creating my capsule wardrobe
How I developed my capsule wardrobe, along with tips and tricks for building your own capsule wardrobe.
To me, and I'm guessing to many others, a clothing pile in the corner of your room can mean many things. It could mean it is time for a clean, the chair that was once used to sit on has now become a second wardrobe, or life has simply caught up with you. However, this time, the pile meant something else entirely. It became a visual prompt to reflect on my shopping habits as a consumer and as a wearer of clothes.
It all started with a decision to clean out my wardrobe as part of creating my capsule wardrobe.
This moment marked the beginning of becoming more intentional about what I keep in my wardrobe and what I discard. Over the years, I had gathered layer upon layer of clothing, and when I looked at all the pieces of clothing I had accumulated, it felt almost archeological. It was almost a timeline of trends I had outgrown, many impulse purchases, with a few hidden gems here and there.
At first, I was undeniably overwhelmed and unsure where to begin, as I hadn't done a wardrobe clean out for five years. But I knew if I wanted to rethink my relationship with fashion, not just as a designer but as someone actively choosing what to wear, this was going to be my starting point.
I will now take you through each step I took to create my new capsule wardrobe.
STEP 1. making the clothing piles (a realisation)
I gathered all my clothing together and made the conscious effort to group it into categories such as skirts, pants, tops, outerwear, etc. Seeing all my clothing in these piles was shocking, as I realised only by looking at the piles of clothing that I only wear a third of my wardrobe — and some pieces didn't even fit me anymore.
I knew I wanted to create a keep, donate, and sell pile, but first, I needed to have a deep understanding of my wardrobe.
STEP 2. logging what I keep (an understanding)
Before creating my keep, donate and sell piles, it was imperative that I understood what exactly I had in my wardrobe, and had a way to log my current wardrobe. To help guide my logging process - rather than writing everything down, and overwhelming myself - I decided to turn to an app called Whering. It is a digital wardrobe tool that lets you digitally log (through images and tags) on what you already own in your wardrobe, and helps you create outfits from existing pieces which ultimately reduces consumption waste, and helps you understand as a consumer on what you own, and what you need and don't need.
Whether the item was sentimental, practical, or just a love for that piece, it was recorded, and it helped me realise what I wanted my wardrobe to look like.
Being able to visualise my wardrobe helped me understand what I actually wear and what I keep in it. I also knew that if I couldn't get myself to take a picture of the piece of clothing, it was likely a sign that it did not belong in my wardrobe, and I had no sentimentality or love attached to it. It also allowed me to create outfits, and if I knew I could make an outfit from every piece of clothing I owned, I knew it had a place in my wardrobe.
I will delve into Whering a little more down the line, but for now, it proved to be such a helpful tool for me to decipher my style and what I own in my wardrobe.
STEP 3. making THE piles (keep, donate, sell)
So, now I gave myself the task of making three new piles from each category: KEEP, DONATE, and SELL.
This was the part I most dreaded. I won't pretend to say it was easy… because it was not. I had set a week-long timeline to complete it, which was definitely a stretch for me, but it was necessary.
I tend to second-guess myself, especially when it comes to clothing. I knew that one piece of clothing was enough to unlock a whole memory... and suddenly, I was spiralling. That piece of clothing that I swore I would sell is now in the keep pile, and I know I will never wear it again. But there's always the "what if I wear it again?"
What helped me maintain a stick-to-it mindset was being clear with myself. Yes, this piece of clothing might hold sentimental value, but if it no longer serves me, then it's okay to let it go. Surprisingly, this attitude made completing the task much easier, giving me a sense of ritual and lots of clarity.
AND IN THE END…
Once all the piles were made and the chaos of fabric had cleared, I took a moment to reflect on a very long week.
From this process, I have created a technique that I will use for the rest of my life every time my wardrobe's feathers need to be fluffed out and reset.
It is called the 'Pile, Log, Pile' technique. Here is what I learned this week from the ''pile, Log, pile' technique:
I realised I had accumulated clothes I didn't need, and instead of investing in thoughtful purchases (like I am doing this year with The Rule of Five), I was purchasing impulsively.
My wardrobe palettes consist of blues, greens, browns, ecru, and indigos, with the occasional red or pink (but not much of it). I have never been one for bright colours, but I want to see if I can change this with the Rule of Five this year.
I need to invest in good-quality jeans, elevated tops, (maybe) transeasonal dresses, and a well-made coat.
And… maybe just a bit more colour as I explained earlier.
I will share my wardrobe stats a bit later, but for now, this reflection has helped me clarify how I want to approach the rest of 2025.
Understanding what I already owned helped me identify what I actually needed and wanted. This has helped me ensure that my future purchases won't just be pieces I wear once and then throw away. They will be pieces that last.