How To Build A Closet For A Teenage Girl
So you are looking to build a capsule wardrobe for a teenage girl? You have come to the right place. I have been helping clients find their style for over 20 years and have a teenage girl myself, so I understand the complexities first hand. When your daughter was little, you had most of the input into what she wore, but now, it is very likely that that has shifted. It is normal for your daughter to experiment, even in ways that you do not like, but how do you navigate her becoming a young adult without upsetting her?
The best advice I can give you is to listen to her and to read between the lines. Often, when teenagers want to dress in something you feel is inappropriate, they feel the need to be accepted by their peers. We all remember that delicate balance between being yourself but not stepping too far out of line, so you are targeted for standing out.
Try to find a happy balance with your daughter. Look at the brands she likes and choose options from there. You will gain her confidence if you listen and incorporate her taste into buying decisions. Keep colours and styles limited, so they mix and match easily. That way, she will find it easier to get dressed in the morning too.
Choose The Colours
The first way to create a simple, easy to mix and match capsule wardrobe for a teenage girl is to choose a selection of colours. Ideally, you want to select under eight options. By choosing a limited palette creating an outfit becomes simple and easy. There are a few colours which during a colour analysis, will suit every skin tone. Below is a small selection of those colours. Each one of these shades will suit everyone and also mix and match easily. You might notice that I have not included black. Black does not suit everyone, but charcoal and navy do.
To find out what colours suit your daughter, you can opt for a full-colour analysis and then choose colours she likes from a broad range of options.
The colours below include;
Blood red
Charcoal Grey
White
Stone
Navy
Fuchsia pink
The Best Stores For A Teen Girl
The best teenage girl brands for a capsule wardrobe might not be what you think. Teenagers often go for brands because they are trendy, which usually comes with a hefty price tag. There is no problem with this if the garment is of a decent quality. If your teenager grows out of it physically or mentally, a quality garment can sell for a reasonable price. I have done this for years. Each season we pull out my daughter’s capsule and decide what she will be keeping. If anything ends up in the ‘to go’ pile, I use the funds from those items to buy what she needs this time around.
Teenage girls tend to come in tribes. From my experience, in 2021, the following brands are currently popular to include in a capsule wardrobe for a teenage girl;
Urban Outfitters Offers vintage-inspired clothes and accessories.
Brandy Melville Popular preppy brand with good quality for a reasonable price.
Nike Still popular, particularly for loungewear.
Cider Similar to Brandy Melville only a little more quirky.
Pretty Little Thing Lots of choices on this one, but be careful to check the quality. Also some of the styles are a little revealing.
Shein Again, lots to choose from, but again check the quality.
Another thing that teenagers are increasingly brilliant at is shopping pre-loved. There are some very successful apps about now that teenagers regularly use to buy and sell clothes. Some of their favourites are;
Depop Very popular and easy to use.
Ebay The old classic is still used by teens and is excellent for selling unwanted clothes.
Vinted Works in a very similar way to Depop.
Thredup Similar to Vinted and Depop
Etsy Second hand and hand made clothes from small businesses and artisans.
Poshmark Currently only available in the US, Canada and India.
Grailed For the boys, but great if your teenager prefers a more masculine look.
Fall/ Winter Capsule For A Teenage Girl 2021
Images ASOS, Cider,
Spring/Summer Capsule For A Teenage Girl 2021
Images ASOS, Cider,
Ready To Buy Capsule wardrobe For A Teenage Girl
Floral wrap dress – Pretty Little Thing
Red Puffa – Pretty Little Thing
Chunky Boots – Pretty Little Thing
Jumper – Urban Outfitters Renewal
Skirt – Urban Outfitters
Birkenstocks – Urban Outfitters
Scarf – Urban Outfitters
Teen Capsule Wardrobe
When you consider building a capsule wardrobe for a teenage girl, you should answer some questions before you get started.
What is the environment like where you live? Do you have seasons? Is it always cold or warm? Does it rain a lot? Is it humid? All of this is important in determining what clothes you will need for where you live.
What colours suit your teenage girl? I have touched on this above. It can make a huge difference to confidence and self-esteem to use colour to dress well. Consider a colour analysis to determine what would work best.
What clothes feel good? This is a question to ask your teenage girl. The answer can include what physically feels good and what feels good mentally. Both aspects are essential.
Is she conscious of her body shape? Now, this is a delicate one to approach. You will likely know if your daughter is unhappy about an aspect of the way she looks. Even though you may be thinking her perspective is crazy, do listen. She may well have a warped image of herself, thanks to doctored images everywhere; many of us do but encourage her to concentrate on what she does love. For help on this, consider a style guide that will identify what suits her best without highlighting particular traits.
What are her favourite brands? Have a chat with her and find out the styles she likes. This is important because if you can compromise and shop from her favourite brands, you will be more successful in creating a capsule that works. If you are unsure, use the options above as a starting point.
Intentional Shopping And The Teenager
Intentional shopping is an excellent lesson for your teenager. Try and teach them to be themselves and not be swayed by trends that will not necessarily make them feel good. It is an excellent lesson to learn what you like and do not like. Not only that, but it will save you money in the short term and their money in the long term! Plus it is better for the environment. Most teenagers are aware of fast fashion, and many have better habits than we do; that said, there is nothing wrong with showing by example.
Just remember how exciting fashion was when you were a teenager; allow her to explore, try out different styles and find her identity while still shopping mindfully. It is all part of growing up.
Personal Stylist For A Teenager
If your daughter needs general guidance, consider a capsule wardrobe checklist or planner to help her get started.
If you can see your daughter struggling to learn what suits her and you do not know how to help her, consider getting help from a professional stylist. A decent stylist can gently work with your daughter to help her find clothes that suit her and find her own personal style. Look for experience with creating a capsule wardrobe for a teenage girl. As with anyone, many teenagers I see have exaggerated ideas of how they look. It can often just take the input of a professional to help them and look and feel confident again with the help of some simple, easy to follow advice. A personal stylist can advise which colours and styles will suit your daughter so that she has a great understanding of building her adult wardrobe and into the future.