Wardrobe Essentials – The Fashion Staples You Need

How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe

There’s been a lot of talk about capsule wardrobes lately. Brands, websites, and fashion experts have been encouraging the need to cultivate a capsule wardrobe, how to build a capsule wardrobe, and more generally how to shop less and enjoy what you have.

Much of this stems from new emphases on sustainability, slow fashion, and under-consumption. We all know we need to do our part to help stem the climate crisis, and it never hurts to look for closet basics instead of endlessly shopping.

We like to think of capsule wardrobes simply as your favorite outfits, but multiplied a few times. These are the items that you love to wear and can’t get enough of. If you’re wondering how to build a capsule wardrobe and what wardrobe essentials you should be focusing on, read through to have a better idea and start collecting the closet basics you need.

Think About What You Enjoy Wearing

The first question you should ask yourself is what do you enjoy wearing most? Look through your current closet and pick out your favorite outfits, sweaters, shirts, and pants. Do they have anything in common? Do they have certain cuts that you love? Maybe you gravitate toward specific pieces and textures.

You might be a fan of floral prints, the color blue, or joggers. If this is the case, you can see a commonality in the items you picked out and make a mental note to shop for more of those pieces. That way, you only buy what you really love and what you’ll always wear.

Invest

The next thing to think about when you build a capsule wardrobe is investing. You should look at this exercise as an investment, where you’ll be purchasing clothing you can wear for years and will never get tired of.

Investing in essential closet basics doesn’t mean you have to break the bank, but it does mean you should shop with intention. The key here is to avoid dropping your hard-earned cash on items that will quickly go out of style or that you’ll lose interest in.

Shop with a list of specific items in your mind and don’t purchase until you’ve found the right t-shirt, long-sleeve, or pair of pants for you.

Pick Neutral Tops

Neutrals are perfect to focus on when you want to build a capsule wardrobe. While you might like color, if you tend to have tons of black, navy, cream, white, and camel colors in your current rotation of clothing, you’re in luck. These tones go with anything – thus, they’ll make great staple pieces that will play nice with other items in your closet.

Neutral tops are a great way to create more outfits from fewer items. If your knits and fleeces go with tons of pant options, you’ll be able to mix and match effortlessly to build the outfit you want.

Think Season by Season

Building the perfect capsule wardrobe depends on your ability to wear your items throughout the year. We know that many people experience dips and jumps in temperature from season to season, but you should be able to find clothing that layers well and can function in both the summer and winter.

Since layers are so important, you should ensure that you have tried-and-true t-shirts in addition to jackets and hoodies that will get you through the hot and colder months. It’s all about dressing smart.

Wear Comfortable Pants

Let’s be honest here: our favorite closet basics that we always come back to are comfortable – we enjoy wearing them. One of the most important aspects to think about when you build a capsule wardrobe is your own comfort.

Comfortable and soft pants will be worn again and again. No one really wears uncomfortable clothing beyond special events. Whether you work from home or head to the office from day to day, soft pants that move with you see the most use. That’s why you should only shop for clothing that has a great hand feel and feels good against your skin. Joggers are a great place to start.

Think About Fabrics

Something that is important when considering your capsule wardrobe’s comfort level is the fabric composition.

Comfortable clothes, such as activewear, will have four-way stretch. This means that they should have a fabric composition with at least a little Spandex. When shopping for closet basics, look for items that advertise a soft hand feel or cashmere-like qualities.

By paying attention to the fabric that makes up your wardrobe items, you’ll thank yourself in the long run after you have a closet filled with wearable items.

Find Versatile Sweaters & Knits

Last but not least, all the effort it takes to build a capsule wardrobe would be in vain if your clothing wasn’t versatile. We’re talking reversible sweaters or knits that could be used in many different situations.

If you invest in knits that can be reversed to sport a completely new color, you’re really buying two items for the price of one. This is also why neutrals are so important – you can wear them with anything!

Find Soft Capsule Piece at Fundamental Coast

We know that thinking about how to build a capsule wardrobe could be intimidating, but we hope this guide has helped just a bit. We think that capsule wardrobes are worth the effort, and you’ll be rewarded with a closet filled with clothing you’ll be reaching for again and again. 

At Fundamental Coast, we specialize in items that you’ll love to wear no matter what season or what you plan to do. We, like you, understand the appeal of comfortable basics that will never go out of style. Explore more at Fundamental Coast.