The Pros and Cons of a Capsule Wardrobe

Capsule wardrobes have been all the rage for the past few years. When I first heard about them, I thought “good for her. not for me.” There’s no way I would be able to do that. Right? Wrong.

I didn’t transition into a capsule wardrobe overnight, and I don’t recommend anyone does. It’s a fairly emotional experience, and some of the decisions take some time to finalize.

While some people have a much more extreme capsule wardrobe than I do, I’m still proud of the progress I’ve made. I’ve probably cut my wardrobe in half over the last year, and I’m actually feeling better about the clothes that I own.

But there must be a catch, right? A little bit. Here are the pros and cons of a capsule wardrobe.

The Pros of a Capsule Wardrobe

Fewer Choices in the Morning

When I had a ton of clothes, my morning would get a little stressful. I had too many options, which made it feel like I had nothing to wear. I didn’t understand the value of each individual piece, and I didn’t have outfits planned out in my head.

Now that I have fewer articles of clothing, I know which pieces go together. I know my gingham shirt goes with both pairs of jeans and one of my skirts. It can also be worn with one of three sweaters over it. Even if I’m half asleep, I can pick out one of many outfits and throw it on.

Spending Less Money on Trendy Clothing

I used to be obsessed with H&M. (Okay, I still am.) Every time a new trendy piece came out (read: always), I had to have it. After all, it’s only $20! But those $20 purchases add up over time.

I try to stick with a $1/wear goal. If I buy a $15 pair of flats, I have to wear them at least 15 times. If I invest in a $250 bag, I have to be able to use it at least 250 times. If I keep getting $20 dresses, I’m not going to have enough days in my life to get each of them down to $1/wear. There’s just no way. So, those purchases have stopped.

A Better Understanding of What Colors I Gravitate Toward

If you look in my closet (oh look! a photo, so you don’t have to creep through my window!), you’ll see a lot of neutrals: white, grey, and black. These are the colors (are they colors?) I gravitate toward. Like it or leave it. You’re only going to see one brown item in there, and very few reds and pinks. Blue, on the other hand? I love it.

This really helps when I go shopping. I might fall in love with a red midi skirt, but it’s just not practical for me. I don’t wear red unless there’s a Wings game on. Sure, red goes with all of the neutrals in my closet, but so does a black midi skirt that I would get much more use out of. I’m more likely to wear black than I am to wear red.

The Cons of a Capsule Wardrobe

Doing Laundry More Often

I’ve heard some say that having a capsule wardrobe has caused them to do less laundry. And I’m calling BS on that. Unless they’re never washing their clothes, I don’t see how that’s possible. I used to be able to get away with putting off laundry until I ran out of clean underwear. Now I have to do it every weekend, no exceptions.

After all, doesn’t that make sense? Fewer clothes = more laundry. Sure, I’ve got a better understanding of how many times I can actually wear a piece of clothing without washing it. I don’t have to wash a skirt after every use unless I’ve spilled something on it. But I’ve still got mo’ laundry mo’ problems.

It’s a Bigger Deal When Clothes Don’t Fit Any More

Going from college to a full-time job meant my body changed quite a bit. I wasn’t walking everywhere any more; I’m sitting at a desk for 40+ hours every week.

Before my capsule wardrobe, it wasn’t a huge deal if a piece of clothing didn’t fit right. I would just shove it in the back of the closet and choose something else to wear. But now that I have a capsule wardrobe, every piece of clothing is important. If my jeans stop fitting right, I don’t really have any other options. I’ve only got two pairs of jeans.

Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Do you love it or hate it? Let me know your tips in the comments!