How To Start A Capsule Wardrobe For Moms
I wanted to write this to all the moms out there looking for a simplified capsule wardrobe. I am a mom myself and know first hand what it is like balancing children and looking and feeling good! Not only that, but I quite often find with personal clients that many of us do not know what to wear post kids. Very often, the items you wore when you were a little younger do not feel right anymore, or they do not fit so well. If this is you, you are most definitely not alone.
One of the most common reasons a personal client comes to me is because they feel they have lost their identity. I remember it well myself, and having helped those women build the perfect capsule wardrobes, I now hope to give you some insight into how to get started too.
The first thing you need to do is to consider the five elements that make up the perfect capsule wardrobe.
The Five Elements Needed For A Capsule Wardrobe
When I work with private clients, we consider five elements that you need to consider to build the perfect capsule wardrobe.
The Environment You Live In
There is no point in buying lots of wet weather gear if you live in the Red Centre in Australia. You also need to take into account seasons if they apply to where you live. For example, if you live in an area that goes through all four seasons, do you want one capsule wardrobe to cover the whole year, two for winter and summer, or four for every season? In my experience, the option that works best is one for summer and one for winter. You can carry through a few things into both seasons.
Your Lifestyle
Do you take the kids to parks or on long walks? Do you have to stand at the side of the pitch when your child plays football or hockey? Do you enjoy painting or baking with the kids or regular trips to the theatre or cinema? Do you have a yoga class you attend or a regular date night? All of these things can affect what goes into your capsule.
Your Budget
This one is critical. A capsule wardrobe should reduce stress, not increase it. Do not get into debt creating your perfect capsule. Think carefully about your budget and take your time. Most capsule wardrobes take at least a year to complete.
Colours And Styles That Suit You
One of the best ways to ensure that your wardrobe will work from the start is to find out what styles and colours suit your skin tone and body shape. Having this information at the outset enables you to focus on items that will work from the beginning. A colour analysis and body shape style guide will give you all the info you need.
What You Love And Feels Good
The most crucial aspect of creating a capsule wardrobe is selecting clothes that make YOU feel good. Forget what fashion tells you or what your partner or friend like best; this is about YOU and YOU only! If you feel like you are trussed up for someone else, your wardrobe will never feel right.
A Capsule Wardrobe For Beginners
Below I have put together some capsule wardrobe essentials that will apply to most. This collection is small but mixes and matches seamlessly. I have chosen colours that suit almost everyone. Try to recreate something similar for yourself. If you need help, check out my personal styling services.
Intentional Shopping
Once you have started to build your capsule, you have to stick to it! No more impulse buys. Impulse buys rarely work unless you suddenly come across something you have been looking for for some time. Have a plan. It does not have to be a strict plan, and you do not need to spend time building it because, let’s be honest, when you have kids, there is no time!
Think carefully about what you still need to add or replace and gradually add in pieces as and when you come across them. Be very specific about what you need. For example, if you need a new pair of jeans, you might decide you need a pair of straight, mid-tone jeans with a button fly. You might also decide that you want to have turn-ups, so you might decide to buy them a little longer than usual.
Alternatively, you might need a new dress for summer. You may have recently learned from a consultation that deep red suits you and wrap dresses suit your body shape. From previous experience, you know that you feel more comfortable in linen than artificial fabrics like polyester. In this instance, you might look for a deep red, short-sleeved, wrap dress in linen that sits just below the knee because that is where you feel most comfortable.
Can you see how this can work out? Plan your wardrobe carefully and save money by not making mistakes and repeatedly buying clothing that will never work.
Finding Your Identity Post Children
One of the most common reasons women come to me for personal styling advice and help to create their capsule wardrobes is loss of identity. In our late teens and twenties, we create our identity. We become part of a group. Often that involves music or sports styles, and that inevitably influences how we present ourselves to the world.
Nobody tells you this but having children usually rocks your world. Many come out of the other side of the first few years of childcare feeling different to the way they did before having kids. Sometimes it is hard to pin down why. It can be the circles you move in, your lifestyle changes or even body changes. These aspects and more can contribute to a feeling that your clothes no longer work for you.
Most women that go through this transition feel lost at the other end. You still feel the same and often like similar styles, but many of your clothes do not work anymore. If this is you, get professional help. The key is to update the identity you once had to fit you and your lifestyle needs now.