How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

Staring at an open closet full of options can make the idea of a hand-selected capsule wardrobe feel a bit daunting. To make it easier, we’re offering some tips about how to pick each piece by group, top to bottom.

From the Top

When it comes to building a capsule wardrobe, you’ll want more tops than any other piece, because they often get more wear and tear over the day: makeup stains, coffee stains, sweat stains.

Shirts and Blouses

When selecting tops, think of your daily schedule: do you work from home? Is your day-to-day dress code casual, or more formal? If you have a dress code, you’ll want to incorporate moreprofessional topsaccordingly. When considering colors andprints, use the rule of thirds: one third in neutral shades and blouses, one third prints, and one third bold colors/casual items. Solid tops will naturally be easier to match with every other option.

Une femme aux longs cheveux bruns et à la frange porte une chemise blanche boutonnée et un jean bleu clair, debout en plein air, avec de la verdure et des fleurs en arrière-plan. Elle a une main dans sa poche et regarde directement la caméra.
Une femme aux longs cheveux bruns, portant des lunettes de soleil et une robe sans manches vert olive ceinturée, se tient près dune clôture rustique en bois dans un cadre extérieur verdoyant.

Dresses

Unless you’re wearing dresses every day, you don’t need many. Depending on the weather where you live, you can also rotate dress lengths and fabrications by season. For every four tops, go with one dress. To make this really count, select one dress option from three categories: casual, business casual/transitional, and night out/dinner appropriate. The idea is that by mixing and matching with other capsule pieces, you can transform each dress to suit your needs. A little black dress can be changed with just the right jacket.

Room for Basics

Camisoles, tank tops, and bodysuits are helpful building blocks for any wardrobe. Choose a handful of these to place in your capsule in neutral colors like white and black, enough to last until laundry day.

Une femme portant des lunettes de soleil et une tenue beige à fines rayures, composée dun pantalon large et dun débardeur, se tient à lextérieur sur lherbe, une veste assortie sur lépaule, avec une clôture en bois et des arbres en arrière-plan.
Une femme portant de grandes lunettes de soleil, un haut boutonné en denim sans manches et un pantalon en denim à jambes larges se tient à lextérieur, près de verdure, dune jardinière en carrelage et dun bâtiment blanc à double porte. Elle porte une ceinture et des bracelets bruns.

Trousers and Denim

Use the rule of thirds we mentioned earlier: if you have three tops, pair them to at least one bottom, a 1:3 ratio. 

A pair of jeans, a pair of trousers, and a trendy wild-card option are all you need, so long as they play well with your top selections.

Skirts

When it comes to skirts, ask how often you wear them: are you someone who wears a skirt several days a week for work, or only for special occasions? Be realistic, because you want to have a capsule that you’ll actually enjoy wearing. 

Take a similar approach to how you selected dresses: one casual, one more professional style that can go to dinner, and one that’s in-between.

A woman wearing sunglasses, a white blouse with a large bow, and a beige belted skirt stands by a waterfront, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand and resting her other hand on a stone railing.

Blazers

This will vary with your schedule and level of workplace formality, but a nice blazer is generally a great piece to have on hand in any closet. Try having at least one blazer in a neutral, solid color like black. They look particularly cool over jeans and casual tops.

If you wear blazers often for work, use the same rule of thirds that was applied for bottoms: 1 blazer for every 3 outfits. If possible, try to choose blazers that will work with 75% of your tops and dresses combined.

A woman wearing a shiny, gold textured pantsuit and sunglasses stands confidently on marble steps in front of a building with reddish-brown stone walls and a decorative iron window.
Une femme portant des lunettes de soleil, un cardigan rose boutonné et un jean bleu clair se tient à lextérieur devant des fleurs dhibiscus et de la verdure.

Sweaters and Cardigans

Sweaters are like bottoms in terms of care. After all, they’re on top of your first layer, meaning they’ll likely come into less contact with sweat or deodorant. They’re also usually thicker, bigger, and sometimes only seasonally necessary.

Because of this, go back to that rule of thirds, and apply it to your sweaters and cardigans: 1 layer option per every 3 tops, bonus points if the sweaters can work with 75% of the tops.

A woman with long blonde hair wearing sunglasses, a textured white coat with gold buttons, and blue jeans walks outdoors by a stone structure, with greenery blurred in the background.

Outerwear

When it comes toouterwearevery single day, this should be the smallest number of pieces in your capsule. You only need 2 at the max: one for weather, one for special occasions.

Shoes

For shoe-lovers, it can be hard to pick a few favorites, but that’s the point of a capsule wardrobe, right? Try combining our rule for bottoms ( rule of thirds) with seasonally appropriate knowledge. For example, if you live in a city that stays cold and wet most of the year, three pairs ofsandalsaren’t going to work. A nicepump, a water-ready boot, and a cute flat will do the trick.

Une personne vêtue dune robe blanche tient à la main des sandales rouges à lanières et un sac en filet rempli de citrons jaunes. On aperçoit la lumière du soleil et de la verdure en arrière-plan.