Build Your

Capsule Wardrobe
CHECKLIST

A simple, actionable checklist

to create a capsule wardrobe
you love

www.prettysimpledays.com
 MINIMALIST CAPSULE WARDROBE - CHECKLIST

ARE YOU CONSIDERING STARTING A CAPSULE WARDROBE?

Early last year, I had an epiphany. I was washing, drying and folding away our clothes for
what felt like the millionth time when I realized that all I did on weekends was slaving
away in the house. Instead of relaxing, meeting up with friends or sitting and reading a
book, my husband and I had spent (yet again) a big chunk of our weekend doing house
chores.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that our ‘stuff’ had us working for them instead of the
other way around. This was my ‘AHA’ moment that turned into a I-don’t-want-to-live-like-
this-anymore that turned into the decision to make a change. I had no idea what that
would be but I was determined to find a way to simplify our lives.

After hearing and reading about capsule wardrobes, I was sold. I started planning for my
first minimalist wardrobe and since then, I have had 25 to 40 pieces of clothes in my
closet, depending on the season.

My little minimalist wardrobe experiment, as I like to call it, changed our lives in so many
ways.

And I hope that it can help you too.

Here are the steps I followed to create my capsule.

1 - PLAN YOUR CAPSULE

Choose a number of items : if your goal is to simplify as much as possible, then I
recommend you choose a specific number of items for your capsule. The sweet spot
(for me) is around 25 - 35 items per season. If you live in a year-round warm climate,
then aim for 35 - 45.

Determine your capsule composition: what do you do for a living? Do you work in an
office? Is the dress code formal, casual or business smart? Are you a freelancer and
wear nothing but pyjama bottoms all day? You get the point. The idea here is to think
about how you fill your time. Is it 80% work wear and 20% active wear? or 80% day wear
and 20% fun - night-out wear? etc. Answering this question will help you determine
what the bigger portion of your capsule should look like.

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 MINIMALIST CAPSULE WARDROBE - CHECKLIST

Figure out your personal taste / style : What

do you prefer wearing? Skirts? Dresses? Pants?
What do you feel most comfortable in? What
looks do you feel most drawn to? Spend a few
minutes reflecting on this. Write down a few
notes if needed.

Know your body type : Are you apple, pear,

triangle or rectangle shaped? Knowing your body
type is pretty critical to building a capsule that
you love. Why? Because it allows you to make
more informed choices on how to dress for your
shape and what fits and cuts are most flattering
for your proportions.

Dress for your body shape, Determine the

outfits (trousers, dresses, skirts, etc.) that fit you
best and write down the list of the different fits
and cuts.

Choose your base + accent colors : What colors

do you like wearing? What colors suit you best?
Picking the right color palette will keep your
closet interesting and versatile. While black, grey
and white are perfect for your few staples /
essentials, it can quickly get boring and make
you give up on your capsule as a result. So, pick
your base colors, the ones that make up the core
pieces of your wardrobe and add some nice
accent colors to it.

Bring it all together: Now the fun part! Bring all

the pieces together (fits, colors, personal
preferences, type of wear, etc.) and create your
capsule wardrobe vision board. The more
visual, the better!

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 MINIMALIST CAPSULE WARDROBE - CHECKLIST

2 - TAKE INVENTORY
Closet inventory : cross check what you need with what you already have. Find the
pieces that fit your plan and put them aside.

Detox your closet: get rid of what doesn't fit, poor quality clothes, pieces you don't love,
never wear and the ones that don't fit your capsule plan / vision board. Check out this
post for a simple way to detox your closet:

3 - SHOP

Write your shopping list: write

a shopping list for the missing
pieces that you still need to
complete your capsule.

Set a budget: how much are

you willing to put into your
capsule. Set a budget before
going shopping and try to stick
to it as much as possible.

Define your go-to brands: Go

hunt for brands that fit your
style and personal taste. Having
a list of 5 to 10 go-to brands will
make it easier for you to
maintain your capsule year-
round.

Source the missing pieces from your go-to brands: remember to focus on quality, not
quantity. Before you buy, assess the quality of the garment you are about to buy.

Shift your mindset - Fast Fashion to Slow Fashion: Take time to find the pieces that
really reflect your style. Before buying, ask yourself 'can I see myself wearing this piece
of clothing for the next 5-10 years?' Being able to maintain a capsule long term requires
a serious mindset shift.

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