When I first heard the term “capsule wardrobe” on a design podcast a few years ago my initial thought was that it was a modern, mobile piece of furniture to house clothes. I imagined it to looked like a pill capsule that was meant for individuals living in small spaces that had no closets to store them. It didn’t take me long to figure out all of my preconceived ideas surrounding a capsule wardrobe were wrong.

For those of you who don’t know what a capsule wardrobe is, it is a small collection of versatile clothing and accessories that can be interchanged seamlessly with other pieces. The term “capsule wardrobe” has actually been around since the 1970’s when a London boutique owner named Susie Faux coined the concept. It was later popularized in the 1980’s by an American designer who specialized in interchangeable work pieces. Probably the most well-known individual of the capsule wardrobe movement today is Courtney Carver from Project 333, who created this challenge of dressing with 33 items or fewer for 3 months. It baffles me that this concept of a capsule wardrobe has been around since before I was born, yet not until my mid-20’s did I become familiar with this concept! America and its consumerism!

A lot of people looking to simplify their lives tend to forget about their wardrobes, but many of us have a lot of clothing. Fortunately for me I’ve never been a fashionista, so my closet has always felt pretty limited compared to others. My capsule wardrobe however looks a bit different than the one Project 333 outlines. The basic rules of Project 333 is that you choose 33 items (includes clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes) that you’ll wear over the next 3 months. Sentimental jewelry, undergarments, sleepwear, workout clothing, and wear around-the house clothes don’t count. Everything else gets boxed away for three months.

My wardrobe does not contain only 33 items. I also don’t have boxes of clothes stored in the garage, attic, or basement waiting for the 3 months to be up so I can see them again. What is in my dresser and closet is every piece of clothing I own that I wear all 4 seasons, all 12 months. Since this past weekend’s edit I have 94 items in my closet and 39 items in my dresser (workout and loungewear included, but undergarments and socks not). I have under 10 pairs of shoes for every season (flipflops, sneakers, hiking boots, regular boots, fancy boots, fancy shoes, etc.) I’ve also got 1 purse for outings, 1 large purse for work, and a few jackets for the tough winters 🙂 Every now and then I take notice of what I am or am not wearing and edit. If I’m not wearing it, I donate it. If it’s too small or doesn’t fit well, I donate it. If it’s beyond repair, I chuck it. If there are pieces that I love that become irreparable, I replace them.

Your wardrobe does not need to look like mine or anyone else’s for that matter, but whether your are a seasoned editor or a newly found simplifier I’ve put together some tips that I think will help with your closet clean-out!

• First off, set a goal! What do you want to accomplish? Are you fully committing to Project 333 or is your wardrobe so overwhelming that you just want to take inventory of what’s in your closet?
  • Do this before you start going through any of your clothes – if your goal becomes too overwhelming you can always change it, but everyone needs to start somewhere!
• If the thought of tackling your wardrobe stresses you out, this will be an emotional journey!
  • No one said this was going to be easy! Luckily we live in a time where online communities and support groups are easily accessible! Use your resources! Project 333 has some great ones!
• Take inventory of your wardrobe before deciding what you want to do with each piece
  • If you set your eyes on all of the clothing you own you’ll have a better idea of the items that you wear, those that you don’t, which ones you like, and which you don’t, etc.
  • It will also speed up the process of deciding which items you’ll want to keep in your wardrobe if you know what your choices are ahead of time!
• Now set up those clothing piles!
  • The “Keep” pile will be for clothing and accessories that fit and you wear often.
  • The “Store” pile will include items that you want to keep but maybe aren’t going to include in your first wardrobe OR are items you’re just not sure what to do with yet.
  • The “Donate” pile will include items that are not your style or don’t fit.
  • The “Trash” pile will include all items that are in bad shape and are irreparable.

No matter your wardrobe goals, here are some things to consider when determining what to place in your “keep” pile.

• start with the clothes you love
• take into consideration the season (if you are going to do a 3-month round)
• consider items that will pair well with others in your wardrobe
  • try to maximize the number of outfits that you can create
  • make sure to include an outfit suitable for all the occasions you’ll need one for
  • if you end up flubbing this one up, at least you’ve got clothes in storage to ransack if you are in need of rescuing! However this should NOT be taken lightly and only done as a LAST resort (not just because you miss your clothes or because your closet feels empty)

When you’re done most of your clothes probably ended up in the “Keep” or “Store” pile, and you’ve probably realized by now that you’ve got more clothes than you ever thought possible. If your goal is to pare down your “keep” pile to 33 items, you might have some more work to do. If your plan was just to weed out some of your clothes, then you might be done. You might also feel guilty for any items that you bought and never wore. If this discourages you, realize that after this experience you’ll be more conscious of the money you are spending and the clothes you are purchasing.

Unfortunately when the three months is over, you’ll still have a bunch of clothes in storage. The only way to truly de-clutter and simplify is to edit your stored items. Sure, you can move stuff to storage and you’ll have more room in your closet, but you won’t be clutter-free. If your current wardrobe has been working, you haven’t needed any additional items or have even thought about your other clothes I highly suggest donating these clothes. Out of sight out of mind! If it didn’t quite go as planned then you can start again with a new wardrobe from the items you’ve been storing. Even if you needed to pull pieces from storage to incorporate into your new wardrobe, after each round you should be able to eliminate some items from storage. If you do this until you feel comfortable with the quantity and types of clothes you have, by the end you’ll have a nicely curated wardrobe for all occasions!

Don’t forget, if you end up biting off more than you can chew you change or modify your goal! The overall idea is to push you outside your comfort zone, not to make you suffer or become highly discouraged! If something is clearly not working for you, then change it! If you need to buy clothes because you’ve discovered your true style or you’ve lost weight, then do it! What are you waiting for? For the full details of Project 333 and how to get started click here!

Have you made a capsule wardrobe? How did it go? Did you participate in Project 333? What was hardest for you? What was easiest? Did you do anything differently? Were you able to maintain it?

For those interested but haven’t taken action, what is holding you back?