I’m giving up on the idea of a Capsule Wardrobe
‘Capsule wardrobe’.
It’s the most delightful phrase.
Somehow or other these two little words have become filled with the promise of Paris in the springtime. Breton tops paired with clam-diggers, perfect weather, empty streets, the Louvre and the Tour Eiffel. Walking hand-in-hand with a super-hot, yet devoted partner. Audrey Hepburn waving from a local café.
I’m blaming magazines. They are ace at taking a simple phrase and using it SO many blinking times that it becomes ‘the norm’. When actually it’s something wildly aspirational that only a trust fund baby with no job, no responsibility and no World Book Day Costumes to hack together, could achieve.
I’m just as bad as all the other magazine readers. I delight in the idea of a minimal wardrobe, where there’s enough space between each item to hang a small family of capuchin monkeys, should you have the desire (I don’t.)
My wardrobe doesn’t quite match up to this ideal. I’ve got clothes that are older than Guy Fawkes. Minimal it certainly IS NOT. Yes, most things go together; I know which colours suit me and they all happen to fit within one beautifully coordinating colour palette. But, the dream of owning only a handful of perfect clothes that provide for my every need is very far from reality, I love variety too much. Anyway, I’m not planning to go trekking through the Andes any time soon.
There is another idea that I wish the media would start to promote to replace the divine, yet unattainable, idea of having a capsule wardrobe.
Instead of asking readers to ponder: “Does this go with that?”
I’d like them to ask you to consider: “Does this go with ME?”
Here’s my reason…
Not every style of clothes suits every woman. There’s something in our DNA that makes us look right in some clothes and not in others. You’ll recognise this for yourself if you’ve ever bought a beautiful piece of clothing that you LOVED in the shop, but never worn. You keep trying to shoehorn it into an outfit but it looks or feels wrong.
That’s why if two women with the equivalent body shapes and similar colouring wear the same dress it doesn’t look equally good on them both.
You see lots of women walking around in really lovely outfits BUT when the outfit doesn’t ‘go-with-them’ they won’t be looking their best. They could have a perfectly co-ordinated dress/jacket/shoe/bag scenario going on, but if it doesn’t fit their style rules it’s NEVER going to suit them.
Getting this right is more important than minimalising everything and having it all matching.
Instead of a ‘capsule wardrobe’, I’d like us to start thinking in terms of having an ‘authentic wardrobe’. One where you mostly own clothes that are in the colours, shapes and styles best suited to you. A selection of garments that meet these criteria will give you that authentic wardrobe, you will have an outfit that works for every mood and the occasion, and suits you perfectly.
That’s how you develop a personal style of dressing, which conveys how you are on the inside on the outside.
Don’t get me wrong, you can wear any piece of clothing you want, as long as you feel good in it. I genuinely only offer my suggestions to women who aren’t confident about their appearance. Having your style rules sorted is the quickest way to change this for good.
If you are interested in taking this approach, I’ll be discussing how to do it at my one-day event in May – Get your Style Sorted! I’ll be teaching the ladies in the room how to get to grips with which are the best colours, shapes and styles of clothing for your unique body.
Having this information figured out makes shopping for clothes and creating outfits way easier, so that you always look your best, and, more importantly, authentically you.
If you would like to come, I highly recommend you get your skates on as the cheaper, ‘earlybird’ price expires on Monday 24th April, and I’m running out of seats!
Book your place here.
And, forget about minimal, go for authenticity.
That’s a much better way of describing it. I like that a lot.
Glad you like it Thea x