Getting Started With Mix And Match Outfits
So you want to know how to mix and match clothing easily? You have come to the right place. One of the easiest ways to reduce decision fatigue in the morning is to have a wardrobe that mixes and matches. When you think about how colours and styles go together, you can build a collection of clothes that are worn regularly and complement each other.
The easiest way to do this is to build a capsule wardrobe.
Creating A Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothes that suit you, your lifestyle and have you looking and feeling great—nothing more, nothing less. Too many clothes and you have too much choice, waste money on things you never wear and struggle to decide what to put on in the morning. Too little, and you restrict yourself so much you crave variety. Balance and intentional shopping are critical when creating a capsule wardrobe for the first time.
You need to look at two areas when creating a capsule wardrobe; the first is colour, and the second is style.
Mix And Match Clothing Colours
To get started, the first thing you need to do is choose a selection of colours. Ideally, you want to select under eight options. By choosing a limited palette, creating an outfit that mixes and matches becomes simple and easy. A few colours will suit every skin tone during a colour analysis. Below is a small selection of those colours. Each of these shades will suit everyone and mix and match easily. You might notice that I have not included black. Black does not suit everyone, but charcoal and navy do.
Alternatively, to find out what colours suit you best, you can opt for a full-colour analysis and then choose colours you like from a broad range of options targeted explicitly for you.
The colours below include;
Blood red
Charcoal Grey
White
Stone
Navy
Fuchsia pink
Mix And Match Styles
When you think about style, consider all of the activities you attend every week. Answer the following questions to help you pin point what you should have in your wardrobe and what should go.
- What items do you like in your current wardrobe and why?
- What do you wear to work?
- What do you need for hobbies or leisure activities?
- Where do you tend to go on holiday? Is that regular? What do you need for that?
- Do you need clothes to be with the kids?
- Are there any special events you attend each year?
- What is the environment like where you live, and how do you need your clothes to protect you?
- Are there seasons?
- If you have seasons, do you want one capsule for the whole year, two for autumn/winter and spring/summer or four for all four seasons?
- What style do you admire?
- What’s your authentic style?
- Is there something in between the two, and does it meet your practical needs?
- How long does it take you to get ready?
- How do your clothes make you feel?
- How do you want to feel?
- What types of clothes do you need? Exercise, work, formal, etc pr a variety of different styles?
- What clothes make you feel good and why?
- What clothes feel comfortable and why?
- What do you buy and never wear and why?
- What do you wear over and over again and why?
- Are there fabrics that you find uncomfortable?
- Do you prefer ethical brands?
- Do you have a strict budget?
- How often do you go through a wash cycle, so how many options of each style do you need?
When you answer all of these, you will start to look at your wardrobe differently from how you do at present. Build your mix and match clothing around your personal requirements so that your wardrobe works for you.
Below I have listed the clothes I would suggest for an easy to mix and match capsule wardrobe. I would expect yours to be different to this. Use this only as a guide to start thinking about what you might need.
OUTERWEAR
(varies with environment)
1 waterproof rain jacket with hood
1 cargo jacket
1 quilted coat for freezing weather
1 smart wool coat
1 denim or lightweight bomber jacket
1 blazer
TOPS
1 white t-shirt
1 striped T-shirt
1 charcoal or navy t-shirt
1 white shirt
1 check or plaid shirt
2 neutral (canvas colour) smart/evening tops
2 patterned smart/evening tops
3 white, navy and nude vests
2 long-sleeved tops in white and charcoal
2 Breton stripe long-sleeved tops in different colours. (navy and white or red and white)
KNITWEAR
1 cashmere jumper in a neutral (canvas colour), stone, navy or grey
1 bright paint coloured jumper in red or pink.
1 off-the-shoulder or loose fit jumper
1 neutral (canvas colour) cardigan in navy, stone or grey
1 bright paint colour cardigan in red or pink.
TROUSERS AND JEANS
1 pair of dark wash straight jeans (501s are ideal)
1 pair of lighter wash jeans
1 pair of white or stone straight jeans
1 pair of chino style trousers in charcoal, navy or stone
2 pairs of smart work trousers (navy and charcoal)
1 pair of black leggings
SKIRTS AND SHORTS
1 pair stone or navy shorts
1 pair denim shorts
1 smart straight skirt in a neutral (canvas colour)
1 denim skirt
1 pair of fun shorts
1 fun skirt (patterned or embellished)
DRESSES AND JUMPSUITS
1 little black dress (or navy / charcoal)
1 daytime dress
1 evening dress
(Adapt this to the environment)
1 smart jumpsuit
1 casual boiler suit or dungarees
ACCESSORIES
1 large blanket scarf in a paint or canvas colour
1 neck scarf in a paint colour
1 black belt
1 brown belt
1 pair of statement earrings
1 pair stud earrings
1 classic watch
1 long necklace
1 short necklace
1 fedora
1 neutral (canvas colour) woolen hat (if you need it)
1 pair of leather or pleather gloves
1 pair of woollen gloves
1 statement clutch bag
1 tote bag
1 rucksack
1 sunhat
1 pair of sunglasses
SHOES
1 pair of knee-high brown or black leather boots
1 pair of ankle boots
1 pair of wellington boots
1 pair of snow boots (if you need them)
1 pair of flat ballet shoes or brogues
1 pair of sparkle sandals
1 pair of black (navy or charcoal) heels
1 pair neutral (canvas colour) wedge sandals
1 pair of white trainers
1 pair of sports shoes
1 pair of flip flops or light sandals for summer
SPORTS AND SWIMWEAR
1 tracksuit
2 pairs of workout shorts
3 sports bras
2 sports vests
2 yoga / running leggings
1 fleece
1 swimsuit
1 bikini
Keeping It Simple
To build a wardrobe of mix and match clothing that saves you time and money but still has you looking and feeling great, you need to keep it relatively simple. As I said above, that does not mean restricting yourself to the point where your wardrobe feels dull and makes you unhappy; it is just about removing the distractions and the fuss. If you need more help, you can learn everything you need to know about capsule wardrobes or get professional capsule wardrobe help to get you started.