jump on the tube for a meeting but you can't decide on what pair of jeans look best. Having a capsule wardrobe of staples that fit well or are tailored to you ensures that your clothes work hard. Women now want investment pieces they can wear over and over again, 100 different ways. We've become more savvy with our shopping habits."
Does nurturing your own sense of personal style help to curate a better capsule wardrobe?
"Yes because you have to understand what works for you. There's no point in buying a dress that looks great on you but doesn't work with your lifestyle, as you'll never wear it. Investing in pieces that you will wear time and time again is clever shopping. Being able to style them in ways to create completely different looks is clever styling. Fashion is a way to express your personality, not someone else's, so choose pieces that make you feel like the best you possible."
Throughout this exercise, did you find you wanted to have everything according to a similar aesthetic, or did you lean towards greater diversity for contrast?
"I'm a real minimalist, I always think less is more. But sometimes a little fringe, pattern, or color is needed! Fashion is meant to be fun, so I want pieces that brighten up my mood."
How well do these items integrate with each other into actual ensembles?
"This selection works incredibly well as a capsule wardrobe. You can wear the shoes and accessories with all the outfits created. The jacket is a lifetime piece that will take the center stage no matter what's underneath. Normally, all that's needed is a pair of jeans and a tee with it, but also worn on top of a silk dress, it packs a big punch for those real special occasions. The white skirt is another piece I lived in last summer. Although it holds a hefty price tag, the cost per wear definitely proves its worth."
"I curated a range that features the same neutral color palette but ranges in proportions. I love playing with proportions when dressing, so there are Bermuda shorts to pair with tank tops or oversize button-downs. Every item serves hundreds of different fashion occasion purposes. And I was realistic as well—if I only have 10 items, I would even want my sweats to be extra chic, hence the Paper Project set. If I wanted to dress up, I could throw the Maggie Marilyn blazer over the slip dress or still be casual-chic in jeans and a blazer."
In your eyes, what are the benefits of working with a pared-back wardrobe?
"Well, for one, simplifying your wardrobe reduces our daily levels of decision fatigue. It's the reason why Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit to work—so he can save his decision-making energy and brain power for the bigger decisions at play. Also, not just mentally—I think paring back a wardrobe would help me have the same outlook on everything in life: that I have all that I need, and the need to consume is a habitual mindset instilled by society. Once we break the dopamine hits of 'new things,' 'new clothes,' we realize we never needed them in the first place."
Does nurturing your own sense of personal style help to curate a better capsule wardrobe?
"For sure, being confident and aware of personal style is actually always knowing what your core capsule wardrobe is and building on that with more seasonal pieces. If you're buying trend-to-trend or season by season without having these foundational pieces set, you don't really have personal style. That's 'style' according to the trends dictated by society, not dictated by yourself and your own taste."
Throughout this exercise, did you find you wanted to have everything according to a similar aesthetic, or did you lean towards greater diversity for contrast?
"Although I usually love wearing pops of color, I found myself gravitating to a pretty neutral color palette. Though the silhouettes are more vast for contrast and each piece all mix and match, that makes getting dressed in the morning and having a sense of personal style still fun."
How well do these items integrate with each other into actual ensembles?
"Every piece here can be worn or paired with another piece on the list for a copious amount of different outfit options—I didn't choose any pieces that wouldn't pair well with the other items on the list."
"What I've selected is a variation I like to call 'Sade Part Deux.' It's basically Sade's wardrobe from the 1980s mixed with a couple of updated, very personal, one-of-a-kind pieces. Some of the pieces are expensive, but if these are actually the only pieces in your wardrobe, you're going to need them to last—select the absolute highest quality available. Also, remember the concept of price per wear...at this point these pieces are practically a bargain."
In your eyes, what are the benefits of working with a pared-back wardrobe?
"The benefits are obvious—less time thinking about what you're going to wear, and more time being able to get on with all the things that you want to do! What a gift to be able to focus on all of the important things instead of agonizing over whether to choose the 85 mm heel or the 110 mm heel... There is no heel!"
Do you find that nurturing your own sense of personal style helps to refine your wardrobe to fewer options?
"I used to be worried that my personal style was such a throwback to all of the things I loved in my childhood and adolescence, but I've learned to lean into it and embrace my arrested-development style that mixes the best of every style icon I've met along the way, from my beautiful mother to babysitters to first concerts to Seventeen covers and my much-studied album covers. I honor it all and don't get too worried about what it all means (although I'm sure my therapist could probably weigh in!). Mostly, I just want to love what I wear and feel like myself in pieces of the highest quality that fit beautifully."
Throughout this exercise, did you find you wanted to have everything according to a similar aesthetic, or did you lean towards greater diversity for contrast?
"I think that the main thing that came up for me was the importance of accessories, weirdly. I'm not really an 'accessory lady,' but it was clear that great accessories really make the outfit. Whenever I travel to fashion week (back in the days that we did), I felt like I needed a carry-on for my clothes and a full suitcase for shoes because shoes can truly transform any outfit. I think I wanted my base pieces to all work together, and then a few pieces to make everything more interesting and more 'mine,' and I think I was successful. The best part is that every single piece works together."
Photo (from left to right): Courtesy of Marjon Carlos; Diego Villarreal; Courtesy of Monikh Dale; Courtesy of Laura Vinroot Poole
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